About
OVERVIEW
Enrollment Research Associates is a higher education consulting firm based in San Antonio, Texas. We provide comprehensive, in-depth enrollment management research and recommendations to colleges and universities across the country, bringing advanced statistical techniques to bear in all aspects of our work.
At ERA, we believe that effective enrollment management requires robust research, and that data analysis can inform the most efficient allocation of your time and resources at each stage of the recruitment funnel. We take an in-depth, tailored approach to building highly customized models and solutions for each client and we will work with you to research and implement the best strategies for among other things, student search, recruitment, admissions policies, financial aid allocation, retention issues, and long-term enrollment forecasts.
We work closely alongside each client throughout the enrollment cycle, rather than simply collecting data and issuing a report, keeping in continuous communication with our clients and making strategic adjustments whenever necessary.
MEET OUR STAFF
Paul Hamborg
President and Founder of ERA
In 2009, Paul Hamborg founded Enrollment Research Associates (ERA), a higher education consulting firm based in San Antonio, Texas. Paul’s core areas of expertise include admissions and marketing research strategies, scholarship and financial aid allocation, institutional research, demographics, and advanced statistical methods. Before joining the higher education consulting field, he served as a director of institutional research at a community college, taught statistics and research methods at a major state university, and has worked as a research statistician in the health policy field.
Paul completed all the coursework and exams for a doctorate in Educational Statistics and Measurement from Rutgers University in New Jersey. He also received his Masters in Educational Psychology from Rutgers and his BA in Psychology from Providence College.
Judi Free
Vice President and Founder
Judi brings a creative spirit and a wealth of communication and marketing experience to Enrollment Research Associates. She is an expert in college admissions communication and marketing and is well versed in all forms of electronic and print media. Judi holds a BA in Communications from Rutgers University and most recently she worked as the Director of Admissions Communication for Trinity University in San Antonio, where she was responsible for creating and managing all admissions communications and initiatives. Judi has over twenty years of experience, holding various communication and public relations positions with universities, Fortune 500 firms, the federal government, and non-profit organizations.
Jim Love
Vice President/Senior Consultant
Jim holds a BA in History and an MBA from Spring Hill College. Until coming to ERA, he worked at his alma mater in various roles in the Office of Admissions and as Director of Student Financial Services Operations, where he was responsible for student billing, collections, financial reporting, and financial aid operations.
Sara Newhouse
Senior Consultant
Sara has worked in higher education for nearly two decades. Prior to rejoining ERA in 2019, she served as the Vice President for Enrollment Management at Birmingham-Southern College, where she created the first strategic enrollment management plan, implemented new data systems, and improved the application and enrollment funnel processes leading to increases to applications and campus visitors, and enrolling the third largest class in college history.
Sara holds a BA from Trinity University (TX) and has previously served as an Analyst at ERA, as an Associate Director of Admission at Trinity University, and in the corporate world focused on marketing and advertising.
Kathryn Dunlap-Galloway
Senior Project Lead
Kathryn obtained an MS in Psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She has previously worked as a Research Associate in the UTSA Cognitive Aging Lab, a research assistant at the University of North Carolina, and a research area specialist at the University of Texas Health and Science Center.
Nicole Martin
Senior Project Lead
Nicole holds an MS in Research Psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she taught Research Design and was an Experimental Psychology lab instructor.
Jesse Gamble
Project Lead
Jesse holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University and a BA in History from Trinity University. Prior to coming to ERA, he worked in Admissions at Trinity where he managed the recruitment of students from Southern California and the Midwest, oversaw the awarding of several specialized scholarships, and assisted in creating reports to manage the admissions cycle.
Amber Bernhard
Senior Research Analyst/Consultant
Amber holds an MS in Business Analytics from Texas A&M, Commerce and a BA in Communication Studies from Schreiner University. She previously was the Associate Director of Enrollment Marketing and Admissions at Schreiner, where she was responsible for overseeing the admissions team, enrollment marketing strategies, and was the admissions CRM administrator. She has also worked for New Braunfels Utilities as an Energy Analyst, where she analyzed historical pricing and usage trends to forecast future needs and expenditures.
Robyn Bowers
Senior Research Analyst
Robyn has worked in higher education enrollment and admissions for over fifteen years. Prior to joining ERA, Robyn served as Dean of Admissions at Lawrence University and directed all aspects of first-year and transfer admissions. Robyn also spent seven years as Director of Admissions Recruitment and Selection at Kenyon College, where she managed prospect search, recruitment, travel, selection and financial aid appeals processes.
Robyn earned a BA in English and Latin from Denison University and holds a MA in Higher Education from The Ohio State University.
Jordan Chaffin
Senior Research Analyst
Jordan holds an MS in Applied Sociology from Texas State University. Prior to working at ERA, she was a Graduate Instructional Assistant for Quantitative Methodology courses at her alma mater.
Timothy Emahiser
Senior Research Analyst
Tim earned a BA in Geography from the University of Wisconsin, River Falls. Prior to working at ERA, he was the Assistant Director of Admissions at Birmingham-Southern College, where he managed recruitment for Northwest Alabama and the Midwest, supported recruitment for the Bonner Leaders and Honors Programs, and created reports for admissions counselors to track progress throughout the admissions cycle.
Audrey Whitworth
Senior Research Analyst
Audrey holds a BSA in Pure Mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin.
Alia Kabir
Research Analyst
Alia holds a BS in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Puget Sound. Before joining ERA, Alia was a project manager at Energy Solutions.
Melissa Orozco
Research Analyst
Melissa holds a BA in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to joining ERA, she worked in the Office of Financial Aid at UCSB managing private loans, federal direct loans, and the Cal Grant program. More recently, she worked at Paul Quinn College where she managed enrollment data, created reports, and enhanced enrollment procedures.
Juan Perez
Research Analyst
Juan holds a BS in Business Administration from Trinity University. Before joining ERA, he was an Associate Director of Admissions at his alma mater, where he developed strategy and implemented processes for territory management, and recruited students from across the U.S. and abroad.