Faculty

Meet Your Co-Chairs

Russell Yost

Associate Vice President for University Marketing and Communications, University of San Diego

Russell Yost, APR is Associate Vice President for University Marketing and Communications at the University of San Diego (USD). At USD, Russell leads the campus' marketing and communications efforts, is part of the leadership team of USD's integrated advancement operation and serves on the President's cabinet.

Prior to joining USD, Russell served as Senior Director for Marketing and Communications at the University of Washington's College of Arts and Sciences, leading communications efforts for the UW's largest academic unit. Russell brings over 18 years of experience in higher education communications, has worked for PR and marketing agencies in Oregon, and has served as a legislative assistant in the Oregon State House and Senate. During his 14-year tenure at Willamette University, Russell served as a communications director, associate vice president and Chief Communications Officer for the university.

In 2018, Russell's team at Willamette won a prestigious national Silver Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) for its solar eclipse event. Russell’s team at the UW won a Bronze Anvil Award for its student recruitment video in 2021. Russell received the Portland Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” award in 2011, the Portland Business Alliance’s “Volunteer Recognition Award” in 2014, and the American Marketing Association Oregon President’s Award in 2011.

Russell chaired the PRSA Counselors to Higher Education Forum in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and Senior Summit in 2020. He has been on the faculty for the CASE Conference on Marketing and Branding since 2021. He holds an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) and has a bachelor’s degree from Gonzaga University and master’s degree from Willamette University.

Kinnari “Kin” Sejpal

Vice President of Marketing and Communications/Chief Marketing Officer, University of Redlands

Kinnari “Kin” Sejpal is the Vice President of Marketing and Communications/Chief Marketing Officer at the University of Redlands where she oversees brand management, enrollment marketing, and communications and digital teams. Before joining Redlands, Kin served as the Associate Vice President, Marketing and Creative Services at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Among her many accomplishments there, Kin developed RIT’s brand strategy and launched its first national reputation campaign.

Kin started her career in the U.S. by joining Purdue University’s Office of Marketing and Media where she held progressively responsible roles in the areas of advertising, marketing strategy, and marketing intelligence.

Dedicated to advancing higher education and the importance of marketing in shaping the perception of our industry, Kin serves in prominent positions with CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) and AMA (American Marketing Association).

Kin has an M.B.A in Marketing and Strategic Management, and an M.A. in Communications from Purdue University.

Meet the Faculty

Mike Barzacchini

Crystal Apple Winner

Director, Marketing Services, Harper College

Mike Barzacchini has worked in marketing communication and public relations for more than 25 years and has served as a CASE volunteer in various capacities more about 15 years. For the past 22 years, he has served as director of the Marketing Services Department at Harper College, where he developed Harper's first branding campaign and leads the college's integrated marketing, web, and social media initiatives.

Along with his higher education experience, Barzacchini has developed communication campaigns for healthcare providers, state government agencies, manufacturers and consumer service companies. Whether delivering a workshop, writing copy for a direct marketing project or planning a campaign, his work is guided by the following three principles: access, usability and relevance.

Carrie Phillips

Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, University of Arkansas Little Rock

Carrie Phillips, Ed.D, is the Chief Communications & Marketing Officer at UA Little Rock.

She is part creative, part analyst, but fully curious to solve higher education challenges. She began her career as an assistant director and moved to leading a team of creatives, to managing both a marketing and communications team at a university in the state’s capital city.

Her leadership philosophy focuses on creating brand and departmental culture, and her teams have won both national and global awards as a result.

She earned her doctorate from Texas Tech, studying how universities are using marketing to mitigate the enrollment cliff. After finishing her doctorate, she is now carrying on about higher education and leadership on her website andcarrieon.com.

She has presented nationally at multiple conferences including HighEdWeb, AMA, CASE and more. She also serves as Chair-elect of CASE District IV.