Candidate Information Meet the candidates being considered for President of NWTC.

Dr. Shah Ardalan has invested over 30 years in executive and pivotal roles at global corporations, distinguished universities, and prominent community colleges in North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, and Texas.

Ardalan joined Lone Star College System as Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer (CIO) in January 2008 and has been serving as Lone Star College-University Park’s founding President since 2012.

Ardalan is considered one of the nation’s leading higher education and technology visionaries recognized for impactful innovation through inclusion and building transformational teams and partnerships to advance equity and socio-economic mobility.

As a servant leader, Ardalan has developed many leaders and served over 800,000 students, faculty, staff, and businesses as an Instructor, Research Associate, Director of Business Development, Associate Vice President, Special Assistant to President, Vice President, Chief Information Officer, Vice Chancellor, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and College President.

Multiple honors and awards have been presented from industry, community, government, and service organizations in recognition of Ardalan’s commitment to education, student success, technology, workforce growth, and economic development. Ardalan serves on several local and national boards and his contributions are reflected in over 100 national and international conferences, articles, case studies, and books.

Dr. Ardalan’s academic credentials include a doctoral degree in Community College Leadership, a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, and a bachelor of science degree in Physics. He also holds multiple diplomas and certificates from the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) and Harvard University.

Dr. Kristen Raney has advanced student success and equity in technical and community colleges for more than twenty years. She currently serves as the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC), in Davenport, IA, where she leads the academic division and institutional accreditation for the multi-college district.

Dr. Raney has significant experience in both academic and student affairs. She previously worked at Saint Paul College in St. Paul, MN, where she served as dean of students and interim vice president of student affairs before becoming the vice president of academic affairs. Highlights of her work include leading a multi-year effort to redesign assessment of student learning and program review processes; establishing a department of faculty development and innovation; implementing a guided pathway advising model; and strengthening shared governance practices.

Her career began as a part-time instructional assistant at Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) in Eau Claire, WI. She held a range of positions in her twelve years at CVTC, from faculty to dean of academic development and services. As dean, Dr. Raney implemented new models of integrated academic support, introduced culturally responsive teaching practices, established a new model for adult basic education, and expanded support and outreach services across the CVTC district.

Dr. Raney is driven by her belief that education transforms lives and strengthens communities. She is widely recognized as a visionary leader who approaches her work with transparency, integrity, and empathy. Dr. Raney has been a Peer Reviewer with the Higher Learning Commission since 2019. She participated in the Aspen Fellowship for the Rising Future Presidents institute in 2021-2022.

Dr. Raney earned a doctorate of education in higher education and leadership studies from Edgewood College; a master of science in education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout; and a bachelor of arts in English from St. Cloud State University.

Dr. Kathryn Rogalski has over 23 years of experience advancing the mission of community and technical colleges. She currently serves as the Vice President of Learning and Chief Academic Officer at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where she leads the Learning Division, including Corporate Training and Economic Development, the Marinette Campus, and the Learning Effectiveness and Early College Departments.

During her nearly 5 years at NWTC, Kathryn has developed strong internal and external partnerships, led transformational work to improve student success, and built strong teams with an equity-minded focus. She has expanded the college’s Guided Pathways work and added programs aligned with industry and community needs. She is proud to have partnered with the Talent and Culture Division to launch the Teaching and Learning Center in support of faculty professional learning.

Prior to joining NWTC, Kathryn served as Dean of Business and Social Sciences at Harper College where she led transfer and career programs, the Early Childhood Learning Center and taught in the Psychology Department. She championed efforts to open Harper College’s first Maker Space and Entrepreneurship Center and partnered with industry to create non-traditional Apprenticeships in Business and Insurance. As Dean, Kathryn was a member of the Hispanic Enrollment Task Force team that supported Harper College as an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution. While at Harper, she focused on implementing Guided Pathways, creating career and technical pathways for high school students, building seamless pathways for transfer and growing industry partnerships.

Kathryn held several positions in the beginning of her career at the College of Lake County (CLC), including Institutional Researcher, Academic Advisor for Social Sciences and Associate Dean in the Social Science Division. She also served as an adjunct faculty, teaching in the Psychology Department for over a decade. During her time at CLC, she worked closely with university partners to increase pathways for seamless transfer for her students. She served on the college’s accreditation team and worked to improve systems at the institution to support faculty and students.

Kathryn recently completed the Aspen Rising President Fellowship, holds a Doctor of Education in Adult and Higher Education from Northern Illinois University, a Master of Arts in Social Sciences from The University of Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Northeastern Illinois University.

Kathryn and her family are longtime residents of Wisconsin and prior to moving to Northeast Wisconsin, Kathryn spent 20 years in Southeast Wisconsin where she and her husband Chris raised their three children Jon, Albert, and Cora. Kathryn and her husband currently reside in Forestville, Wisconsin and enjoy spending time outdoors in the beauty of Northeast Wisconsin.