Changes Ahead: Post-Election Briefing and Roundup of Key Legal Issues

Speaker Biographies

Monica Barrett


Monica Barrett 
is a member of Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC’s New York office, and provides legal advice and counsel to colleges and universities in all aspects of higher education law.  Monica began her legal career in higher education at Cornell University and then worked at Barnard College, the State University of New York, and Rutgers University.  Immediately prior to joining Bond, Monica held the position of Interim Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Rutgers where she was involved with the legal issues relating to the governing boards, faculty and staff, athletics, student affairs, campus safety, collective bargaining relationships and overseeing all litigation. She was the principal counsel during Rutgers’ Title IX Athletics Compliance Review by the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights and she also oversaw dozens of internal investigations involving employment equity, workplace violence, and sexual assault.  Monica has been actively involved in NACUA over the years through service on committees and presentations on cyber-bullying, sexual harassment, psychiatric disabilities and the ADA, and faculty and staff discipline.  She served on the NACUA Board of Directors from 2012 through 2015.  Monica holds a B.A., cum laude, from Wellesley College and a J.D. from the University of Michigan.
Dan Berger

Dan Berger is a partner at the Northampton, MA immigration law firm of Curran & Berger, and a frequent speaker, editor and writer on immigration law. He has also been editor for the AILA Immigration & Nationality Law Handbook since 2000, and edited Immigration Options for Academics and Researchers (2005 and 2011 editions), the International Adoption Sourcebook, Beyond DACA - a guide to long term remedies, and the Diplomatic Visa Guide. He will starting 2017 be the Regulatory Practice Coordinator for NAFSA, and has recently authored an issue paper for the American Council on Education on immigration issues for campuses after the 2016 election.

Travena Byrd

Traevena Byrd is General Counsel at Towson University in Towson, Maryland. As the University's chief legal officer, she manages the University's legal affairs, serves as legal advisor to the President and University executive officers, and serves as the liaison to the Maryland Office of the Attorney General. Traevena previously served as Associate General Counsel at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. Prior to beginning her legal career, she served as the director of the Commission on the Status of African-Americans for the State of Iowa Department of Human Rights and the director of Scholar Recruitment for the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa.

A NACUA member since 2001, Traevena serves on the NACUA Board of Directors and on the Committees on Nominations and Elections and Legal Education.  In the past she has also served as Vice Chair of the Committee on Membership and Member Services where she previously served as a member and as a member of the Committee on Program for the Annual Conference, the Committee on Board Operations, and the Board Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusivity.  She has spoken and moderated at several NACUA meetings. Her past service includes serving on the Iowa Governor's Task Force on the African-American Prison Population and the Executive Board of the African-American Male National Council. She served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Ithaca Activities Center and as a Trustee for the Tompkins County Public Library, both in Ithaca, New York. Traevena is also currently involved with numerous service projects as an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

Traevena received both her B.A. (in African American Studies) and her J.D. from the University of Iowa in 1994 and 1997, respectively. 

Terry Hartle

Terry W. Hartle is one of America’s most effective and experienced advocates for higher education. He is currently the Senior Vice President of Government and Public Affairs at the American Council on Education, where he has served for more than 20 years. He directs comprehensive efforts to engage federal policymakers on a broad range of issues including student aid, government regulation, scientific research and tax policy. His work involves representation before the U.S. Congress, administrative agencies and the federal courts. As an expert voice on behalf of colleges and universities, he is quoted widely in both the national and international media on higher education issues. Given ACE’s historic role in coordinating the government relations efforts of some 60 associations in the Washington-based higher education community, Hartle plays a central part in developing public policy positions that impact all colleges and universities. He also oversees the Council’s external relations functions, as well as Higher Education for Development (HED), which supports the global development goals of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), primarily by coordinating the engagement of the higher education community to address development challenges. Prior to joining the council in 1993, Hartle served for six years as education staff director for the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, then chaired by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Prior to 1987, Hartle was director of social policy studies and resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and a research scientist at the Educational Testing Service. Hartle has authored or co-authored numerous articles, books, and national studies and contributes regular book reviews to The Christian Science Monitor.Hartle received a doctorate in public policy from The George Washington University (DC), a master’s in public administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University (NY) and a bachelor’s degree in history (summa cum laude) from Hiram College (OH). He was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree by Northeastern University (MA). He has received the Hiram College Alumni Achievement Award, and has been inducted into the Hiram College Athletic Hall of Fame. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Elizabeth Meers

Elizabeth Meers is a partner in the education practice at Hogan Lovells and served as Practice Area Leader from 2004 to 2014.  Elizabeth counsels clients on compliance with federal and state laws relating to student financial aid, institutional and programmatic accreditation, education licensure, civil rights, institutional religious identity, and other education-related matters.  She serves as education regulatory counsel in negotiating contracts, including international initiatives, online programs, and mergers and acquisitions, and represents education clients in legal proceedings involving federal and state agencies and accreditors.  In addition to her role as outside counsel, Elizabeth served as Interim Executive Director of the National Association of College and University Attorneys from September 2000 through January 2001.  She served as a law clerk to The Honorable John M. Ferren of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and received her J.D. magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. summa cum laude from Radcliffe College.

Dana Scaduto

Dana Scaduto is General Counsel at Dickinson College. Before joining Dickinson in 2002, Dana was in private practice with the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania law firm of McNees Wallace & Nurick where she founded and chaired the firm's Education Practice Group, and served as outside counsel for several colleges in Central Pennsylvania. Dana is an active member of NACUA, having served two terms on the Board of Directors, and as Chair of the NACUA Board from 2012 - 2013.  She is a past presenter at several NACUA meetings. Dana is a frequent presenter and author for a variety of other higher education associations, including the Annapolis Group, the Association of Governing Boards and NASPA.  Dana is a member of the Legal Services Review Panel of the National Association of Independent College and Universities (NAICU) and a member of the Legal Advisory Panel of United Educators.  A graduate of Purdue University and the Indiana University School of Law, Ms. Scaduto is a member of the Pennsylvania and Cumberland County Bar Associations.   

Toby NEW

Tobin (Toby) Smith is Vice President for Policy at the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization of 62 leading U.S. and Canadian research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education. 

Toby oversees and coordinates AAU’s policy and policy analysis activities. Among his specific areas of responsibility are issues relating to science and innovation policy; academic research; regulation, compliance and research costs; technology transfer; and openness and security. Toby also oversees AAU’s Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative.

Prior to joining AAU in January 2003, Toby worked as a federal relations representative in the Washington D.C. Offices of the University of Michigan (1999-2002) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1992-1999). Toby began his Washington career on Capitol Hill as a legislative assistant to Congressman Bob Traxler (D-Michigan). 

Toby has written and spoken widely on science policy and science funding issues. He is the co-author a book on national science policy published in 2008 by the University of Michigan Press titled, Beyond Sputnik – U.S. Science Policy in the 21st Century.  He is currently a member of the National Academy of Sciences Roundtable on the Communication and Use of Social and Behavioral Sciences and sits on advisory boards to the National Alliance for Broader Impacts (NABI) and the International Network for Assessment and Evaluation of the Societal Impacts of Science (AESIS). Toby is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

He holds a Masters Degree in Arts of Legislative Affairs from George Washington University, and a Bachelor Degree in General Studies from the University of Michigan.

Lee Tyner

Lee Tyner, a member of NACUA since 1998, is General Counsel at the University of Mississippi. In addition to this position, Lee also regularly serves as an instructor in the University's School of Business Administration, in the Meek School of Journalism and New Media, and in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. Prior to his current position Lee served in several other positions at the University: General Counsel and Chief of Staff; University Attorney and Special Assistant to the Chancellor for External Affairs, University Attorney, and Associate University Attorney. He also previously served as a litigation associate with Butler, Snow, O'Mara, Stevens & Cannada in Jackson, Mississippi.

Lee served as a member-at-large on the NACUA Board of Directors from 2008 to 2011. He served as Vice Chair of the Committee on Board Operations and as Chair of the 2011-2012 NACUA Task Force on Review of the Annual Conference. He has also served as a member on the NACUA Committees on Program for the Annual Conference, Membership and Member Services, and Honors and Awards. As NACUA's Chair in FY 2015-16, Lee served ex officio on all the Association committees. Lee has spoken at various NACUA annual conferences on a range of topics, most particularly in the area of collegiate athletics.

Lee is a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation. Other nonprofit service includes serving on the founding and organizing Board of Directors for the Mississippi Center for Freedom on Information; service on the Board of Directors of Palmer Home for Children; as a founding/organizing elder of Highlands Presbyterian Church, and as an elder of Christ Presbyterian Church in Oxford, Mississippi.  

David Ware

David Ware has over 34 years experience in representing universities and their students, faculty, and staff, as well as companies and individuals. His firm is one of only a handful in the nation with a consistent focus on academia, while also handling business, family, removal, asylum, and nationality cases. He has for many years been selected to the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, and has been selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America since 2000. For ten years, Mr. Ware has been selected as among the top immigration attorneys in Louisiana by New Orleans Magazine, and in 2005 and 2008, City Business Magazine selected him as one of the top 50 “Leaders in Law” in Louisiana, the only immigration attorney so chosen.  In 2008, he was elected to Who’s Who International’s Top Corporate Immigration Attorneys – one of only 300 in the US and the only in Louisiana.  Mr. Ware is a recognized leader among immigration attorneys in practice areas of interest to universities, and he currently serves as a mentor in these areas for other immigration attorneys through AILA.  He has been active in NAFSA since 1985.  In addition to holding several AILA and NAFSA leadership positions, he has received numerous awards for outstanding service to NAFSA. He regularly serves as an expert speaker and author for both AILA and NAFSA national and regional conferences, and at the meetings of other academically-oriented organizations such as NACUA, AIEA and the Federal Bar Assn. He currently serves on the NACUA Notes Editorial Board, he is chair of AILA’s Healthcare Committee and serves on the CSC Liaison Subcommittee, and on the FBA’s Immigration Law Section Advisory Board and Annual Conference Planning Committee.