Request Information
Ready to find out what MSU Denver can do for you? We’ve got you covered.
Have Questions? We have answers.
Contact Us
Meet the Team Behind the Project
Shaping the Future of the Student Experience—Together
The Workday Student Project reflects MSU Denver’s deep commitment to student success. To bring this vision to life, a cross-functional team of professionals is implementing a new student information system—designed to make it easier for students to access services, manage their academic journey, and stay on track to graduation.
This team includes a steering committee, program leadership, and both functional and technical workstream leads and their teams—each bringing specialized expertise to elevate the student experience. Together, they’re leading a transformation that will help students thrive—today and for years to come.
👉 Learn more about the Workday Student Project
What are Workstreams?
Building Blocks of the Workday Student Project
To understand how the Workday Student Project team is structured—and the vital role it plays in implementing Workday Student—it helps to first understand workstreams. These are the major focus areas of the project, covering both functional areas like Admissions, Financial Aid, and Advising, and technical areas such as Security and Data Integration.
Each workstream is led by a dedicated lead who has stepped away from their day-to-day responsibilities to focus fully on the project. These leads are supported by teams responsible for designing, building, and testing solutions that align with MSU Denver’s academic and administrative goals.
By organizing the project into focused, manageable parts, these teams can collaborate more effectively, stay aligned with their goals, and keep the project moving forward—all in support of a more seamless and student-centered experience.
Functional Workstreams
Lead
Marlynn Rocha-Vasquez
Project Title: Student Recruitment and Admissions Workstream Lead
Role in the Project: As the Student Recruitment and Admissions Lead, I will serve as the primary point of contact for all undergraduate recruitment and admissions configurations within Workday Student. My key responsibility will be to lead the coordination with the Admissions Systems team to ensure seamless integration between Slate and Workday Student, while also spearheading the redesign of Slate processes to align with enhanced Workday capabilities.
Position at MSU Denver: Director of Internal Operations, Admissions
Experience: I have over 15 years’ of professional experience in admissions and registrar operations. I began my career at MSU Denver as a student employee in the Office of Admissions and later managed key functions like tuition classification, registration, student records, and front desk operations at a community college and became their registrar. Currently, I lead the operations team with oversight on undergraduate application processing, data reporting, and serve as system administrator for Slate.
Team
- Adrienne Perucca, Process Owner
- Amber Scarver, Process Owner
- Angie Martinez, Project Manager
Focus Areas
- Recruiting Overview
- Recruiting Activities
- Selective and Open Access Admissions
- Admissions Overview
- Application Requirements
- Admission Assessments
- Student Applications
- Educational Institutions, Transcripts and Test Results
- Evaluate Application and Render Decision
- Campus Engagement
Lead
Kevin Lole
Project Title: Student Core Workstream Lead/Product Manager
Role in the Project: I wear a few hats on this project. I am the functional lead for the Student Core workstream. I also am the product manager for Workday Student. I am also part of the leadership group for the project.
Position at MSU Denver: Student Solutions Product Manager
Experience: I have over 20 years’ experience in higher education IT, working with departments like Alumni Relations, Advancement, Grants & Contracts, and Enrollment Management. Over that time, I have become very well versed in Banner and have been part of multiple large implementation projects. One of my first projects at MSU was the upgrade to Self-Service Banner 9. In the past couple years, I have been working on getting my Workday Pro certification and am currently a certified Workday Student administrator.
Email: [email protected]
Team
- Ramona Morris, Process Owner
- Jesse Ehringer, Process Owner
- Angie Martinez, Project Manager
Focus Areas
- Personal Information
- High Touch Populations
Lead
Erica Buckland Anderson
Project Title: MSU Curriculum Management Lead
Role in the Project: Erica is the MSU Denver Functional Lead in the Curriculum Management Team and a Process Owner in the Academic Foundation Team. Her goal is to represent the curriculum stakeholders, be intentional and inclusive in the implementation process, and create a robust final product that meets the needs of the university.
Position at MSU Denver: Director of Curriculum and Catalog
Experience: Erica has been at MSU Denver for almost 13 years with her most recent position focused on curriculum, catalog, policy, and compliance. She received a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from MSU Denver and a Master of Public Administration from CU Denver. Her work experience focuses on the curriculum process, catalog management, university accreditation, and policy creation and maintenance. She has a passion for creating efficient processes that serve the needs of the users involved. She aims to create inclusive spaces in her work and support the faculty and staff at the university on their curriculum journey.
Email: [email protected]
Team
- Tonia Schneider, Process Owner
- Metza Templeton, Process Owner
- Jesse Ehringer, Process Owner
- Angie Martinez, Project Manager
Focus Areas
- Course Catalog
- Schedule of Classes
- Registration
Lead
Darla Sprinkle Renke
Project Title: Academic Advising Workstream Lead
Role in the Project: I will be overseeing the Academic Advising workstream. This involves the creation of the new Academic Progress Reports, building the degree exception workflow, integrating Navigate360 with Workday, building advising systems, and building the transfer credit evaluation system.
Position at MSU Denver: Assistant Registrar, Degree Evaluation
Experience: My entire professional career of over 27 years has been in Higher Education. I have worked in Admissions, Academic Advising, Transfer Counseling, Transfer Evaluation, Student Services, Graduate Studies, Retention, Graduation, and as a college Registrar. I have worked at a community college, a private non-profit university, a proprietary online college, and now a state university. Workday will be my 5th Student Information System.
Email: [email protected]
Team
- Heather Collins, Process Owner
- LoriAnn Garcia, Process Owner
- Tamara McCool, Process Owner
- Angie Martinez, Project Manager
Focus Areas
- Degree Audit
- Academic Planning
- Transfer Credit Process
- Advising Roles
- Advising Procedures/Policies
Lead
Camden Farmer
Project Title: Functional Lead Academic Foundations & Academic Records
Role in the Project: I am serving as the functional lead for the Academic Foundations and Academic Records areas. I hope to best represent the offices involved in this work as these are core functions of the student experience.
Position at MSU Denver: Senior Associate Registrar, Director of Transfer Partnerships
Experience: I have 18 years experience working in Registrar’s offices in Colorado. I have a Master’s degree in higher education leadership. My experience is mainly with transfer credit and degree audit systems, but I am excited about ways that a Registrar’s Office can work to remove barriers for student who are less familiar with higher education.
Email: [email protected]
Team
- Erica Buckland Anderson, Process Owner
- Brian Gunther, Process Owner
- Angie Martinez, Project Manager
Focus Areas
- Programs of Study
- Academic Calendars
- Academic Year
- Date Controls
- Academic Units
Lead
Brandon Terry
Project Title: MSU Financial Aid Functional Lead
Role in the Project: Brandon will be leading the members of the Financial Aid office was they configure the Workday Project to meet the unique population and needs of MSU Denver students. Their goal is to provide a platform to the staff that will allow them to perform their daily tasks in an successful manner, as they grow in their positions and serve students.
Position at MSU Denver: Interim Director of Financial Aid Systems
Experience: Brandon has been in the financial aid world for a decade, beginning first at a small liberal arts school in NC before joining MSU Denver in 2019. At his previous school, Brandon served the lead role in his school’s implementation of their first Title IV programs which began in the 19-20 school year. During his time at MSU Denver, Brandon has served as a Financial Aid Advisor, Operations Coordinator, and Director of Financial Aid System, supporting the team during various projects including the FAFSA simplification redesign of office processes.
Email: [email protected]
Team
- Jennifer Helgeson, Process Owner
- Tori Pacheco, Process Owner
- Yared Belete, Process Owner
- Rachel Wellington, Project Manager
Focus Areas
- Financial Aid & Academic Foundation
- Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) & Eligibility
- Cost of Attendance
- Packaging
- Disbursements
- Common Origination and Disbursement (COD)
- Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
- Return to Title IV (R2T4)
- Work Study
Lead
Lyndsey Davis
Project Title: MSU Student Financials Lead
Role in the Project: Lyndsey will lead the Bursar’s office as they configure Workday Student to meet the unique needs of MSU Denver’s students, faculty, and staff.
Position at MSU Denver: Assistant Bursar
Experience:
Lyndsey has been part of the Bursar team at MSU Denver for over 12 years. Managing the Cashier’s office for most of that time and transitioning to her current position last year. While managing the Cashier’s office, Lyndsey facilitated the execution of several impactful projects including:
- Student Payment Plans – providing students with opportunities to break up their balance over monthly installments with an autopay option.
- SmartPay – which shifted all card payments to online only, ensuring a more secure payment processing environment for our students.
Email: [email protected]
Team
- Megan Maison, Process Owner
- Mike McCabe, Process Owner
- Megan Wells, Process Owner
- Rachel Wellington, Project Manager
Focus Areas
- Student Financials Foundation
- Fees and Charges
- Payments
- Bookstore
- Refunds
- New & Continuing Students Tasks
- Past Due Balances
- Accounting
- Tax
- Engagements
Lead
Camden Farmer
Project Title: Functional Lead Academic Foundations & Academic Records
Role in the Project: I am serving as the functional lead for the Academic Foundations and Academic Records areas. I hope to best represent the offices involved in this work as these are core functions of the student experience.
Position at MSU Denver: Senior Associate Registrar, Director of Transfer Partnerships
Experience: I have 18 years experience working in Registrar’s offices in Colorado. I have a Master’s degree in higher education leadership. My experience is mainly with transfer credit and degree audit systems, but I am excited about ways that a Registrar’s Office can work to remove barriers for student who are less familiar with higher education.
Email: [email protected]
Team
- Sandie Hubbard, Process Owner
- Heaven Irwin, Process Owner
- Brian Gunther, Process Owner
- Angie Martinez, Project Manager
Focus Areas
- Academic Policies
- Student Registration
- Transcripts
- Grading
- Program Completion
- Reporting
- End of Term Processing
- Duplicate Management Framework
- Active vs. Historical
Technical Workstreams
Lead
Truong Nguyen
Project Title: MSU Denver Security Lead
Role in the Project: As Security Lead, assist with architecting workstreams to account for identity and access management best practices, coordinate security technical resources for configuration tasks, and ensure security compliance.
Position at MSU Denver: Senior Solutions Architect
Experience: A technologist with a strategic and tactical mindset. Joined MSU Denver in 2008 and progressed through ITS from various Technician and Manager roles to a leadership role, Director of ITS Client Services. Currently, working as the Senior Solutions Architect assisting ITS with technology implementation projects, most recent, the implementation of an identity and access management platform, SailPoint.
Email: [email protected]
Team
- Mike Garcia, Process Owner
- Mohammad Hammad, Security Admin Analyst
- Alexander Kane, Project Manager
Focus Areas
- Define and update security groups
- Define and maintain domains and business process security policies
- Test security group membership
- Analyze and audit security policies and procedures
- Activate pending security policy changes
- Participate in Test stage to ensure role-based and user security is accurately tested
Lead
Tony Calhoun
Project Title: Reports & Analytics Lead
Position at MSU Denver: Director of Data Warehouse and Reporting
Email: [email protected]
Team
- N. Lucas Koike, Process Owner
- Steve Princehouse, Report/BI Developer
- Jose Alejandro Cazun Cuellar, Report/BI Developer
- Alexander Kane, Project Manager
Focus Areas
- Reporting Fundamentals
- Student Data Sources
- Overview of Workday
- Delivered Reports
- Guidelines for Documenting Your Reporting Inventory
- Dashboards
- Prism
Lead
Johanna Ortiz
Project Title: Testing Workstream Lead
Role in the Project: Supporting Functional Leads and Process owners in the development and execution of test cases, issue resolution, and knowledge transfer throughout each phase of the SIS implementation. We test throughout the project lifecycle to ensure the functionality, data integrity, and usability of the system, which will validate system readiness and support successful rollouts.
Position at MSU Denver: IT Business Analyst
Experience: I joined MSU Denver in October of 2024, bringing over 7 years of experience as a Business Analyst in several industries. While I landed into business analysis by chance, I honed my skills in technical specification design, process improvement, and data analysis in my career. Throughout this journey, I found my passion in the intersection of requirements-gathering and technical knowledge; working with business stakeholders to solve their problems and ensuring their needs are communicated effectively to technical teams has been a joy, and a great learning experience!
Email: [email protected]
Team
- Steven Armstrong
Focus Areas
- Develop and manage the overall testing strategy and plan
- Define the testing approach, including roles, responsibilities, and resource needs
- Establish and manage the testing schedule in partnership with project leads
- Oversee test execution across all phases
- Facilitate coordination and progress meetings to track testing activities
- Define test scenarios with assigned testers and clear success criteria
- Document test plans and maintain testing documentation
- Track and report on test metrics and outcomes
Lead
William Block
Project Title: Data Extraction Technical Lead; Assistant Integrations Lead
Role in the Project: Leveraging the broad technical skills and deep functional knowledge of the Solutions Engineering team to support various areas of the project. Some of these include, keeping Banner working during the project, data extraction for loading into Workday, integrations support and development, reporting support and development, and anything else where the team may add value to the project.
Position at MSU Denver: Manager of Solutions Engineering
Experience: Over the past 25 years I’ve worked across all IT domains from infrastructure to networking to development to security to project management. I’ve been at MSU for nearly a year now and lead the Solutions Engineering team that support and extend Banner using a wide range of software and database development skills. I’ve lead implementations of Oracle’s ERP and Workday’s Financials.
Email: [email protected]
Team
- William Block, Data Extraction & Transformation Lead
- N. Lucas Koike, Data Lead
- Steve Princehouse, Data Validation
- An Le-Nguyen, Data Validation
- Alexander Kane, Project Manager
Focus Areas
- Partner with Functional Leads, Process and Data owners to facilitate data accuracy, cleanup, and migration to Workday as the new system of record
- Develop and implement processes for identifying, transforming, and migrating data from current systems to Workday Student
- Deliver current and relevant historical data to the Accenture data team to load into Workday Student
- Provide technical expertise to support accurate and efficient data migration
Role
Lucas Koike
Project Title: Data Lead, Data/Reporting Process Owner, Data/Validation Conversion
Role in the Project: Provide technical knowledge and expertise related to Banner, lead data mapping activities from Banner to Workday with support of Functional Leads and SME’s, develop assigned reports.
Position at MSU Denver: Associate Director of Data & Analytics
Experience: Upkeep of informational dashboards covering departments and programs throughout the institution. Provide data insights through custom query data pulls to interactive data visualizations. Primary skills are Tableau, Excel and SQL with high understanding of Banner tables.
Email: [email protected]
Team
- William Block, Data Extraction & Transformation Lead
- N. Lucas Koike, Data Lead
- Steve Princehouse, Data Validation
- An Le-Nguyen, Data Validation
- Alexander Kane, Project Manager
Focus Areas
- Develop and implement a strategy for migrating data from the University’s current systems to Workday Student
- Provide system expertise to support accurate and efficient data migration
- Lead data mapping between current systems and Workday Student
- Oversee data transfer into Workday Student
- Ensure data accuracy through validation and quality checks
Lead
Nate Obee
Project Title: Integration Lead
Role in the Project: As the Integration Lead, I will support and assist in the development of integrations between Workday and other systems.
Position at MSU Denver: Enterprise Application Administrator
Experience: I’ve been a data integrator for a decade at several institutions. Moving data between applications effectively allows for a simpler/smoother user experience.
Email: [email protected]
Team
- Waheed Barakzai, Developer
- Anna Krajeski, Developer
- Alexander Kane, Project Manager
Focus Areas
- Develop Systems Integration Inventory Review
- Plan and execute the integration strategy
- Provide technical expertise for integration requirements
- Document integration requirements and designs
- Develop and test assigned integrations and reports
- Validate system readiness to support all integrations
- Participate in Workday Delivery Assurance reviews
Program Leadership
The Program Leadership team provides day-to-day direction and oversight for the Workday Student implementation. This group translates strategic goals into actionable plans, coordinates efforts across workstreams, and ensures the project remains on schedule and within scope. By managing priorities, facilitating cross-functional communication, and proactively addressing challenges, Program Leadership plays a pivotal role in delivering a system that meets the evolving needs of the University and its students.
Sara Vance
Project Title: Program Manager, Change Management & Training
Position at MSU Denver: Associate Director, Project & Portfolio Management
Experience: I am an accomplished IT and Project Leader with 20+ years of experience developing high-performance teams and executing innovative technical strategies to enhance user experience and drive organizational growth and profitability.
I am both highly skilled and experienced in creating, developing and managing complex, multi-million-dollar projects, programs, and products. I thrive in building new organizations from the ground up. I am fluent in various project and change methodologies such as Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Lean, POC, PROSCI, ADKAR and Kanban.
With a successful history of delivering diverse projects from new software development, to complex data center implementation, to large multi-application upgrades, I am confident in my ability to be a bridge between senior business and technical leadership, to translate requirements into solid deliverables across various industries.
Email: [email protected]
Kevin Lole
Project Title: Student Core Workstream Lead
Role in the Workday Student Project: I wear a few hats on this project. I am the functional lead for the Student Core workstream. I also am the product manager for Workday Student. I am also part of the leadership group for the project.
Position at MSU Denver: Student Solutions Product Manager
Experience: I have over 20 years’ experience in higher education IT, working with departments like Alumni Relations, Advancement, Grants & Contracts, and Enrollment Management. Over that time, I have become very well versed in Banner and have been part of multiple large implementation projects. One of my first projects at MSU was the upgrade to Self-Service Banner 9. In the past couple years, I have been working on getting my Workday Pro certification and am currently a certified Workday Student administrator.
Email: [email protected]
Evan Bowles
Project Title: Technical Lead
Role in the Workday Student Project: Building, empowering, supporting technical teams that respond to emergent needs of the project and the institution.
Position at MSU Denver: Associate Director of Application Services
Experience: Currently serve as the Associate Director of Application Services. A life-long learner with an interest in experimental sound systems and music technology. Joined MSU Denver ITS in 2008 and has worn many hats including Helpdesk Manager, ITS Internal Project Manager, Business Analyst, and Technology Trainer.
Email: [email protected]
Sam Aghbashian
Project Title: ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Lead
Role in the Workday Student Project: As ERP Lead for the Workday Student project, I work to coordinate any impacts to the current Workday platform that Workday Student will have. I also serve on the Workday Student Project Leadership team.
Position at MSU Denver: Associate Director, Product Management & ERP Product Manager
Experience: I joined MSU Denver in July 2023, 7 months after the launch of the Workday Enterprise Resource Planning platform. I now serve that role, in addition to Associate Director of Product Management. The Product Management practice within IT is focused on the strategic management of enterprise products to deliver maximum value for end-users and the institution. Prior to joining MSU Denver I managed all IT services, HRIS and financial operations for a local restaurant group. Prior to my time in the private sector I worked with Girl Scouts, serving as Chief Membership Officer with Girl Scouts of Colorado before moving to the national organization, Girl Scouts of the United States of America where we launched a new data warehouse and business intelligence reporting tool, proudly democratizing data by supporting more than 12,000 users a day post-implementation compared to 1,200 users annual on the legacy data warehouse and platform.
Email: [email protected]
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee provides executive-level guidance and decision-making for the Workday Student implementation. This group ensures alignment with MSU Denver’s strategic priorities, allocates critical resources, and addresses high-level risks and roadblocks. Through strategic oversight and institutional insight, the Steering Committee helps ensure the project delivers lasting value to the University and its constituents.
- Matt Makley, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
- Larry Sampler, Special Advisor to the President for Special Projects
- Will Simpkins, Vice President for Student Affairs
- Tom Wallace, Accenture Leadership
Connie Sanders
Project Title: Co-Chair, SIS Steering Committee
Position at MSU Denver: Registrar
Experience: Connie has over 28 years working in Enrollment Management, specifically in Registrar, Registration and Records areas. Connie also served on the Colorado Community College Banner implementation in 2006 for Front Range Community College and helped develop consistent processes for all 13 Colorado Community Colleges. Prior to coming to MSU Denver in 2016, Connie served in various roles for almost 20 years at Front Range Community College. She holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication and a master’s degree in Leading Change for Student Success in Higher Education.
Kevin Taylor
Project Title: Co-Chair, SIS Steering Committee
Position at MSU Denver: AVP and Chief Information Officer
Experience: Kevin Taylor is MSU Denver’s Chief Information Officer and Associate Vice President for Information Technology Services. Previously serving as both Interim CIO/AVP of ITS and Director of Application Services, Kevin originally joined ITS Application Services in October 2014, as Associate Director, because he was drawn to the University’s urban location and its focus on student-centered education. Prior to coming to MSU Denver, Kevin served as the Director of Information Technology and CIO at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
Role in the Workday Student Project
As Co-Chairs of the SIS Steering Committee our role is to ensure that we are providing support and removing barriers for the Technical and Functional Workstream Leads, Process Owners, and Project Team. We will also ensure robust and frequent communication to the campus community on the progress of the project and include them in critical decision making, training, etc.
- Jim Carpenter, Vice President for Administration and Finance/CFO
- Megan Scherzberg, Excecutive Director of OTR Programs
- John Masserini, Dean of College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
- Jeffrey Newcomer, Dean, College of Aerospace, Computing, Engineering, and Design
- Jess Retrum, Chair and Professor of Social Work
- Buffy Ribble, Director of Data & Analytics
- Shaun Schafer, Associate Vice President for Curriculum and Policy Development
- Sara Vance, Associate Director, Project & Portfolio Management – Workday Student Program Manager
- Kevin Lole, Student Solutions Product Manager
- Meredith Coughlin – Accenture, Delivery Lead
- Liz Hall – Accenture, Engagement Manager