Kerin Hilker Balkissoon is an accomplished higher education leader with over 25 years of experience engaging PK-12, community colleges, universities, non-profits, and workforce partners to support college access, student success, and career attainment. Known for her innovative approach to post-secondary program design, Kerin integrates expertise in career counseling, career pathways, high-impact educational practices, lifecycle intervention frameworks, and developmental advising to create holistic service models that drive exceptional student outcomes.  With a proven track record in designing data-driven interventions, Kerin focuses on enhancing post-secondary enrollment and credential completion. Her expertise includes developing targeted service models to engage first-generation college students, student-parents, international students, and community college transfer students. Her program models have received national recognition, including the 2016 ¡Example of Excelencia! award by Excelencia in Education and Bellwether Award Finalist honors in 2016 and 2018, and have been replicated at over 25 institutions across the United States.

An active contributor to thought leadership in higher education, Kerin shares her expertise at numerous national conferences and keynote panels and has provided testimony to the Federal Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. Her contributions to education have been recognized with multiple awards, including the Virginia Excellence in Education Award, the NISTS Transfer Champion-Catalyst award, and the Dean’s Award for Diversity and Inclusion. Most recently, she was honored with George Mason University’s 2024 Patriot Pathbreaker award.  At George Mason University’s College of Science, Kerin designs and leads initiatives that build STEM professional identity and career readiness, from EPPIC-STEM and the VALHEN STEM Academy, to the RISE Scholars program and the Global STEM Pathways Initiative. She co-leads multiple NSF-funded grants, including Mason's NSF INCLUDES and NSF Noyce projects, while engaging in university-wide task force work and cross-institutional access and success efforts. Kerin also teaches in the College of Science’s Scientific Leadership and Practice program. Beyond her institutional role, Kerin remains committed to college access and success through board service and volunteerism with multiple non-profit organizations, including VALHEN and Friends in Need Virginia.