Join Us for Data Friends 3.0!

Sign up here: Data Friends of Dallas College 3.0 Registration Form

How can data, research, and artificial intelligence help shape the future of education, workforce preparation, and economic mobility in North Texas? Dallas College invites you to explore this timely question at Data Friends 3.0: Building the College of the Future, Driving Workforce Impact on Thursday, September 17, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Bill J. Priest Campus, Room 1530. 

This no-cost convening will bring together higher education leaders, workforce organizations, researchers, and community partners for a full day of learning, connection, and action-focused dialogue. Building on the momentum of previous Data Friends gatherings, Data Friends 3.0 will spotlight how cross-sector collaboration and data-informed strategies can strengthen student success and workforce outcomes across the region. 

At Data Friends 3.0, you will: 

• Hear from featured keynote presenter Jamie Fogel from Harvard’s Opportunity Insights on how research and artificial intelligence can help move organizations from insight to action. Jamie serves as Data Scientist for Dr. Raj Chetty’s research team. 

• Discuss aligning workforce training programs with industry partners from Dallas College keynote, Dr. Brad Williams, Vice Chancellor for Operations, Advancement and Innovation, and of President El Centro campus. 

• Participate in interactive breakout discussions on high-interest topics including dual credit pathways, adult learner engagement, graduate workforce outcomes, transfer success, labor market intelligence, and workforce credentialing. 

• Connect with education, workforce, and community partners who are using data to improve opportunities for students and North Texas communities. 

• Engage in forward-looking conversations about workforce preparation, institutional strategy, innovation, and the future of higher education. 

Sign Up Here

Reserve your seat today. Seating is limited. Please complete your registration by Friday, September 11, 2026, to secure your spot.  

Featured Guests

Becky Klein-Collins

Becky Klein-Collins is a Senior Partner for Research and Adult Learner Success at the Center for Academic Innovation whose work guides institutional change through technical assistance and evidence-based strategies that create opportunities and pathways to career success for adult learners. Klein-Collins holds a bachelor's degree from Grinnell College and master's degrees from Indiana University and the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.

 

Jamie Fogel

Dr. Jamie Fogel is a Research Scientist at Opportunity Insights at Harvard University, where his work combines large-scale administrative data with tools from machine learning and network theory to study labor markets and economic opportunity. His research develops new methods for estimating the causal effects of workforce training and higher education programs from observational data; quantifies latent heterogeneity among workers and jobs to improve definitions of labor markets and measures of market power; and examines the racial, socioeconomic, and geographic determinants of credit access and credit-market behavior. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan in 2022.

Scott Campbell

Dr. Scott Campbell is a Vice President for Higher Education Partnerships at the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), where he works with postsecondary education institutions to help them become more responsive to adult learners' unique and changing needs. Dr. Scott Campbell has more than two decades of professional leadership experience in higher education, including specialized program management, business development, and student support services. He has extensive expertise in approaches to adult learners in postsecondary education and marketing, designing and implementing high-quality prior learning assessment (PLA)/credit for prior learning (CPL) programs. 

Before CAEL, Campbell was the dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisc. Campbell spearheaded the “Heroes’ Welcome Initiative” by proactively recruiting and embracing the unique experiences of veterans to the campus. His efforts tripled the veteran population between 2009-2014 and secured a grant from Walmart to support veterans' needs. Campbell was honored by the State of Wisconsin for his work supporting veterans at Edgewood College.

Campbell received his bachelor’s degree at the University of Oklahoma and earned his master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He completed a Ph.D. program in higher education and student affairs leadership at the University of Northern Colorado.

Rick Smith

Dr. Rick Smith is President of Dallas College North Lake campus and a nationally recognized higher education executive, author, and speaker with more than 30 years of leadership experience spanning higher education, workforce development, healthcare administration, philanthropy, public policy, and communications. His work centers on strengthening institutional sustainability, advancing workforce alignment, building cross-sector partnerships, and expanding access to opportunity through education.

Before joining Dallas College, Dr. Smith held senior leadership positions at Simmons College of Kentucky and the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, where his work focused on strengthening partnerships among industry, government, and postsecondary institutions to align education and training with workforce demands and economic growth opportunities.

Dr. Smith is the author of Legacy Reimagined: The Workforce Imperative — A Roadmap for HBCUs, an Amazon Best Seller that presents a strategic framework for aligning HBCUs with the future of work while preserving mission and identity. He is also the author of Say It With Your Chest: Your Presence Is Power, Use It and the Amazon Best Seller They Keep Moving the Goal Post: How to Move Around Obstacles and on to Opportunities.

Dr. Smith holds a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration from Bradley University, a Master of Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, a Master of Business Administration from Kennedy Western University and a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Communications from the University of Louisville. 

Brad Williams

Dr. Brad Williams serves as Vice Chancellor of Operations and President of the El Centro Campus at Dallas College. Prior to joining Dallas College, he held leadership positions with Oklahoma State University–Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Price Tower Arts Center, the University of Central Oklahoma, and the Chickasaw Nation.

Dr. Williams earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Higher Education from Oklahoma State University, a Master of Science in Human Resource Administration, and a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication with concentrations in Marketing and Piano Performance from East Central University.

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