Annual Conference Agenda

November 9-11, 2026
Hyatt Regency
1107 Jamboree Road
Newport Beach, Califorina

HR at an Inflection Point:
Leading the Workforce and Workplace
Through the Next Era of Higher Education

Sunday, November 8

5:00-6:00 p.m. | Happy Hour Reception for Early Arrivals

Monday, November 9 | Day 1: The Changing Landscape of Higher Education

9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Board of Directors Meeting and Lunch (board members only)

1:00-8:00 p.m.| Registration

1:15-1:45 p.m. | New Member/First-Time Attendees Orientation

Speakers: Betsy Rodriguez, President, ARU-HR Institute, and Eugene Whitlock, Chief People and Culture Officer/Associate Vice Chancellor-Human Resources, University of California-Berkeley

2:00-2:30 p.m. | Welcome and Opening of the 17th Annual Conference

Speaker: Betsy Rodriguez, President, ARU-HR Institute

2:30-3:00 p.m. | Tabletop Ice Breaker

Speaker: Romy Riddick, Vice President, Human Resources, Princeton University

3:00-3:45 p.m. | Session 1: Keynote

Explore the structural forces reshaping higher education — demographics, finances, technology, labor dynamics and societal expectations. What does this moment require from HR leaders, and how must our role evolve to help institutions adapt and thrive?

Speaker: Howard Gillman, Chancellor, University of California-Irvine
Facilitator: Ramona Agrela, Senior Vice President, UCI Health, and Vice Chancellor, Human Resources, University of California-Irvine

3:45-4:00 p.m. | Break

4:00-5:00 p.m. | Session 2: Faculty/Academic Leadership Panel: The Changing Compact Between Research Insitutions and the Federal Government

Universities are feeling the effects of reduced federal funding in many ways, and this session will explore how institutions are responding. Panelists will discuss how their universities are meeting these funding challenges and adapting how research is conducted. We are interested not only in how current research programs are being modified, but also in the long-term consequences for research at R1 universities.

Speakers: Clare Shinnerl, CFO, University of California-Davis; Hal Stern, Provost, University of California-Irvine; Roger Wakimoto, Vice Chancellor of Research, Innovation and Creative Activities, University of California-Los Angeles
Facilitator: Julia McCallin, CHRO, Associate Vice President of Human Resources, California Institute of Technology

5:00-5:15 p.m. | Break

5:15-6:00 p.m. | Introduction of Members, Sponsors, and Participants

Speaker: Eugene Whitlock, Chief People and Culture Officer/Associate Vice Chancellor-Human Resources, University of California-Berkeley
Facilitator: Ramona Agrela, Senior Vice President, UCI Health and Vice Chancellor, Human Resources, University of California-Irvine

6:00-6:30 p.m. | Cocktail Reception Sponsored by Segal

6:30-8:15 p.m. | Conference Dinner at Hotel

Facilitator: Ramona Agrela, Senior Vice President, UCI Health and Vice Chancellor, Human Resources, University of California-Irvine

8:15 p.m. | Closing and Logistics for Day Two

Speaker: Betsy Rodriguez, President, ARU-HR Institute

Tuesday, November 10 | Day 2: Leading People Through Change

7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.| Registration

8:00-8:30 a.m. | Breakfast

8:30-9:30 a.m. | Session 3: Change Has Changed — What You Need to Know About Change Management in the Age of AI

This session will explore why change resourcefulness is becoming an essential change management strategy and what leaders can do to build it. Learn the mindsets, skills and resources that help employees thrive in an environment of ongoing transformation, enabling sustained performance in the age of AI.

Speaker: Steve Parson, Executive Partner, Gartner
Facilitator: Kevin Moody, SVP and Chief HR Officer, Emory University

9:30-9:35 a.m. – Break

9:35-10:35 a.m. | Session 4: Preparing for the Future: Changing Workplaces, Changing Workers, Changing Cultures

It’s a challenging time to be a CHRO at America’s R1 research universities. Other campus leaders look to you for leadership of people, culture and organizational development at an extremely pivotal time when workplaces and the types of workers we need to advance our academic and research mission is changing rapidly. From AI changing the way our employees work and the skills they need to succeed to the post-pandemic workplace that has changed where and when employees work – there are many factors impacting our work as higher education HR leaders. During the pandemic, flexibility was a necessity, and it remains a necessity now because workers have embraced it and it’s hard to recruit/retain top talent without offering flexible work options. When we also factor in extreme changes in how our institutions are funded, new federal and state employment rules/regulations, increased unionization across many of our campuses, rising benefit costs, talent shortages impacting the cost of labor, the demands from workers for increased transparency and career growth, the ever-shrinking average tenure of our senior leaders, and the list goes on — it’s easy to understand how many of us might be feeling overwhelmed and underprepared. During this session, we will explore these current and emerging challenges and discuss ways CHROs are adapting, adjusting and making a significant impact for their institutions and employees.

Speaker: Andy Brantley, Ed.D., President and CEO, CUPA-HR
Facilitator: Tammy Kenber, Chief HR Officer, University of California-Davis

10:35-10:45 a.m.| Break

10:45-11:45 a.m. | Session 5: AI in HR, From Experimentation to Scaled Adoption

AI is transforming human resources in higher education, creating valuable opportunities alongside new challenges. This session will offer a live demonstration of practical AI applications covering data analysis, application screening and more. We’ll explore key ethical considerations around AI, including the growing risks associated with deepfakes and misinformation and how HR professionals can identify and address them. Finally, the session we’ll examine how AI may reshape the future of HR in higher education and how we can prepare for what comes next.

Speaker: Stefan Jungmichel, MBA, Adjunct Professor, Consultant and Co-Founder, AI Lab at Biola University
Facilitator: Ramona Agrela, Senior Vice President, UCI Health and Vice Chancellor, Human Resources, University of California-Irvine

11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. | Lunch

12:45-1:45 p.m. | Business Meeting (ARU-HRI Members Only)

Facilitators: Betsy Rodriguez, President, ARU-HR Institute, and Eugene Whitlock, Chief People and Culture Officer/Associate Vice Chancellor-Human Resources, University of California-Berkeley

1:45-3:30 p.m. | Session 6: Lightning Round Sessions

Facilitators: Ramona Agrela, Senior Vice President, UCI Health and Vice Chancellor, Human Resources, University of California-Irvine, and Romy Riddick, Vice President Human Resources,
Princeton University

Session A: The Workforce Bottleneck: Are Higher Education Institutions Prepared for the Retirement Wave?
Speakers: Jill Popovich, Senior Managing Director, Institutional Relationship Management; Jim Mullery, Executive Vice President; and Alexi Mavrellis, Managing Director, Market Leader, all of TIAA

Session B: HR Transformation With an Eye Toward the Future
Over the past decade, higher education has advanced HR transformation by building centers of excellence and strengthening business partner models that tailor services to unit needs. Today, technology adoption, budget constraints, and the increasing use of AI are reshaping staffing models, workforce competencies, policies, processes, structures and culture. HR leaders must guide their institutions through these shifts — moving beyond closing historical service gaps to developing the capabilities needed for the future of work. This session will explore what HR transformation should look like in this new era.
Speakers: Kevin Carrington, Senior Vice President, Higher Ed Practice Leader, and Scott Nostaja, Senior Vice President, both of Segal

Session C: Skills-Based Talent Strategy, Hiring for Specific Skills and Adaptability Over Job Titles or Traditional Experience
Skills-based hiring replaces traditional, credential-focused recruitment (degrees, previous job titles) with direct evaluations of a candidate’s ability to perform specific tasks. Growing numbers of employers now use this approach for entry-level roles, utilizing practical assignments, simulations and skill-based interviews to improve job fit and access a wider talent pool.
Speaker(s): TBD, Caldwell Partners

3:30-6:00 p.m. | Break

6:30-8:30 p.m. Offsite Dinner Sponsored by TIAA
Details to come.

Wednesday, November 11 | Day 3: The CHRO and Their Team

8:00-10:00 a.m.| Registration

7:45-8:15 a.m. | Breakfast

8:30-10:00 a.m. | Session 7: Skill Development in an AI Evolving World (sponsored by TIAA)

Speaker: Bill Hoogterp, CEO and Chief Architect, LifeHikes
Facilitator: Romy Riddick, Vice President Human Resources, Princeton University

10:00 a.m. | Close of 2026 Annual Conference