Special Guest: Sheryl Lee Ralph to Join Ellucian Live 2025

Emmy© award-winning actor, producer, best-selling author & star of "Abbott Elementary" to inspire higher education leaders at premier global technology conference

RESTON, Va., Feb. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ellucian, the leading higher education technology solutions provider, today announced Emmy© award-winning actor, producer and best-selling author Sheryl Lee Ralph as a mainstage speaker at Ellucian Live 2025, the industry's premier global technology conference. The subject of a recent feature profile by People magazine highlighting her extraordinary personal story and professional career and set to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Ralph will join a fireside chat on Monday, April 7, to share her inspiring career journey and vision for advancing equity and opportunity. Drawing on decades of advocacy for marginalized communities, Ralph will offer insights on dismantling systemic barriers to education and fostering environments where all learners can thrive.

"Sheryl Lee Ralph's dedication to breaking barriers and advocating for underserved communities resonates deeply with the mission of Ellucian and our higher education audience," said Laura Ipsen, President and CEO, Ellucian. "Her work as an activist, creator of the DIVA Foundation, a nonprofit empowering vulnerable communities through the arts, and an award-winning actor demonstrates the power of passion and leadership to ignite meaningful change. We are honored to welcome Sheryl to the Ellucian Live mainstage to inspire institutional leaders to create equitable pathways for student success and well-being."

Ellucian Live 2025 will be held April 6-9, 2025 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, bringing together the largest global community of institutional leaders, technologists and administrators in higher education to explore game-changing solutions, industry insights, and powerful connections.

Click here for more information on Ellucian Live 2025 and registration details.

ABOUT SHERYL LEE RALPH
Emmy, Critics' Choice, and Independent Spirit Award winner Sheryl Lee Ralph has captivated audiences for over four decades as an actor, producer, and advocate. She currently stars in ABC's hit series "Abbott Elementary" as Barbara Howard, earning two Emmy nominations and winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2022. Ralph's celebrated career spans iconic roles in television ("Moesha", "Instant Mom"), film ("Sister Act 2", "To Sleep with Anger"), and Broadway ("Dreamgirls", "Wicked", "Thoroughly Modern Millie").

Off screen, Ralph is a dedicated health advocate and the founder of The DIVA Foundation, a nonprofit committed to raising awareness of HIV/AIDS through the arts. Her annual benefit concert, Divas Simply Singing! Raising Health Awareness, is the longest-running HIV/AIDS awareness event in the U.S. Honored with the Order of Jamaica for her contributions as an actress and cultural ambassador, Ralph continues to inspire through her work on and off-screen.

Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, the daughter of a college professor and Jamaican fashion designer, Ralph was raised between Mandeville, Jamaica and Long Island, New York. In 1973, she was crowned Miss Black Teenage New York. Two years later at 19, Ralph was the youngest woman to ever graduate from Rutgers University. During her time at Rutgers, Ralph was one of the earliest winners of the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarships awarded by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Also, that year, she was named as one of the top 10 College Women in America by Glamour Magazine.

Ralph is a mother of two and is happily married to State Senator Vincent Hughes of Pennsylvania. She splits her time between Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

ABOUT ELLUCIAN
Ellucian powers innovation for higher education, partnering with more than 2,900 customers across 50 countries, serving over 20 million students. Ellucian's AI-powered platform, trained on the richest dataset available in higher education, drives efficiency, personalized experiences, and strengthened engagement for students, faculty and staff. Fueled by decades of experience with a singular focus on the unique needs of learning institutions, the Ellucian platform features best-in-class SaaS capabilities and delivers insights needed now and into the future. These solutions and services span the entire student lifecycle, including data-rich tools for student recruitment, enrollment, and retention to workforce analytics, fundraising, and alumni engagement. Ellucian's innovative solutions, vast ecosystem of partners and user community of more than 45,000 provides best practices leading to greater institutional success and achieving better student outcomes.

Media Contact
Jess Weston
Jess.Weston@ellucian.com

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SOURCE Ellucian