2025 Graduate Student Professional Development Day

October 24, 2025 in BTSU Room 201 10:30 am until 4:30 pm

This year, we are excited to welcome Kathy Cleveland Bull (pictured below), a highly regarded professional speaker, trainer, consultant, and life coach.  

Kathy’s Experience Includes

• Launched N~Compass Consulting in 2001
• Conducts personal and professional development keynotes, seminars, and retreats
  • Including Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, government agencies, the military, and not-for-profit organizations
• Consults on successful change strategies, organizational culture, customer service, talent development, and employee engagement
• Worked with over 250 organizations
  • Including NASA, The United States Navy, Pfizer, Canon USA, Ernst and Young, The Social Security Administration, Nationwide, Accenture, Novartis, the US Department of Defense, Marzettis, Piedmont Healthcare, and more than 50 colleges and universities in the US and Canada

Kathy’s Career in Higher Education
Before founding her consulting firm, Kathy served as Director of Training and Organizational Development and Director of Student Life at The Ohio State University. Over her 17-year career in higher education, she held leadership roles in:

• Student affairs administration
• Recruitment and retention
• Enrollment management
• Leadership development
• Student activities
• Event planning
• Residence life

Her professional journey included positions at Bowling Green State University, North Carolina State University, and Ohio State.

Academic Background and Honors
Kathy is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Bowling Green State University, where she earned a degree in psychology.  She also holds two master’s degrees in Counseling and College Student Development from BGSU.

Her contributions to her alma mater include:

• Serving on the Alumni Board of Trustees
• Chairing the Arts and Sciences Board of Advocates
• Leading the University Honors Leadership Council

She was recognized with the Outstanding Recent Graduate Award and delivered the May 2006 Commencement Address at BGSU.

This Year’s Sessions
This year, Kathy’s sessions focus on exploring alternative career pathways that shape futures and create lasting impact. Attendees will gain insights and unlock new opportunities to drive change and redefine their professional journeys.

Register Here

Tentative Schedule

10:30 am-10:45 am, BTSU Room 201

• Check-in

10:45 am-11:00 am, BTSU Room 201

• Welcome and Introduction—Syeda Zainab Akbar, Graduate Student Senate's Professional and Outreach Development Officer

11:00 am-12:00 pm, BTSU Room 201 or Remote

• Keynote Address by Kathy Cleveland Bull—"Navigating Change with Grit, Grace and Humor"

12:15 pm-1:15 pm, Networking session with food and beverages—BTSU Room 201

1:30 pm-2:30 pm

• Breakout Session 1:
  • BTSU 201: Impact of SB 1 on Education by Katie Stygles, Chief State & Federal Compliance Officer
  • BTSU 316: The Art of the Elevator Pitch by Kimberly J Fleshman, Graduate College / Schmidthorst College of Business, and Crystal Oechsle, Center for the Future of Forensic Science
  • BTSU 315: Designing What's Next: Career Shifts with Purpose and Possibility by Allie Dane, Career Design Coach, Kuhlin Hub-Career & Connection
  • BTSU 314: Surfing the Waves: Managing Stressors in Grad School by Phil Hughes, Assistant Director of Counseling Services

2:00 pm-3:00 pm

• Snacks and Drinks provided in BTSU Room 201

2:45 pm-3:45 pm

• Breakout Session 2:
  • BTSU 201: Impact of SB 1 on Education by Katie Stygles, Chief State & Federal Compliance Officer
  • BTSU 316: The Art of the Elevator Pitch by Kimberly J Fleshman, Graduate College / Schmidthorst College of Business, and Crystal Oechsle, Center for the Future of Forensic Science
  • BTSU 315: Designing What's Next: Career Shifts with Purpose and Possibility by Allie Dane, Career Design Coach, Kuhlin Hub-Career & Connection
  • BTSU 314: Surfing the Waves: Managing Stressors in Grad School by Phil Hughes, Assistant Director of Counseling Services

4:00 pm-4:30pm, BTSU Room 201

• Closing Remarks—Ariel Esposito, Graduate Student Senate's President