Nicole Stella is a higher education professional at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, currently serving as the director of General Education, Experiential Learning, and Microcredentials. She began her career in residence life at the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Colorado, Boulder before transitioning to academic advising at UNLV and has since held progressive leadership roles focused on student access, success, retention, and completion. Nicole has extensive experience leading grant-funded programs, developing curriculum and microcredentials, collaborating with faculty, and supporting diverse students across the educational pipeline, particularly during the first year of college. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Nevada, Reno, and is currently a doctoral student in higher education at UNLV, where she serves on the executive board of UNLV Comadres.