Dr. Lynette Kuhn currently serves as the Deputy Secretary and Commissioner for Postsecondary and Higher Education at the Pennsylvania Department of Education, where she leads statewide initiatives to expand access, affordability, and quality across Pennsylvania’s higher education system.
Prior to this role, Dr. Kuhn served as Chief for the Division of Higher Education, Access, and Equity at PDE, overseeing state authorization and compliance processes for degree-granting institutions. She brought to the role nearly two decades of experience in higher education administration, regulatory oversight, and institutional leadership.
Dr. Kuhn holds a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Administration from Point Park University, a Master of Education in Higher Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Society with a concentration in labor and employment relations, both from Penn State University. Her professional work emphasizes broadening access to postsecondary education, improving transfer and recognition of academic credit, and strengthening institutional practices to support student success.
Carrie R. Welton serves as Senior Policy Strategist at Trellis Strategies, driving national and state-level initiatives to strengthen systems that expand postsecondary access, improve completion, and advance economic mobility. She leads efforts to align higher education, public benefits, and workforce systems-maximizing investments and accelerating attainment and workforce development goals.
With more than 15 years of experience shaping policy, Carrie has built and led programs that address basic needs and opportunity in higher education. Her leadership roles include developing policy frameworks at The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) and the Hope Center and serving as a trusted advisor on public benefits policy and providing technical assistance at the Center for Law & Social Policy (CLASP). She holds a bachelor's degree in public law from Western Michigan University and a Master of Public Administration from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Kristin Austin (she/her) is a lover of learning and unlearning and a self-proclaimed Joy Rebel who turns leadership lessons and lived experiences into laughter, language, and light. With more than 23 years in higher education as an administrator, faculty member, and equity strategist, she catalyzes individuals and systems to question, “Who is at the table? Who is missing? For whom was it built? And who doesn’t even know it exists?”
As Vice President of Culture & Community Impact at Rewriting the Code, she helps women in tech belong in all spaces where the future is shaped. Equal parts strategist and storyteller, Kristin brings humor, vulnerability, and heart to every room she enters. She sees joy as both a tool and a teacher, one that bridges differences, sparks reflection, and reminds us that learning is most powerful when it is shared.
Kristin holds a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Administration, a Professional Certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, a master’s in counseling, and a bachelor’s in social work, which remains her favorite degree.
Dr. Stacy Priniski is Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Urban Health and Population Science in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine with an appointment at The Hope Center as a Senior Evaluation Associate.
Dr. Priniski earned her B.A. and M.S. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a focus on motivation science and social-psychological interventions in college settings. Prior to joining the Hope Center, she worked as a Research Associate at Michigan State University studying factors that predict college students’ persistence in STEM over time.
At The Hope Center, Dr. Priniski applies her extensive experience establishing and coordinating research projects to lead the Student Basic Needs Survey efforts and convene communities of basic needs stakeholders. She currently coordinates the Hope Impact Partnerships program, through which institutions across the country partner with The Hope Center to collect student-level data on basic needs and experiences, and engage in programming and coaching to help institutions leverage data to improve their basic needs ecosystem.
Molly Binkley is a senior Psychology major at Millersville University. She is a part of University Honors College and Departmental Honors and is working on a toddler study for her undergraduate thesis. Molly is a peer educator for her college's Center for Health Education and Promotion. She also works as a supervisor for the local cafe on campus, Fundraising Coordinator for the Honors College Student Association, president of her college's DMAX club, and Event Coordinator for her college's Psi Chi organization. She is planning on applying to graduate school next for Clinical Psychology with a preference to work for children and adolescents.
Malachi Chapman will be graduating in fall 2026 from Montgomery County Community College, where he is majoring in Liberal Arts. He is currently an intern at Big Picture Alliance through its Film Futures program, which focuses on producing an original narrative film from script to screen. Under the mentorship of industry professionals, participants gain hands-on experience in screenwriting, cinematography, audio production, acting, directing, and editing.
Outside of his academic work, Malachi focuses on building his portfolio in acting and modeling. He enjoys exploring a wide range of roles—from dramatic to comedic—and creating imagery that is visually captivating and emotionally resonant, aiming to tell stories that leave a lasting impression.
Natalie Dao earned her Master’s in Public Health in June 2025 from Drexel University after earning a Bachelor’s in Public Health in June 2024 from Drexel University. Natalie started her mental health advocacy journey in 2020 by joining mental wellness clubs and has been engaged in mental health and wellness advocacy ever since.
Through her university’s Active Minds chapter and peer counseling program, she has implemented fun, engaging and relaxing events; collaborated with university leadership to enhance school-wide wellness; and provided supportive peer counseling. Natalie has experience at both the local and state levels advocating with government leaders to progress mental health policy. She is currently a Family Engagement Specialist, where she supports low-income families through the process of accessing quality childcare.
Alex Hazeley is a sophomore Legal Studies major with a double minor concentrating in Criminal Justice and Business Administration at Elizabethtown College. He is also the Student Coordinator for the Ubuntu Mentorship Program and now one of newly promoted Blue Jay Ambassador Student Supervisors for the college's admissions program.