Resume – Sherry Warren, PhD, PMP

Professional Summary

Mission-driven program leader with 12+ years building and managing university–industry partnerships, learning ecosystems, and data governance frameworks in higher education. Proven record translating bold ideas into measurable outcomes: 86% YoY retention, 95% completion, and enterprise data strategy spanning 16 institutional partnerships. PMP-certified. Skilled at convening academic and corporate stakeholders around shared goals and at distilling complex findings into clear, actionable insight for both specialist and general audiences.

Selected Impact

Drove 86% YoY retention across 300+ learner platform and achieved 95% completion in credit-bearing undergraduate pathway program
Led enterprise data governance and student progression strategy across 16 institutional partnerships
Directed digital transformation of 20+ credit-bearing courses, modernizing delivery and improving student experience
Architected FERPA-compliant cross-system data platform integrating LMS, SIS, and CRM to enable executive reporting and lifecycle operations

Professional Experience

Academic Director (Product & Platform Strategy Lead)

University of South Carolina / Shorelight (Public–Private Partnership)
2015 – 2025

Data Strategy & Institutional Impact

Built executive-level analytics dashboards to support retention forecasting, enrollment planning, and institutional decision-making.
Delivered 50+ executive-level presentations aligning university and private-sector stakeholders.
Managed the academic program for a long-term university–industry partnership between a public research university and a global education company, aligning academic, operational, and business objectives across a 10-year collaboration to support partnership sustainability and enrollment growth.

Program Leadership

Owned multi-year product strategy and program roadmap for a revenue-generating higher-education learning ecosystem, integrating curriculum delivery, analytics, and student lifecycle systems.
Led end-to-end program design for international pathway programs serving students from multiple global education systems, aligning academic standards across curricula, accelerating transition outcomes, and achieving 86% year-over-year retention.
Convened and facilitated cross-institutional working groups bringing together academic leaders, corporate partners, and student success professionals to align on shared program goals and governance standards.
Led and developed cross-functional team of 11 across academic delivery, analytics, and operations, building a culture of outcome ownership and continuous improvement.
Defined and operationalized North Star KPIs (retention, completion, satisfaction), achieving 86% YoY retention, 95% program completion for the credit bearing undergraduate pathway, and 95% learner satisfaction.
Architected and served as product owner for a FERPA-compliant cross-system data platform integrating LMS, Banner SIS, and Salesforce CRM data to enable lifecycle analytics, executive reporting, and intervention workflows.
Aligned Academic Affairs, IT, Registrar, and private-sector stakeholders within shared governance structures.

Systems & Ecosystem Integration

Defined product requirements and prioritized enhancements for scalability, security, and governance.
Implemented role-based access controls and FERPA-compliant data governance frameworks.

Digital Transformation

Modernized learning delivery model to support hybrid and online growth.
Led rapid digital transformation of 20+ credit-bearing courses, preserving academic standards and retention benchmarks during institutional disruption and enabling scalable online delivery.
Facilitated design-thinking workshops to identify user pain points and prioritize scalable solutions across the customer lifecycle.

Chair, Enterprise Data Strategy Working Group

Shorelight
2021 – 2024

Chaired enterprise data governance strategy across 16 institutional partnerships. Advised institutional leaders on compliance, progression risk, and strategic planning within a federally-regulated higher education environment.

Led distributed cross-functional team governing student progression data strategy across 16 institutional partnerships.
Standardized retention, completion, and graduation KPI frameworks to improve cross-campus visibility and alignment.
Directed historical student data integrity strategy, implementing process and system improvements to enhance accuracy and reliability.
Developed and operationalized progression projection methodology to inform long-term retention forecasting and intervention planning.
Identified systemic enrollment and persistence risk patterns, advising institutional leaders on mitigation strategies.
Established academic reporting governance and training to strengthen data quality, transparency, and campus utilization.

Director of Academic Bridge Programs

University of South Carolina
2013 – 2015

Designed and launched market-driven academic pathway programs aligned with enrollment growth strategy.
Built digital orientation platform improving student engagement and transition readiness.
Led curriculum strategy and team of designers and instructors.

Education

PhD, Linguistics (Learning Systems & Assessment Modeling)
University of South Carolina

Graduate Certificate, Business Analytics (AI, Data Science & Quantitative Strategy)

Certifications & Leadership

PMP – Project Management Institute
CEA Accreditation Site Reviewer
TESOL International Association – Enrollment Management Representative (Region 7)

Skills

Compliance, Accreditation & Governance: FERPA | Data Security | CEA Accreditation | Self-Study Leadership | Title IV / SAP Compliance

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