Andrew Goodman Campus Teams
Our nationwide network of students and higher education administrators advocates for voting rights on campus through voter registration drives, voter education events, and GOTV activities.
Our nationwide network of students and higher education administrators advocates for voting rights on campus through voter registration drives, voter education events, and GOTV activities.
Monica Clarke is the Freshman Academy Service Learning Coordinator and an adjunct English faculty member.
Austin Smith is a student at Alabama A&M University studying Civil Engineering. He is a scholar in AAMU's Honors Program and is striving to become a better leader on campus through service. He is also a member of the Gamma Phi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and wants to achieve a better future for his community. After graduating from Alabama A&M University, Austin plans on attending law school. He is honored and ecstatic for the opportunity to work with The Andrew Goodman Foundation as one of the Ambassadors for his college, and he wants to leave a foundation of democratic engagement for future generations to build onto.
Amaya Rearden is a student at Alabama A&M University majoring in Communications Media with a Concentration in Film & Production and a minor in Political Science. She is a Presidential Scholar and a member of the University’s Honors Program, both which have helped her to develop a passion for civic engagement that she intends to carry into her career. She is thrilled to be a part of The Andrew Goodman Foundation team as an Ambassador and is proud to carry on the work and legacy Andrew left behind.
Andrew Bloeser is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. Before coming to Allegheny College, Andrew completed his B.A. at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois. His research and teaching interests lie primarily in political behavior, participation, and mobilization.
George Ackerman is an Environmental Studies and Economics major, graduating with the Class of 2021.
Sammy Darris is a student at Allegheny College, majoring in International Studies and minoring in Computer Science. At home in New York City, Sammy enjoys crocheting, coding, and exploring the city with her friends. At Allegheny, Sammy is involved with the Association for the Advancement of Black Culture as well as different dancing groups. In the future, Sammy would like to work at the UN and make migration easier and safer around the world.
Jackie Sandoval is a proud Arizonan and first-generation American. A graduate of Northern Arizona University, she most recently served as the Deputy Communications Director for the Democratic Caucus at the Arizona House of Representatives. She has served throughout all levels of government, supporting and advising elected officials on messaging strategy, policy and effective community engagement across the state.
Jackie is also active in Democratic politics, where she holds numerous leadership roles and applies her expertise in the voting trends of millennial, rural and women voters and fundraising infrastructure. She serves on the executive committee for the Arizona Democratic Party and as a delegate-at-large to the DNC Youth Council, where she represents the Western region of the country. She was elected as a Congressional delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention and advises various campaigns each election cycle.
Jackie is devoted to making a difference in her community. She currently serves on several boards, including the Maryvale YMCA, Phoenix Suns Charities, Catholic Community Foundation and Epilepsy Foundation of Arizona. Recognizing the power and responsibility of mentoring, she invests heavily in emerging leaders, empowering women and minorities to become civically engaged and working with organizations that create opportunities for underserved communities. She has received numerous recognitions for her service, including Univision’s 40 Hispanic Leaders Under 40 award. Jackie is determined to make Arizona a greater place in which to live and thrive.
Cyrus Commissariat is a proud Sun Devil majoring in Political Science, History and French with a minor in Sustainability. At ASU he is a member of the Next Generation Service Corps, an organization committed to fostering the next generation of public servants and leaders. Through this program, he has earned a full four-year scholarship and has taken classes on leadership and ethics. While working towards his degrees he has advocated for public education, civic engagement, and further explored his interest in education policy.
Natalie Murphy is a student at Arizona State University studying Public Service & Public Policy and minoring in Spanish. She hopes to pursue a masters in Public Administration after graduation. Upon arriving at ASU, she took an interest in civic engagement after seeing many students advocating for voter registration on campus. She cultivated this passion with her work in Undergraduate Student Government at the Tempe campus while interning in the Policy department. Outside of classes, Natalie stays busy with involvement in multiple organizations ranging from being a tour guide on the Tempe campus, membership of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority, to serving as music director for ASU’s all female a cappella group. She is beyond excited to be an Ambassador for The Andrew Goodman Foundation and help with civic engagement efforts at ASU and the greater community.
Fernanda Ruiz Martinez is a first-generation college student studying Journalism and Mass Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations. She grew up in the southwest border of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. In her short time living in Arizona, Ruiz Martinez became interested in civic engagement and advocacy work through a Youth Leadership Development program with a national organization. Learning about Arizona politics and the way it has affected her community influenced her thinking and eagerness to be vocal in social action.
Olivia Miller is an undergraduate student at Arizona State University studying Business Law. She is also a member of the Division 1 Women's Softball team. When she is not studying or playing softball, she also serves on executive boards with other student advocacy groups such as the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Sun Devil's United, and the Black Student Athlete Association. After graduation, she plans to further her education by entering into law school with hopes to one day represent those wrongfully accused and convicted. Outside of her education and career, she loves the outdoors, traveling, and studying art and philosophy. She is very excited to work with The Andrew Goodman Foundation by leveraging the Sun Devil Athletics' platform in a way that educates and empowers staff, student athletes, and fans about their civic voices and responsibilities.
Trey Leveque is currently a student in Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University, triple majoring in Business (Global Politics), Business (Law), and Business (Public Service & Public Policy) and a certificate in Cross-Sector Leadership. Starting at a very young age and throughout his educational career, he has been extremely passionate about making an impact in his community and helping others understand the importance of civic engagement. This past year at Arizona State University in his role as Vice President of Policy for the Tempe Undergraduate Student Government, he worked to bring key civic engagement stakeholders together and advocate for more student voting access. He is extremely excited to continue this work as an Andrew Goodman Ambassador in the ASU Civic Engagement Coalition to help students be prepared for the 2020 elections and find ways to continue their civic engagement efforts after 2020. Trey plans to continue his education and pursue a Master’s in Public Administration in the near future with the goal of eventually running for public office at the state and federal level.
Alexis Sammon is a graduate student at Arizona State University pursuing a master's degree in public policy. She also holds a B.S. in Public Service and Public Policy from ASU. In her time as a Sun Devil, Alexis has been involved in campus organizations including Undergraduate Student Government and the Next Generation Service Corps. Through these organizations, she has been able to promote civic engagement on- and off-campus, and she is excited to continue this work as an Andrew Goodman Ambassador. Alexis hopes to eventually earn a Ph.D. in public policy and work on issues related to humanitarian relief and international development.
Anusha Natarajan is an undergraduate student at Arizona State University majoring in Sociology and History. At ASU, Anusha is involved in Changemaker Central, Barrett Honors College Council, and State Press. She is passionate for education equality, and would like to practice human rights and constitutional law in the future.
Ayesha Ahsan is a student at Arizona State University double-majoring in Economics and Sociology, with hopes to eventually attend law school. She has been involved with several political campaigns and advocacy organizations, such as the ACLU, and is passionate about activism and the empowerment of marginalized voices. Ayesha's interests also lie in nonprofit work and she currently works for an on-campus nonprofit called Changemaker Central, an organization dedicated to inspiring and catalyzing social change.
Sarah de Veer coordinates engagement opportunities both on and off-campus for students who are interested in community service, activism, voter rights, and science outreach. She is also one of Bard’s Transportation Coordinators, to help students get to those off-campus opportunities and academic fields for the Engaged Liberal Arts and Sciences classes. Before joining the CCE staff, Sarah earned her Bachelor’s degree through Bard’s Film Production and Electronic Arts department, specifically focusing in documentary and community connections.
Erin Cannan joins the center staff after 15 years in the Division of Student Affairs at Bard. Erin arrived at Bard in 1995 as assistant dean of students/director of first-year students, responsible for orientation and student activities. She was promoted to dean of student affairs, responsible for the oversight of 12 departments within the Division of Student Affairs, and overseeing the work of the dean of campus life.
As deputy director of the center, Erin’s primary focus is on the development of local volunteer and internship opportunities. She facilitates local connections to school districts, government, and business while working to develop partnerships within the center network.
Erin earned her B.A. from State University of New York at Geneseo in 1992 and a master’s degree in student personnel services from Edinboro University.
Kathy Gaweda is a student at Bard College, where she is studying Global and International Studies. She began interning with the Vote Everywhere team at Bard in February of 2018 and officially became an Ambassador in September 2018. Besides her work with AGF, Kathy works at Bard's Center for Civic Engagement. Kathy is so grateful to be working with AGF and is looking forward to making a positive change on Bard's campus.
Sadia Saba is a student at Bard College studying Global and International Studies with a concentration in the Middle East and North Africa. Throughout her studies both at Bard and her year abroad at the American University in Cairo, Sadia has always understood the importance of championing democracy, especially through civic engagement. The form of civic engagement that is most significant to her is voting, as it is a privilege Americans have that many people across the world still fight for. As an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, Sadia hopes to fight against political indifference, voter suppression, and disenfranchisement of minorities from the political system.
Dr. Zaragosa “Mito” Diaz-Espinoza is originally from Waco, Texas. He completed his undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University, then went on to receive a Master of Science in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Baylor University and completed his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The title of his dissertation is “I’m here for a reason: Motivational factors of first-generation Latino males to attend college”. Dr. Diaz-Espinoza currently serves as the Associate Director for Civic Learning Initiatives in the Academy for Leadership Development at Baylor University which focuses on engaging undergraduates in leadership, service, and civic initiatives. He has worked in the areas of first-generation college student support, admissions and recruitment, academic advising, and diversity programs. His career includes working at a community college, a state educational agency, and both public and private four-year universities.
Alan Bond is originally from San Jose, California, and is currently studying Political Science at Baylor University. Previously serving as the External Vice President for Student Government, he is highly committed to serving students and others to make sure all voices are heard. He is a part of many on-campus organizations including Pre-Law Society, as his graduation plan is to attend law school with future aspirations to be a prosecutor at his local District Attorney’s office.
Konnell Woods is studying Political Science at Baylor University. Originally from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Konnell developed his high level of commitment to serving others with the help of 6 siblings and his parents, John and Jerline Woods. Konnell currently serves as the Vice President of NAACP, while being apart of many on-campus organizations. After graduation, he plans to go straight to law school and positively impact social justice efforts today.
Alison Handy Twang is the assistant director at the Center for Civic Engagement. In this role, she is broadly responsible for promoting, developing and expanding community engagement opportunities for students. Alison oversees a number of community engagement initiatives, including the Bridging the Digital Divide Project, campus political engagement efforts and CCE's partnership with Promise Zone Community Schools. Before joining CCE, she worked in the nonprofit sector, focusing on philanthropy and student and young adult civic engagement. She received her bachelor's degree in political science and master's degree in public administration from Binghamton University and is currently pursuing her PhD in community and public affairs. She serves as president of the board of directors for the YWCA of Binghamton/Broome County and as a member of the advisory committee for the Rural Health Service Corps/AmeriCorps program. She currently resides in Binghamton with her husband, Dylan, and their chocolate lab, Keene.
Shelli Cohen is a math major at Binghamton University and is hoping to get her Master’s in Public Administration in the near future. She hopes to use her love for problem solving, strong critical thinking skills, and passion for making a positive impact to combat social injustices. Shelli is excited to use her planning, organizing, and implementation skills in order to empower young people to use their voices by registering and getting out to vote.
Phariha Rahman is a student at Binghamton University double majoring in English and History. In addition to working with The Andrew Goodman Foundation, Phariha is a news writer for the Binghamton Pipe Dream.
Paul Valdez is a 2004 graduate of Bowling Green State University, with a Bachelor of Science in Geology. He graduated from Indiana University, Bloomington in 2007 with a Master of Science in Higher Education and Student Affairs and is currently writing his dissertation for the Higher Education Administration Doctoral Program at BGSU.
Alyssa Tomins is a student at Bowling Green State University studying Economics with a minor in Business Pre-Law. She is a scholar in the President's Leadership Academy at BGSU and hopes to further develop as a leader on campus through service. She is also a member of NAMI and enjoys making a difference in her community. After graduating from BGSU, Alyssa hopes to attend law school. She is honored and excited to work for The Andrew Goodman Foundation as an Ambassador and hopes to leave a lasting impact on her campus.
Harrison Carter is a student at Bowling Green State University majoring in Political Science in the College of Arts & Sciences. He serves as a Senator for the university's Undergraduate Student Government and also spends time helping with the student organization Feed My Starving Children. He is passionate about service to the community and active citizenship and is honored to serve as an Ambassador for The Andrew Goodman Foundation.
Kelly Schmidt completed her undergraduate studies in Social Science and American Studies at the University of Wisconsin - Steven Point. She dove into youth and community engagement work in the Philippines as a Peace Corps Volunteer, which then brought her to Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) to pursue a Masters of Science in Social Administration. Her passion lies in community and youth development so as Campus Champion, she's excited to be a part of student voter engagement efforts while in her current role as Coordinator at CWRU's Center for Civic Engagement & Learning.
Mamadi Jallow is a student at Case Western Reserve University, studying Computer Science and Political Science. He was born and raised in the Bronx, and in his free time, he can usually be found baking or reading a new book. He is looking forward to being an Andrew Goodman Ambassador!
As Associate Director of Community Service-Learning and Partnership Amy has dedicated herself to purposeful work that produces lasting impact. Amy's programs encompass student-centered programs such as the Public Service Scholars, to faculty engaged scholarship via action research in teaching and practice, to delivering collective empowerment initiatives for improved community health and wellbeing. Most recently she launched the Patient Care Advocacy Team (PCAT) program in collaboration with Cayuga Medical Center and Cornell Career Services to expose students interested in the field of medicine to a direct service partnership with Cayuga Medical Center for what Amy refers to as a process of instilling and building a "culture of care” into healthcare for future practitioners.
Originally from Yonkers, NY, Patrick Mehler is a student in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University with concentrations in alternative dispute resolution and leadership. He is the inaugural President of Cornell Votes and coordinates the organization's multi-prong approach to increasing voter participation and civic engagement at Cornell and in Ithaca, NY. Outside of Cornell Votes, Patrick also leads within the Scheinman Conflict Resolution Club, ILR Ambassadors, Club Sports Council, Cornell Bowling, Cornell Catholic, STAY Tutoring, and ILR Chatter Squad.
Dr. Jeff Benjamin is a native of Pensacola, FL, and a graduate of the Booker Taliaferro Washington High School. He went on to receive his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Master's in College Student Personnel Administration. Understanding that education is key to moving the community forward, he obtained a Doctorate degree in Higher and Post-Secondary Education, with an emphasis in African American male retention. It is his hope that he creates pathways for students to reach their goals and catapult them to be the leaders of the new school. His passion is to help people find their purpose to excel and achieve their dreams. Currently, he serves as the Director for Academic Center for Excellence at Dillard University in New Orleans, LA, where he promotes student success by creating programs that help students identify strategies to become successful in college. Dr. Benjamin has also spent time at Dillard creating and spearheading the male initiative, designed to foster better graduation rates among men of color attending school. Additionally, he has been able to help students become more involved in the democratic process by encouraging them to vote and change the world.
Jamya Robinson is a student at Dillard University. In addition to being a Vote Everywhere Ambassador, she is also the co-founder of Students of Color Against Gender Violence, a member of the university's Mock Trial Team, and a Thompson/Cook Honors Scholar.
Alex Dennis is the Assistant Director for Curricular Programs in the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement at East Carolina University. He currently oversees leadership and civic engagement programs with curricular components at ECU, including Citizen U (student version of a citizens academy), the Williams Leadership Award Program, democratic and voter engagement efforts on campus, and the planning of our four national days of service. Prior to his time working in student affairs, Alex worked as an academic advisor for the College of Arts and Sciences at ECU and prior to that he worked as a high school social studies teacher. He received his MS in Counselor Education from East Carolina University and his BS in Social Science Education from Appalachian State University.
Tara Kermiet is the Associate Director in the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement at East Carolina University. She currently oversees leadership and civic engagement programs with curricular components at ECU, including a three-year leadership development experience, democratic engagement, and service-learning. Prior to her time at ECU, Tara served as the Assistant Director of University Commons & Student Involvement at the University of West Florida, a Residential Learning Coordinator at Virginia Tech, and as the Director of Student Activities and Service at LaGrange College. She received her M.Ed. in Higher Education Student Affairs from the University of South Carolina and her B.A. in Communication from Virginia Tech.
Amrina Rangar is a student at East Carolina University and is studying Biology and History. In addition to being an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, Amrina is an active member of the environmental club, ReLeaf, and a member of the Honors College. She is looking forward to inspiring the students at East Carolina to become more civically engaged as well as encouraging her fellow students to exercise their right to vote.
Bob Frigo is the Associate Director of the Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement at Elon University.
Andrea Sheetz is majoring in Sociology and Economics. In addition to Elon Votes, she is involved in the College Fellows program, Active Minds, Yoga Club, and works in the Kernodle Center and as an economics tutor. Andrea’s passion for civic engagement was fostered through her volunteer experiences which revealed the impact of an inequitable society, especially on young people. She is excited to empower the Elon community to become more civically engaged and open to civil discussion about important issues.
Trevor Molin is a Political Science and Economics double major from Wake Forest, NC. On campus, Trevor is involved in Student Government, Elon Volunteers, and a number of advisory committees and councils. He is looking forward to work with AGF to promote civic engagement on Elon’s campus and beyond!
Dr. Kyle Kattelman is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Originally from the St. Louis metro area, he joined the FDU faculty in 2015 and has been an Andrew Goodman Campus Champion since 2019. A self-professed Abraham Lincoln fanatic, he has had an interest in politics as long as he can remember. When he's not engaged in teaching or research, Kyle prefers spending time with his wife and daughter and watching Cardinals baseball.
Ana Gjorgjeva is a student at Fairleigh Dickinson University majoring in Political Science with a minor in Legal Studies. She has a passion for political and legal studies and strives to advance her experience in both.
Carly Henry spent four years working for Georgetown’s Office of the Vice President for Global Engagement and the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs before joining GU Politics. During this time, she earned her MBA from the McDonough School of Business. Prior to working at Georgetown, Carly worked with Keppler Speakers Bureau in their University and Performing Arts division, where she worked with institutions around the country to bring top speakers from business, world affairs, politics, entertainment, education, literature, sports, and leadership to their campuses. Before beginning her career in Washington, D.C., she worked for a nonprofit in Florida and served as National Journal’s convention coordinator during the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. Carly received her undergraduate degree in Business Management from the University of South Florida and her MBA from Georgetown University.
Hailing from Modesto, California and Las Vegas, Nevada, Shelby Benz is a student enrolled in Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. Although her academic pathway is uncertain, she is eager to continue learning, exploring, and trying new things throughout her four years living in the nation’s capital. Shelby has a passion for helping people, mobilizing others for causes rooted in compassion, and tackling institutionalized ills through public policy and social advocacy. Shelby is excited to be a part of the GU Votes team and part of a movement to cultivate a more civically engaged youth community. Outside of her studies, Shelby is a member of the women’s rowing team, and enjoys planning fundraisers, meeting new people, and being politically active.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Michael Lundgren is a student at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, majoring in Regional and Comparative Studies with a minor in Chinese. Through his work with GU Votes and The Andrew Goodman Foundation, Michael hopes to engage his community in working to revitalize civic engagement and build a culture around voting. Outside of GU Votes, Michael is a Carroll Fellow and Lannan Fellow at Georgetown, as well as a student leader in Catholic music ministry.
Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, Natalie Long is a student at Georgetown University. She is majoring in History and Government with a minor in Spanish. Natalie is thrilled to be part of the GU Votes team and an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, as her passion for voting rights is fueled by her belief that our democracy only works when everyone is able to have their voice heard. Outside of GU Votes, Natalie is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi and enjoys traveling, playing with her dog, and watching the Hoyas basketball team.
From Nashville, Tennessee, Sarah Bryant is a student in Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. Studying International Politics with a minor in Latin American Studies, her passion for policy and civic engagement drew her to GU Votes during her first semester on campus. Since volunteering to register students to vote for the 2018 midterm elections, Sarah has sought out more ways to get involved with improving the voting culture at Georgetown. She is thrilled to be part of the GU Votes team as a campus Ambassador.
Byron Jones is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and a proud product of the educational system in Georgia. Byron currently serves as the Assistant Director for the Student Civic Engagement office. Prior to assuming this role, Byron has served in various capacities at several University System of Georgia (USG) institutions including admissions recruiter and counselor, international recruiter, and student advisor just to name a few. Byron received a B.A. from Morehouse College and his M.Ed. from Mercer University. He is currently a doctoral student in Higher Education Leadership with an anticipated graduation date in December 2019.
Byron is a former Fulton County Youth Commissioner where he developed a passion for service and giving back to communities both locally and internationally. He currently serves on various nonprofit boards and is a member of a plethora of volunteer organizations. Additionally, he serves as an on-campus advisor for the following student organizations Big Brothers Big Sister, C.L.O.U.T., Hands on Atlanta, Panther Breakaway, and the YMCA. Byron is an ethical leader who models daily what he wants from the students he serves at Georgia State University and he encourages everyone to get involved and Make a STATEment.
Michael Evans is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Georgia State University. He teaches undergraduate courses on American government and constitutional law, and graduate courses on teaching politics and civic skills at the college level. He is author of an American government textbook and conducts research on teaching effectiveness. He also leads a GSU project lab called "PACTL: Project on the Advancement of Civic Teaching and Learning." Students in that lab help Dr. Evans produce and curate teaching materials for civic educators in an effort to empower more young Americans with the skills and knowledge they need to participate effectively and responsibly in American democracy. Dr. Evans holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Maryland, an MA in Political Science from Western Washington University (WWU), and a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from WWU.
Ari Jones is an M.S. Candidate in Neuroscience at Georgia State University. Ari was active duty in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman. He currently serves in the Navy Reserves while he finishes his degree. He is involved in the NAACP on campus serving as the Graduate Advisor. He plans on attending medical school thereafter and then serving as a full-time Military Physician.
JP Peters is the Student Civic Engagement Advisor for the Civic Engagement Office at Georgia State University Perimeter College where he services five different campuses including our Clarkston Campus. The goal of the office is to connect each of our campuses to their communities and the Greater Metro Atlanta Area by providing and supporting opportunities for community service and action that promote awareness, learning, and leadership development. In addition to working with The Andrew Goodman Foundation, JP works with the three Food Pantries for Perimeter College, Panther Breakaway, and the MLK Day of Service to name a few.
Before his time at Georgia State University Perimeter College, JP worked two years as an AmeriCorps VISTA through the South Carolina Campus Compact at the University of South Carolina - Upstate and Coastal Carolina University. While serving he focused around the universities' alternative break program, student veteran services, food deserts, and community garden development in the two communities. He earned his B.S.Ed. in Exercise Science and Kinesiology from Georgia Southwestern State University and M.Ed. in Higher Education from Columbia College (SC).
JP Peters is the Student Civic Engagement Advisor for the Civic Engagement Office at Georgia State University Perimeter College where he services five different campuses including our Clarkston Campus. The goal of the office is to connect each of our campuses to their communities and the Greater Metro Atlanta Area by providing and supporting opportunities for community service and action that promote awareness, learning, and leadership development. In addition to working with The Andrew Goodman Foundation, JP works with the three Food Pantries for Perimeter College, Panther Breakaway, and the MLK Day of Service to name a few.
Before his time at Georgia State University Perimeter College, JP worked two years as an AmeriCorps VISTA through the South Carolina Campus Compact at the University of South Carolina - Upstate and Coastal Carolina University. While serving he focused around the universities' alternative break program, student veteran services, food deserts, and community garden development in the two communities. He earned his B.S.Ed. in Exercise Science and Kinesiology from Georgia Southwestern State University and M.Ed. in Higher Education from Columbia College (SC).
Rae Parks is a nursing student at Georgia State University's Decatur campus with a passion for politics and commitment to social change. Born and raised in Atlanta, she is inspired by the many civil rights activists and leaders who dedicated their lives to progressing the city and making their mark in Atlanta's local history. When she is not studying, she is reading, writing, or painting her heart out.
JP Peters is the Student Civic Engagement Advisor for the Civic Engagement Office at Georgia State University Perimeter College where he services five different campuses including our Clarkston Campus. The goal of the office is to connect each of our campuses to their communities and the Greater Metro Atlanta Area by providing and supporting opportunities for community service and action that promote awareness, learning, and leadership development. In addition to working with The Andrew Goodman Foundation, JP works with the three Food Pantries for Perimeter College, Panther Breakaway, and the MLK Day of Service to name a few.
Before his time at Georgia State University Perimeter College, JP worked two years as an AmeriCorps VISTA through the South Carolina Campus Compact at the University of South Carolina - Upstate and Coastal Carolina University. While serving he focused around the universities' alternative break program, student veteran services, food deserts, and community garden development in the two communities. He earned his B.S.Ed. in Exercise Science and Kinesiology from Georgia Southwestern State University and M.Ed. in Higher Education from Columbia College (SC).
Hermela Assefa is an Andrew Goodman Ambassador at Georgia State's Dunwoody Campus. She is studying Public Policy with ambitions to work in the State Department. Her passion for eliminating barriers to voting and ensuring safe elections inspired her to join the Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere program. Outside of Vote Everywhere, she enjoys reading science-fiction novels.
Dr. Karen M. Kedrowski is Director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics and Professor of Political Science at Iowa State University. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and the University of Oklahoma, Norman. Dr. Kedrowski’s research agenda focuses primarily on women and politics and civic engagement. Prior to coming to Iowa State, she spent 24 years at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where she served in many roles, including Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Most gratifyingly, she led the University’s civic and voter engagement efforts.
Zack Johnson is a student at Iowa State University majoring in Political Science and Data Science and minoring in Economics. He is involved on campus in research within the Political Science Department, as a Community Advisor within the residence halls, plays tuba in Iowa State's tuba/euphonium studio as well as sousaphone and bass guitar in ISU's marching band and pep band. Zack is passionate about seeking out the answers to why STEM students vote at such a low rate and doing things that will help to buck this trend.
Kara Dieke is a student majoring in Economics and Political Science at Iowa State University. She decided to pursue Economics after the 2016 Presidential Election as she wanted to better understand the politicians’ economic policies and how they would impact everyday people. Once she has graduated, she hopes to work in public policy analysis in the public sector.
Hayat Sumael is a member of the Class of 2021 at Iowa State University studying Criminal Justice and Women's and Gender Studies.
Leah Cassellia is the Director of Student Involvement at Kutztown University. She received her BA from University of Delaware and her MA from Kaplan University. Leah has worked for both public and private institutions and has extensive experience in housing, residence life, new student orientation, student activities, and student union operations.
Nicole Goldberg is a senior at Kutztown University studying Social Media Strategy and Theory and Public Relations. Nicole is a student leader and holds the roles of President in the People for Animals Club, founder of the Social Media Strategists Club, and is a dancer on Kutztown’s Performing Dance Portmanteau. Nicole is also a student worker at the Office of Student Involvement. Nicole is eager to be a member of her Andrew Goodman Campus Team and looks forward to educating her peers and fellow students on their civic duties.
Originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Alexander Davis is a senior at Kutztown University pursuing a degree in Marketing and Management. Hard-working, driven, and professional, Alexander is student focused and determined on becoming an entrepreneur. Alexander is currently self-employed as an Insurance Agent and free-lance Marketing Specialist. As an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, Alexander aims to increase voter registration and involvement on his campus.
Len Apcar holds the Wendell Gray Switzer Jr. Endowed Chair in Media Literacy, is a fellow at the Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs and is a Professional-in-Residence. His teaching interests include how people can evaluate both media sources and information so they can fully participate in our representative democracy. He has been a Visiting Professor at the University of Hong Kong where he taught digital media courses.
In a nearly 40-year professional career at The New York Times and at the Wall Street Journal, he has been a reporter, Web editor, Washington editor and Asia editor. As editor of nytimes.com, the site won virtually every major online award for news, opinion and photography.
As chief Asia editor based in Hong Kong he helped create a 24-hour global newsroom for online and print. At the Journal he was a reporter in Detroit, Washington and Dallas.
He holds an M.S. from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and a B.A. in political science from Claremont McKenna College in California.
Mia LeJeune is a student at Louisiana State University pursuing a degree in Political Communications with a minor in History from the Manship School of Mass Communication and is also part of the Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College. She is a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority and is the former President of March for Our Lives - Baton Rouge. Recently Mia was named a 2020 Louisiana Governor’s Fellow. As a Fellow, she has been working with the Department of Children and Family Services on First Lady Donna Edwards’ Louisiana Fosters initiative. Mia is looking forward to serving her campus as an Ambassador and is honored to live out the legacy of Andrew Goodman.
Sydney McGovern is a student at Louisiana State University pursuing a dual degree in political communication from the Manship School of Mass Communication and Spanish from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She is also a member of the Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College. In addition to serving as the Vice President for Geaux Vote LSU, she serves as a Manship Ambassador and a mentor at the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition. Sydney is a clarinet player and Social Outreach Team member for LSU’s 325-member Tiger Band. As a member of the Manship School Statehouse Bureau, she reports on the Louisiana Legislature for over 50 news outlets throughout the state. Sydney is honored to continue Andrew Goodman’s legacy by expanding voter registration and promoting civic engagement in her community.
Benjamin Linzy is a Ph.D. candidate in American History and Senior Graduate Researcher at the Center for Urban Research, Teaching & Outreach at Marquette University. His research interests include political violence with a focus on policing, international reactions to genocide, domestic right-wing terrorist movements, and transnational paramilitarism.
Dr. Robert S. Smith is the Harry G. John Professor of History and the Director of the Center for Urban Research, Teaching & Outreach at Marquette University. His research and teaching interests include African American history, civil rights history, and exploring the intersections of race and law. Dr. Smith is the author of Race, Labor & Civil Rights; Griggs v. Duke Power and the Struggle for Equal Employment Opportunity. Prior to joining Marquette University, Dr. Smith served as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Global Inclusion & Engagement and Director of the Cultures & Communities Program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Breanna Flowers is a student at Marquette University majoring in Political Science and Peace Studies. She is the President of the Black Student Council, a Senator for Marquette Student Government, and serves on the Provost's Committee for Diversity and Inclusion. She is also planning to start a non-profit called Thy Neighbor MKE, centered around providing resources and mentoring to marginalized families on the North Side of Milwaukee.
Duane Oakes’ passion for helping students achieve success is what sets him apart. Colleagues rave about his department, his staff calls their operation a well-oiled machine because of Duane, and students, past and present, know his kindness and generosity of spirit. His commitment to the ideals of service learning, community service, and scholarship are strong but no stronger than his dedication to instilling those ideals in the students he serves. In this, Duane never wavers: students come first.
Yudidt Nonthe Sanchez is a first generation American and first generation college student. She is the Student Body President at Mesa Community College and the future Mayor of Mesa, AZ. As Student Body President, she represents 15,000 students. In addition to being an Andrew Goodman Ambassador with the MCC Votes Team, Yudidt is an Intern for the ALIENTO in the Votes campaign, the first inaugural Arizona Fellow for IGNITE National, an active alumni member of College Bound Arizona. She also sits on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion DEI board on campus, as well as the Shared Governance Coordinating Board. In her free time, Yudidt is a lover of traveling and friendships.
Alba Castellanos is a student at Mesa Community College majoring in Social Work. She was drawn to Social Work career because of her passion for helping others. Throughout her life, she has worked at many different jobs as a mail carrier, teacher, case manager, and caregiver. She also started “Alba’s Delights,” an ice cream business. She has a strong sense of empathy, making it easy for her to build a relationship with people. She loves to give without expecting to receive and likes to serve because she feels that is a part of nurturing others.
She emigrated to this country from Honduras and made it a top priority to become an American citizen. One of the things she loves about this country is that its citizens through voting can have a direct, positive impact on society. She believes it is very important to help and educate others, especially young people, letting them know that they can make a change in their communities by using their right to vote. She is passionate about encouraging young people to learn the importance of being involved and fully participating in this important civic event.
Zachary Glembin earned a bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and a master’s degree from the Clinton School of Public Service at University of Arkansas. During college, Zach lived in the Multicultural Learning Community, a university initiative that brought diverse groups of students together to learn about social justice and civic engagement. National service changed the trajectory of Zach's life and career.
After earning his bachelor’s degree, he joined AmeriCorps, and then served in various leadership positions including Team Leader, Program Manager, and Program Director (in both Milwaukee and Miami) with the national educational non-profit, City Year – including two years at North Miami Senior High. While in grad school, Zach completed an international service project consulting for a social entrepreneurship accelerator in Thailand, and served as a delegate for a Model Arab League Conference in Morocco. Prior to joining MDC, Zach served as a Program Officer with The Children's Trust of Miami-Dade County, partnering with community based organizations that work directly with children and families, ensuring contract compliance and quality programming.
Maritza Allen-Brown is Colombian and Jamaican, born in Miami and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. She is a student at Miami Dade College's Kendall campus majoring in Political Science. She started getting involved with her community during high school. Thanks to the American Red Cross, she became a South Florida Health Care Hero in 2018 after managing an entire shelter during hurricane Irma. In college, she joined the Student Government Association because she wanted to find a community that shared her passion for taking action in affairs that involve student life. She now serves as the Chief Coordinator for her campus Executive Board and Region 4 Coordinator for Florida College System SGA for the State and Regional Board. She believes that if you have the power to make a difference, you are responsible for making a meaningful change in other's lives. She is hardworking and self-motivated and always desires to take on activities that can help her grow and learn. She cherishes working as a team towards improving her community while leaving a legacy to be proud of.
Dexter Rabin is a student at the Miami Dade Honors College at Kendall Campus. He was born and raised in Miami, Florida and has always gravitated towards leadership positions. Since starting college, he has been elected to many positions including the Florida College System Student Government Association President. Seeing a lack of voter engagement in his community was one of the driving reasons why he decided to become an Andrew Goodman Ambassador. He is extremely excited to work alongside AGF to create a better community where more people are educated on their right to vote.
Alison Kasney received her Bachelor degree in Psychology from Metropolitan State University of Denver. She is a current candidate for a Master of Science in Education in the program of Community and Social Change at University of Miami. Alison has worked extensively with youth from early childhood to young adult in a variety of settings, and brings this experience combined with a passion for youth empowerment to Miami Dade College. Her most favorite experiences with young people have been through experiential education, specifically backpacking, snowboarding, and mountain biking with them through the Rocky Mountains. She believes through service-learning and civic engagement students' personal character and community networks can be strengthened to support their educational and career paths. Alison's personal commitment to MDC InterAmerican is to "inform herself to inform others" in order to provide actionable opportunities for change.
Alexa Bencomo is an Honors College student at Miami Dade College's North campus. She is majoring in Biology and is also interested in Political Science. As an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, she hopes to promote civic engagement, especially to minorities, and remind others that every vote counts. She believes that it is vital that eligible citizens vote because many individuals may not be afforded the same opportunity.
Carla Santamaria is a graduate of Miami Dade College and returns with many years of experience promoting civic learning, engaged citizenship, and democratic involvement. She is a strong believer in the importance of reflection as a tool of learning and growth for students and experienced professionals alike. Prior to joining the team, Carla held multiple roles at the University of Miami, working to promote leadership development, civic engagement, and service-learning. She is a two-time AmeriCorps alumna, serving with both the VISTA and state programs.
Her passion for civic engagement has taken Carla on internships, volunteer opportunities, and countless events engaging local, state, and national elected officials. Carla is the recipient of the Florida International University School of International and Public Affairs Service Excellence Award and the Florida Campus Compact VISTA Member Recognition award. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from Florida International University. She earned a Master of Science degree focused on community and social change from the University of Miami, where her research focused on non-traditional students’ conceptualization and implementation of civic engagement activities.
Izellah Perez is a student at Miami Dade College's Wolfson campus. She is majoring in Psychology and is excited to be an Andrew Goodman Ambassador.
Evan Gates is a student majoring in Business Economics with a double minor in Political Science and Mathematics. He is a Presidential Fellow and a Farmer Business Scholar. On campus, he is Parliamentarian of the Associated Student Government and holds leadership roles in several other organizations. His experiences have brought him a belief in the power of community outreach and making change locally through including all voices in the political process. He is passionate about what The Andrew Goodman Foundation represents for civic opportunity and is thankful to be able to better his University.
Reena Murphy is a student at Miami University studying Chemistry and Environmental Science with a minor in Disability Studies. She is a member of the Associated Student Government, Alpha Omicron Pi, and has had significant involvement in Residence Life. Reena became interested in civic engagement after serving on the Village of Maywood's (IL) Youth Delegation in high school. In the future, she plans on going into accessibility or environmental policy.
Jessel Martinez is a student at Midway University majoring in Criminal Justice. Inspired by struggles her parents faced, Jessel decided to major in criminal justice, a field where she felt she could make a difference in the lives of others. While attending Midway, Jessel plays on the women's soccer team. She is a mentor in the PATH program and participates in the Kaleidoscope programs which promotes diversity and awareness among students and the community. Through her talent in the arts, Jessel promotes her passion for community activism. Her greatest accomplishment was getting recognition for being the first Latina to make a mural which represents diversity among her community in Versailles, Kentucky. Jessel has also painted a mural at the Middle School she once attended in Woodford County. She has been an active member of the Latino Leadership College Experience Camp where she has gained a lot of leadership skills. She has also been a member of Kentucky Dreamers Coalition. Jessel dreams to have a position where she can help others, especially those who lack a voice in the community.
Mariel Pagan has served as the Director of the Center for Student Involvement since September of 2017. The Center for Student Involvement houses the Office of Civic and Voter Engagement at Montclair State University. Mariel holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership, Management and Policy from Seton Hall University, an M.A. in Counseling Services from Rider University and a B.S. in Diplomacy & International Relations from Seton Hall University.
Gianna D'Aloia is a rising senior at Montclair State University, majoring in philosophy and minoring in sustainability science. D'Aloia is from Livingston, NJ, and she has always been most content being productive while helping those around her. She got her start in activism at an early age becoming a vegetarian and began hands on work her first year of college, helping students and peers in navigating the voter registration process of 2016, canvassing for support about community issues, and educating herself and peers on global topics. Gianna is very passionate about supporting others and encouraging them to act on their own passions on a political level!
Dr. Stanley Ebede serves as the Director of the Center for Civic and Community Engagement at Northampton Community College. He earned both his master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Northern Iowa. In his current role, he develops strategies that assist students to be agents of change in local and global communities.
Autumn Cunningham is a student at Northampton Community College majoring in Communication Studies. She is originally from York, PA, and has recently gotten involved politics. Her interest first began when applying for a work study job and has only grown since. She also enjoys both fashion and writing, as they are both large components of her life. As for her future plans, she hopes to continue schooling after graduating with hope of becoming a journalist while continually investing time in political work and advocacy.
Taiba Sultana is a Council of Higher Education at Pennsylvania State Board and is a member of College Textbook Policies Advisory. She is a Vice-Chairwoman of Northampton County Democratic Party and very passionate about making change in her community and making her voice heard. She has been actively working to involve young people in politics and elect democratic candidates for public office in Northampton and through the state of Pennsylvania. She is a student ambassador in NCC in the Center of Civic & Community Engagement. She is a Vice-President of student government at NCC. She is an activist and has been active with many campaigns and political organizations, currently serving on Emgage PAC and PAK PAC. Her focus is on current political issues at the local, state and national level. She is an executive member of the International Youth General Assembly and has been invited for international youth conferences as a delegate. She likes volunteering her free time serving in Shelters and with American Cancer Society.
Annerys Ibes Rivera is a student at Northampton Community College. She is studying Engineering and Business Management in hope to carry on her parents' works. In the near future, she hopes she would be able to build and start her own business while carrying theirs also. She is from Bronx, New York and enjoys taking landscape pictures.
Samadi Tavarez is a student at Pace University, where she majors in Political Science and plans to minor in Peace and Justice Studies. Back home in South Florida, when she attended Charles W. Flanagan, she was the founder and President of the Financial Literacy (FinLit) Club. She shared her passion for equipping low-income students of color with the skills and knowledge they need to handle their finances effectively. Additionally, Samadi was an executive board member for the Political Awareness and Civic Engagement (PACE) club, a non-partisan politically-oriented student organization devoted to engaging the student body in the political process. Similar to her in the PACE Club, Samadi’s mission with AGF is to inspire Pace students to actively engage with their community and learn how to combat social justice issues they care most about. She is honored to be an Andrew Goodman Ambassador and continue his work towards a just democracy.
Marisa Medici is an undergraduate student at Pace University pursuing a double major in Political Science and Communication Studies. Her enduring commitment to public service is rooted in her participation in Model United Nations and her work with the Upper Mohawk Valley Chapter of the United Nations Association throughout high school. Based on her previous experiences as a Co-Founder of a youth civic engagement and volunteerism organization (UNA-USA GenUN), she recognized the importance of youth involvement in communities. Marisa continues her initiatives by volunteering in her community with various organizations centered around food security and education. She plans to translate these social justice issues into her civic engagement work as an Andrew Goodman Ambassador. Marisa is eager to uplift student voices by supporting her peers through the process of voting and uncovering the causes that are important to them.
Emanuel Avila is the Associate Director of Judicial Affairs and Service Learning for Queens College, part of the City University of New York. In his role, he is responsible for monitoring the code of conduct, academic integrity policy, and any other matters related to conduct. He also serves as the Voter Registration Coordinator, crisis response administrator, and supports the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. He has been the Campus Champion for Queens College's Vote Everywhere team since 2014.
Dan Adamo is a student attending CUNY Queens College. He splits his time between living in Flushing, Queens and Baltimore, Maryland. Studying both Political Science and Urban Studies has helped him foster a personal commitment to social justice and equity, and he looks forward to working with students on campus to register voters and get out the vote.
Nicholas Bykov is a Political Science major at Ramapo College of New Jersey. He serves as a Senator-at-Large in the Student Government Association (SGA), as Co-Music Manager of Ramapo’s college radio station WRPR, and on the Executive Board of the Ramapo College Honors Program. In addition to this, he is a Campus Leader for Democracy Matters and a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor society. In his free time he enjoys hiking, nature, and music.
Keren Ortega is a business management major and environmental studies minor at Ramapo College of New Jersey. She is currently president of 1STEP, a club dedicated to sustainability and the environment. She is also the Alternative Break student coordinator, where she helps organize weeklong trips dedicated to community service. During her free time, Keren enjoys bullet journaling, hiking, and watching crime shows like Law and Order SVU and Brooklyn 99.
Dr. A. J. Stovall is a non-compromising social activist, educator, author, and lecturer. Stovall has committed his life and career to addressing and researching issues dealing with African American Politics, Economics, Education, and Culture. Stovall has been on the firing line, advocating social change, for more than 40 years. Stovall has been a key figure in directing and coordinating specialized minority, community and student programs and services. He earned the Ph.D. degree, Union Institute University, in Urban Studies (Black Politics); MA degree, Atlanta University, African American Studies; MS degree; Tennessee State University, Education Administration; and BA degree, University of Dubuque, History Psychology and Secondary Education. Presently, Stovall chairs the Division of Social Science, is Professor of Political Science and coordinates the Rust College International Program. Stovall serves on various community and academic based Boards, including the Association for Black Culture Centers and the Southern Association of African American Studies, Inc.
Cameron Wilson is a native of Columbus, MS. He is a High Honors graduate of Columbus High School, and now a Honors Track scholar at Rust College majoring in Mass Communications. While enjoying his tenure at Rust, he has served in many capacities starting as Mr. Freshman Rust College, NAACP Chaplain, Sophomore Class President, Nutrition Committee President, Chapter President of the Zeta Omicron of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., and more. He loves Rust College and strives to help and serve to his best ability.
Eric Johnson is a senior majoring in Mass Communications from Saint Louis, Missouri, at Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi. At Rust, he has joined many great organizations such as Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the UNCF Pre-Alumni Council. He has been on the Dean's List each semester and was recently named a 2020 White House HBCU Competitiveness Scholar. Eric has been featured in programs like Forbes Under 30 Scholar Program, Harvard Business School Venture into Management, and the 2020 White House HBCU Competitiveness Scholar Program. Eric was elected President of the Rust College Student Government Association 2020-21.
Erin Capone serves as the Director of Development for the Rutgers School of Social Work, overseeing the school’s major and principal gifts, alumni relations, and special events. Erin previously served as development director of The Andrew Goodman Foundation and executive director of Overcoming Obstacles, which are both nonprofit organizations dedicated to developing critical skills in today’s youth. Erin has presented nationally on this topic and made media appearances on NBC, FOX, and the Solutions Webcast hosted by Clemson University.
Erin began her career as a children’s social worker after graduating with an MSW from New York University and a BA in Social Work from Rutgers University.
As Director of the John C. Culver Public Policy Center, Seth Andersen works with students interested in pursuing careers in politics and public service. The Center’s nonpartisan programs complement Simpson College’s Engaged Citizenship Curriculum by encouraging students to actively participate in our democracy and consider public service as their life’s work. Andersen fosters student development through the Culver Fellows program, which awards four-year scholarships to incoming Simpson College students who demonstrate a commitment to public service. He works with the Culver Fellows and Simpson College faculty and professional staff to educate the campus community and the broader public through the annual Culver Lecture, which brings prominent national figures to campus to meet with students and deliver a public lecture. The Culver Center also sponsors political debates, candidate visits, policy forums, and student trips to Washington, DC, state capitols, and presidential libraries.
Prior to joining the Culver Center, Andersen served as Executive Director of the American Judicature Society, an independent national organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice. He also served on the staff of the American Bar Association as Special Assistant to the President and Project Manager for the Standing Committee on Judicial Independence. He has written and spoken extensively on judicial independence, judicial selection, and the jury system. In addition to directing the Culver Center, Andersen develops financial and community support for arts, cultural, and music-related enterprises in Central Iowa. He created and produced Critical Mass, a weekly music critics’ program that aired on community radio station KFMG 98.9 FM in 2014-2015, and contributes his event planning and management experience to major concerts and festivals such as the 80/35 music festival, Hinterland music festival, Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival, and the Des Moines Social Club’s annual Food Truck Throwdown. Andersen holds a degree in history and American Studies from the University of Kansas.
Elise Sturgeon is a student at Simpson College double majoring in Political Science and Applied Philosophy with a minor in Spanish and a certification in the Honors Program. She is involved in speech and debate, theatre, and is a Culver Public Policy Fellow. Elise is from Sioux City, Iowa and has always been interested in politics. She interned on her first campaign during the 2014 midterm elections and has had a passion for political organizing ever since. In the future, Elise wants to continue working in politics and empowering Iowa voters.
Drake Wood is a student at Simpson College where he studies Political Science and Religion. He serves as a member of the Internal Affairs Committee in student government and in the leadership of the Simpson Young Republicans. Drake is also a member of the Simpson Debate Team and the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. Drake hopes that he can help change the world one vote at a time!
Jasmine D. Hunter is passionate about branding and public relations. She is a Montgomery, Alabama native. In May 2012, Hunter graduated from Alabama State University with a bachelor's degree in communications with a concentration in public relations and a minor in English writing. Later, in 2015, she earned a Master's of Science degree in strategic communications from Troy University. Over the past eight years, she has worked in the higher education and nonprofit sectors, gaining experience in recruitment, branding, and crisis management. Currently, she works as the director of external affairs at the Southern University Law Center.
Born and raised in Dallas, TX, Breana Wilson is a 4L part-time evening law student at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, LA, where she plans to take her career to the next level as a much-needed attorney in our struggling legal system. Prior to law school she received her Master in Public Administration and Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Clark Atlanta University. Breana has a passion for children and wants to pursue a career in family law, advocating for children and families in the courtroom. She currently serves as co-chair for the SULC student ambassadors leadership program, parliamentarian for the Black Law Students Association, and the evening division representative for Women In Law. In addition to her law degree, Breana is on track to complete her public interest certificate at SULC. During her matriculation at SULC, Breana has interned with Texas Legislative Internship Program, known as TLIP where she was a legislative aide for State Representative Toni Rose and completed the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Law School Voting Rights bootcamp where she gained extensive knowledge about voting laws and voter protection programs. She loves cooking, spending time with family, and mentoring high school and college students. Breana’s short-term goals are to graduate in May 2021 and pass the Texas state bar!
Dr. Cynthia Neal Spence is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Spelman College and Director of the UNCF/Mellon Programs. Her teaching and research interests in the areas of sociology, criminology, law, and violence against women support the Law and Criminology concentration in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Dr. Spence has served in the capacities of Assistant Dean for Freshman Studies, Associate Academic Dean and Academic Dean at Spelman College. Her interest in issues of higher education access, service-learning, gender role socialization and violence against women frame her research, writing, community service involvement, and public speaking. Her publications include “A Woman’s College Perspective on the Education of Men” (2004) New Directors for Student Series and “The Spelman College Total Person Commits to Positive Social Change” (2006), Engaging Departments: Moving Faculty Cultures from Private to Public, Individual to Collective Force for the Common Good. Her most recent publication “Does Race Trump Gender? Black Women Negotiating their Spaces of Intersection in the 2008 Presidential Campaign” is included in the edited volume “Who Should Be First? Feminists Speak Out on the 2008 Presidential Campaign” (2010). As Director of the UNCF Mellon Programs, Dr. Spence creates, manages and oversees a suite of future faculty development and faculty career enhancement programs for UNCF (United Negro College Fund) students and faculty. The UNCF/Mellon Programs are housed at Spelman College and funded by the Andrew Mellon Foundation.
In her newest role, Dr. Spence serves as the Faculty Lead for the Spelman College Social Justice Fellows Program. Dr. Spence is committed to helping Spelman women fully actualize their commitment to “making a choice to change the world “through social justice advocacy. She has served as a consultant for the Ford Foundation Institutional Transformation Project, the University of Chicago Provost Initiative on Minority Affairs, the Agnes Scott College Center for Teaching and Learning and the Georgia Department of Corrections. She currently serves as Faculty Trustee on the Spelman College Board of Trustees and is the former chair of the Board of the non-profit agency Men Stopping Violence. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Georgia Women for Change and the Women’s Solidarity Society for the Center for Civil and Human Rights. Dr. Spence is a graduate of Spelman College where she earned her B.A. degree. She earned both the Masters and Ph.D. degrees from Rutgers University. She is married to Harold W. Spence and they are the proud parents of two daughters, Christie ’05 and Courtnee ’08.
Alix Swann is a student at Spelman College, an all women’s historically black college in Atlanta, Georgia. She is majoring in International Studies and minoring in Comparative Women’s Studies. Her main interests fall into civic engagement, reproductive justice, and education advocacy. At Spelman, Alix is part of the Social Justice Program, where she works to “make a choice to change the world through social justice advocacy.” She looks forward to helping fulfill this mission through contributing to the Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere program and bringing civic engagement to Spelman and the Atlanta University Center.
Keymari Johnson is an Economics major at Spelman College from Lexington, Kentucky. She aspires to become a Corporate Lawyer.
Lisa Torrey is a member of the faculty at St. Lawrence University, in the Department of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Statistics. Along with Ed Harcourt and Choong-Soo Lee, Lisa conducts the computer science program at St. Lawrence. Before arriving there, Lisa graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 2009 and of Dartmouth College in 2003.
Wendi Haugh is a cultural and linguistic anthropologist with a joint appointment in African Studies. She spent her junior year abroad in Kenya, and she has done research in northern Namibia on the ways that people construct a sense of national identity in songs, speeches, talk radio programs, celebrations, and conversations. She is currently launching a new research project on birding, bird guides, and bird-related ecotourism in eastern and southern Africa. She teaches Cultural Anthropology, Humans and Other Animals, Peoples and Cultures of Africa, and Environmental Conservation in Africa. She enjoys travel, bird watching, and hiking in her spare time.
Grace is a student double majoring in Global and Francophone studies, with a concentration in Peace Studies. She loves to travel and meet new people, something that she hopes to do more of in the future. In addition to being an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, Grace is also a French tutor at St. Lawrence’s Language Resource Center. Grace’s interest for politics blossomed as a newly registered voter, and her passion was fostered through involvement in the 2018 midterm elections. In the future, Grace hopes to continue to work on breaking voting barriers, tackling voter apathy, and developing civic engagement within her communities.
Ella Charlesworth is a student at St. Lawrence University majoring in Sociology and minoring in Public Health and Gender & Sexuality Studies. Besides being an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, she also is a Volunteer Services Program Manager, Admissions Ambassador, and co-founded Planned Parenthood Generation Action on her campus. Ella is passionate about increasing voter education and access, as well as growing civic engagement in her community.
Bezawit is a sophomore majoring in global studies, with a focus on African Studies and Caribbean Latin Studies, and minoring in government. She is from Washington, D.C., and politics has always been a part of her life. Her interest in politics grew during her sophomore year of high school when she volunteered for the 2015 D.C. mayoral election. Bezawit loves to travel and volunteer, which has impacted and shaped her future endeavors. She hopes to join Peace Corps after graduating and to one day work on Capitol Hill.
Niamh Creedon-Carey is a student at St. Lawrence University majoring in history and government. She’s from Plattsburgh, New York and has always felt passionately about politics. She first became interested in voter registration while interning for a local congressional campaign in high school. In addition to civic and political causes, Niamh is passionate about human rights and has worked as a student activist coordinator for Amnesty International. She looks forward to working with The Andrew Goodman Foundation to increase political engagement on campus.
Steven Adelson is a Residence Hall Director in the Department of Residential Programs at Stony Brook University, and now also serves as Co-Director of the Center for Civic Justice. Since arriving in 2012, Steven has contributed to the university's transformed commitment to civic and democratic engagement for several years, and he is thrilled about the opportunity to position civic justice as a cornerstone of the student experience. Steven is a two-time alumnus of Stony Brook University: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (2015) and Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration (2017). In addition, Steven is pursuing his Doctorate in Education at Northeastern University. Steven's research interests include undocumented immigrant identity development and its effects on access to higher education, and college student democratic engagement.
Elif Onay is a student at Stony Brook University studying Biology, but whose greatest passions fall within the area of politics. Originally from Staten Island, New York, Elif has contributed mightily to several of the organization's "Get Out the Vote" efforts, weekly voter registration initiatives, and as a volunteer and facilitator at the Community Dialogues on Immigration in America and Safety & Justice. Elif looks forward to honoring the legacy of Andrew Goodman and so many others who lost their lives for doing what they knew was right and just.
Erin Byers is a student at Stony Brook University’s Honors College studying Political Science and Psychology with a minor in Writing. Besides being an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, she is the Team Leader of the Voter Engagement Committee in Stony Brook’s Center for Civic Justice. Erin is passionate about equitable voting practices and criminal justice reform and is excited about the year ahead to further Stony Brook’s dedication to civic engagement. As an Ambassador, she hopes to bring new Get Out the Vote initiatives to campus and work with other Ambassadors around the country to start to solve large-scale issues on local levels.
Born and raised in New York City, Tamara Smith is an Economics major and Political Science minor with dreams of changing the world. Her goal is to attend law school and ultimately become a Supreme Court Justice, dedicating her life to ensuring social justice for all. Her passions include eradicating voter suppression, equal and quality education for all, and criminal justice reform. She is determined to exemplify leadership and civic engagement within her community.
Lucy Gordon is a student at Stony Brook University with a double major in Psychology and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies with a minor in Biology. Lucy serves as the lead of the Community Engagement team at Stony Brook’s Center for Civic Justice. Lucy is driven by her passion for social justice education, women’s rights advocacy, and making sure students feel that their voice matters on campus and in the larger community. Along with her work at the Center for Civic Justice, Lucy is an Undergraduate College Fellow for the College of Science and Society and a research assistant in biology education. Along with weekly tabling and voter registration events, she has facilitated Community Dialogues on Freedom of Speech and the #MeToo Movement, and looks forward to piloting a new community dialogue topic on Gendered Expectations in Society. Lucy is excited to be an Ambassador for the Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere program where she hopes to continue to increase civic engagement on campus and honor the legacy of Andrew Goodman.
Nicholas Paul Palumbo is the Interim Director of Leadership and Service at the Center for Community. In this role, he is responsible for promoting, developing and expanding leadership and service opportunities for students. Nick oversees a number of leadership initiatives, including the Geneseo Opportunities for Leadership Development, Livingston Cares Service Trips, and the on-campus Voter Engagement Taskforce. Before joining the Center for Community, Nick has been serving the Geneseo community since 2016 as an adjunct faculty member in the department of psychology teaching courses in adolescent and child development, motivation psychology, and advance research methods. Prior to that, Nick was at the University of Rochester where he served as a project manager and adjunct professor in the department of counseling and human development. Nick earned a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo, a master’s from Syracuse University, and an advanced certificate in online teaching from the University of Rochester. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in human development from the University of Rochester. Nick enjoys spending time working with undergraduate students on research projects, reading, writing, and traveling to the Adirondacks. Nick also loves to cook and is always trying out new vegan recipes.
Rachel Wallisky is a Political Science and History major from Horseheads, NY. At SUNY Geneseo, Rachel is a Student Leader Mentor through the Geneseo Opportunities for Leadership Development Program (GOLD), a member of the Phi Alpha Delta professional pre-law fraternity, and swims distance on the SUNY Geneseo Swimming and Diving team. After graduation, Rachel plans to attend law school to become a prosecutor.
Katherine (Kate) Treadgold is an International Relations and Geography major from Albany, New York. She is most interested in sustainability and one day hopes to become an environmental lawyer. At SUNY Geneseo, Kate is the treasurer of the Beekeeping Club where she helps to promote sustainability on campus and manages two honeybee hives. In 2019 the Beekeeping Club won the annual Campus Sustainability Leadership Award for their work. Kate is also the event planner for the Geneseo College Democrats and a member of the Livingston County Democrat Board where she serves on the Geneseo Town Democrat Committee. Kate sees the potential impact young people could have on our political system if they voted in large numbers and believes that in the future this can happen.
Robbie Economou is a Sociology major in SUNY Geneseo's honors program. Robbie is deeply interested in politics and is very involved with political organizations at Geneseo, serving as vice president of the Democrats Club, events planner of the Political Affairs Club, and serving on the Geneseo Town Democratic Committee. After working on Nate McMurray's political campaign for Congress in Geneseo's electoral district, Robbie became very interested in how to raise voter turnout at SUNY Geneseo in a nonpartisan way, and this is what drew him to The Andrew Goodman Foundation. Other organizations that Robbie is involved with are serving as co-chair of Food Security Advocates and vice president of Sociology Club. Robbie is very excited to serve as an Andrew Goodman Ambassador and hopes to try to get other students more interested in voting.
Dr. Delores Butler has a non-profit organization that focuses on empowering and cultivating spiritual connectedness among children, youth and families, through a holistic approach to promote physical health, mental awareness, social relationships and spiritual unity to advance knowledge of self.
From Memphis, La Toria Lane is a senior Political Science and Urban Studies double major at Tennessee State University. At the University she is a member of the Honors College, University ‘Aristocrat’ of Bands, Phi Eta Sigma, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She has been an Andrew Goodman Ambassador for the last two years and wants to continue advocating for student civic engagement. Upon graduating in May, La Toria would like to continue her education by obtaining her Masters of Public Administration and later attend Law School.
From Alpharetta, Karson Brown is a senior Social Work major and Political Science minor. At Tennessee State University, she is a member of the Phi Alpha Honor Society. She is an Andrew Goodman Ambassador and wants to continue advocating for young adults' voting rights. Upon graduating in May, Karson would like to continue her learning by attending graduate school for Social Work and later attend law school.
Dr. Stephanie Krauth is the Associate Vice President of Student Engagement at Texas Woman’s University. She has been in the student affairs profession for over 30 years in various areas, including Residence Life, Greek Life, Orientation, and Student Conduct. As AVP for Student Engagement, Dr. Krauth focuses on the leadership and engaged citizenship development of the students at Texas Woman’s University. TWU was thrilled to be able to present its civic engagement initiatives at the 2019 CLDE conference and is designated as a Voter Friendly Campus and All-In Democracy Challenge institution.
Cassandra Gonzales is a Political Science major at Texas Woman’s University with an emphasis in Politics. She is passionate about encouraging civic engagement and fighting for social reform both on campus and in her community. She enjoys participating in community service and contributing time to political campaigns and marches. After graduation, she intends to go to graduate school and earn her doctorate in Political Science in order to continue to advocate for change.
Fiama Villagrana Ocasio is a student at Texas Woman’s University studying Political Science and minoring in Communication Sciences & Disorders and Spanish. Fiama is originally from Houston, Texas where she is involved in various social justice movements, especially those affecting the Latinx and LGBTQ+ community. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, catching up on podcasts, and writing. In the future, she hopes to return to Houston to promote civic engagement and work for a non-profit.
Mrs. Arna Shines is excited about being the new Andrew Goodman Campus Champion for Tougaloo College. She looks forward to supporting and contributing to the efforts to ensure that the spirit and tradition of civic engagement continues at Tougaloo College.
Kevana Funches is a student at the illustrious Tougaloo College studying Political Science with a minor in Pre-Law. She is a Servant Leader Scholar at TC with hopes to continue to serve and bring about change in her campus community and other communities. She is also a member of the NAACP, AAUW (American Association of University Women), and other organizations surrounded around her main goal of creating equity within all communities. After graduating from TC, Kevana plans to further her education in public policy and gain admissions to a reputable law school. She is ecstatic to be the Tougaloo College Andrew Goodman Ambassador and ignite change in her campus community.
Precious Thompson is a student majoring in English at the historic Tougaloo College. She is a 2020 UNCF/Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow. Precious is also a member of the Gamma Omicron chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She is involved in various organizations across campus including but not limited to: Pre-Law Society (where she serves as the Public Policy Committee Chair), Tougaloo Ambassadors and Meritorious Scholars, and Pre-Alumni Council. Her future plans include attending a dual degree JD/Ph.D program. She plans to teach literature collegiately while continuing her research on the experiences of black women in the carceral system. She hopes to use her JD to provide free legal advice to underprivileged and vulnerable persons. Precious is committed to serving her community and improving the lives of those around her.
Luis Sierra is a student affairs professional from Miami, Florida. He strives to empower students to have an impactful one-of-a-kind college experience, in which they become leaders and active citizens through not only their academic life but also their co-curricular involvement.
Jonathan Townes is a student at Towson University studying Political Science. He is a Baltimore City native, dedicated to helping create a community that is conducive to the growth of all the city’s inhabitants. Jonathan Townes has been involved politically since 10th grade in high school, working for Councilmen Brandon Scott of the second district in Baltimore City. He has also served two consecutive terms on the Baltimore City School Board of Commissioners representing the youth population of the city. Jonathan is currently working on the gubernatorial campaign of Jim Shea and Councilmen Scott. When he is not debating the effectiveness of the education system in Baltimore City or trying to save the world, he enjoys drawing, singing, and spending time with his little sister. Jonathan is passionate about helping others and hopes to be able to change the world.
Daniela Sánchez is the Student Outreach Coordinator at Tisch College. In this role, she connects students to the various opportunities and programs at Tisch College which promote the development and exploration of civic identity and engagement. She also works closely with the nonpartisan student organization JumboVote. Daniela is from New Mexico and received her B.A. in Latin American Studies and Spanish from Tufts in 2020.
Originally from Portland, Oregon, Makenna Law is a student at Tufts University studying biopsychology and STS. Makenna is passionate about engaging students in the democratic process, from the ballot box to civic education. She is honored and excited to be serving as an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, hoping to continue to increase civic engagement and ensure that young people feel their voice matters on campus and beyond.
Alejandra Carrillo is a student at Tufts University majoring in International Relations. A Los Angeles native, Alejandra has been politically active inside and outside her community since high school. She is an Events Team Leader for JumboVote and a Tisch Scholar. As an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, Alejandra seeks to empower youth voices and increase civic engagement at Tufts University and beyond.
Richard C. Fording is the Marilyn Williams Elmore and John Durr Elmore Endowed Professor of Political Science at the University of Alabama. He earned his B.A. at the University of Florida (1986), and his Ph.D. from Florida State University (1998). His primary teaching and research interests include public policy, race and politics, state politics, social movements, and quantitative methodology. He is the author or coauthor of articles appearing in a variety of journals, including American Political Science Review, American Sociological Review, American Journal of Political Science and Journal of Politics. He is the coauthor of Disciplining the Poor: Neoliberal Paternalism and the Persistent Power of Race (University of Chicago Press).
Samuel Reece is a student at the University of Alabama from Montevallo, AL. He is majoring in Political Science and American Studies and minoring in Creative Writing and Social Innovation & Leadership. Sam is part of the University Fellows Experience and the Honors College and worked as an Honors College and David Mathews Center for Civic Life Jean O’Connor-Snyder Intern in the summer of 2018. He is also a member of the Blackburn Institute Class of 2020. He is involved in the Alabama Model United Nations Conference, teaches recorder to third-graders as the Flatwood Elementary Coordinator for Engage Tuscaloosa's NoteABLE program, and writes on comic books, superheroes, and their place in pop culture in the "The Splash Page" series for the Crimson White Culture Section. He is planning to attend law school after graduation, focusing on public interest work.
Alli Swann is a student at the University of Alabama double majoring in political science and English with a minor in social innovation and leadership. As a University Fellow, member of The Blackburn Institute, and proud Honors College student, Alli is passionate about civic engagement, leadership, and service on campus and in her community. Following her graduation from UA, Alli hopes to attend law school. Honored to serve as an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, Alli is eager to work alongside UA’s team to make sustainable change and leave a positive impact on her campus.
Meredith Saylor is a student at the University of Alabama majoring in Economics with a minor in Public Policy. Along with her work with The Andrew Goodman Foundation, she is an active member of the Student Government Association, and serves as an Honors College mentor. After her undergraduate career, she hopes to continue on to earn her master’s in Economics, and eventually work in monetary policy.
Anthony Butler is the Director of Transitions and Community Engagement at UB. He has more than a decade of experience in the areas of student development, community engagement and developing community partnerships, student leadership and transition programs, and non-profit PR and marketing. In his role as Director of Transitions and Community Engagement, Anthony is responsible for planning University of Baltimore’s new student orientation, commencement exercises, community engagement opportunities, and strengths-based initiatives. He also teaches the senior capstone course in the College of Public Affairs’ Community Leadership and Nonprofit Management program. He has a bachelor of arts in English from Salisbury University and a master of arts in Publications Design with a specialization in creative writing and publishing arts from University of Baltimore. In his free time he enjoys writing fiction and poetry.
Lauren Wyatt is a graduate student in UB’s Negotiation and Conflict Management program. With a B.A. in Political Science, along with countless hours of volunteer campaign assistance and advocacy efforts, Lauren is committed to increasing access to and participation in the democratic process. After graduation, Lauren plans to attend law school and become a Jurist/Legal Scholar.
Emma Spicknall is a senior at the University of Baltimore studying English, with a concentration in professional writing. She has been passionate about voter engagement as long as she can remember, and has a particular interest in emphasizing the importance of voting at every level of government, from city to federal elections. As an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, she is looking forward to furthering the fight against voter suppression and helping students understand their voting rights.
Dr. Sandra Bass joined the Center in January 2015. As Director, she provides leadership to the Center and support to its team. Sandra received her PhD in political science at Berkeley and her doctoral research explored police behavior, community organizing, and the dynamics between police and communities of color in Oakland and Seattle. Upon completing her program, she was appointed as assistant professor of Criminology and Political Science at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she integrated service learning into both her undergraduate and graduate courses. In 2002 Sandra joined the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and in 2010 she was selected to lead the Foundation’s girl’s education, women’s leadership, and reproductive health program in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2012, Sandra volunteered for the Obama campaign in the battleground states of Nevada and Colorado, and later, was appointed executive director of Teach With Africa. Sandra holds a BA from San Jose State University, and an MA and PhD from UC Berkeley, all in political science. She also serves on the regional Board of the Jefferson Awards Foundation, the Chancellor’s Community Partnership Fund, and is the immediate past Board Chair of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland.
Miyako Iwata is a student at UC Berkeley pursuing a major in Political Science and a minor in History, with a strong interest in voting rights, civic engagement, and congressional affairs. On campus, she works to bring down barriers to voting as an Andrew Goodman Ambassador and Voter Registration Manager of the ASUC Vote Coalition. An Oregon native, Miyako previously spent two summers interning in U.S. Senator Ron Wyden’s Eugene district office. Most recently, she worked for Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) in his Washington, D.C. office as a legislative intern with a focus on healthcare and education policy. Currently, Miyako is working to found the first-ever “PAC-12 Voting Challenge” to encourage college students across the West Coast to vote during the 2020 election. She is looking forward to partnering with The Andrew Goodman Foundation to make sure that young people are making their voices heard in our democracy—in 2020 and beyond.
Srija Manchkanti is a student at UC Berkeley studying Molecular & Cell Biology and Global Public Health. She served as her university’s Vote Coalition Director for the 2019-2020 school year and will now continue as an Andrew Goodman Ambassador. In the past, she’s hosted civic engagement concerts, voter registration drives, and panels featuring women politicians. Right now, she is working to establish a permanent polling site on her university’s campus. In the future, she hopes to attend medical school and help to bridge the gap between healthcare and civic engagement through increased voting rates, redefined medical education, and improved healthcare policy. After all, democracy affects health, too.
Lesley Graybeal is the Director of Service-Learning in the Division of Outreach and Community Engagement at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas. She earned her BA and MA degrees in English and Ph.D. in Social Foundations of Education at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia and previously served as faculty member and Service-Learning Program Coordinator at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, North Carolina. In her role as Director of Service-Learning, Lesley’s work includes community partnership development and nonprofit support, faculty development in community-engaged pedagogy and scholarship, and coordination of co-curricular service and civic engagement opportunities for students.
Greta Hacker is a student majoring in Public Administration with minors in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies and Professional Writing. Greta developed her interest in public service during high school, when she worked to increase citizen access to information, technology, and educational programming as an employee of her local public library. She continues her public service work in college as an intern at the University of Central Arkansas Center for Community and Economic Development, where she helps to provide training and technical assistance to communities around the state of Arkansas. She is an active member of the UCA Debate and Forensics Team, works as a peer tutor at the UCA Center for Writing and Communication, and serves as an ambassador and councilmember for the UCA Schedler Honors College. Greta is excited to serve as an Andrew Goodman Ambassador at UCA and hopes that her commitments to education, civic engagement, and service will have a positive impact upon the program.
Originally from Rogers, AR, Javier Hernandez is a student at the University of Central Arkansas double majoring in Environmental Science and Political Science. At UCA, he is involved in Young Democrats, Latino Student Association, Food Recovery Network, and Student Government, among other organizations. He has a passion for the equal opportunity for everyone to participate in our democratic process. He is excited to be serving as an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, getting to share knowledge about the registration and election process and energizing his campus to vote.
Purvi Patel joined the IOP in February 2019 as the Director of Civic and Campus Engagement. In this role, she advises the IOP’s Civic Engagement student leadership, builds relationships with community partners, and works on civic engagement program development and strategy. Previously, Purvi worked as an administrator in diversity and student life at Washington University in St. Louis, Loyola University Maryland, and Oberlin College. Purvi is from Dallas, Texas and graduated with a B.A. in History from Loyola University Chicago, and a M.A. in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University.
Grant Neeley teaches and conducts research in several public policy fields, public administration, state politics and political behavior. Prior to joining the UD faculty, Grant was on the faculty at Texas Tech, the University of Cincinnati, and Ball State University. He also serves as a Public Affairs Officer in the Navy Reserve. He has played on and coached several collegiate club lacrosse teams.
Grant served as the Director of the MPA Program at UD from May 2007 to August 2014. In 2014, he became the Director of Graduate Academic Affairs for the College of Arts and Sciences. He is currently the chair of the Department of Political Science.
Dr. Hunter Phillips Goodman serves as the Executive Director of the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community at the University of Dayton. She believes strongly in the power of community and neighborhoods to make a positive difference in partnership with local universities.
As a nonprofit executive director, fundraiser, researcher, student advocate, teacher, and higher education professional, Hunter has a passion for strong, vibrant leadership and community based partnership.
Emma Speyer is student at the University of Dayton where she is studying Public Relations with a minor in Political Science. She is a member of the women’s rowing team at UD and is hoping to connect students athletes and civic engagement during her time with AGF. After graduation Emma plans to attend law school in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio and pursue a career in politics.
Abby Medler is a student at the University of Dayton in Ohio. She is majoring in Political Science and is very involved on campus, including in Student Government Association Committees for Campus Unity and Campus Safety. She is also in a group called Peers Advocating for Violence Education (PAVE) and is an active volunteer at Abolition Ohio. Abby became especially interested in voter engagement during the 2018 local elections in which she recalls being disappointed that so few of her peers turned out to vote.
Formerly the communications director of the Florida Sea Grant College Program, Dorothy Zimmerman has been a communications professional at the University of Florida since 1999. Her professional and personal accomplishments demonstrate an enduring interest in advancing citizens’ awareness of issues, increasing their ability to make knowledgeable decisions and engage with their community. Dorothy leads a communications program that continues to increase the visibility of the Bob Graham Center programs, engage students with opportunities for civic participation, and build relationships with key audiences. She is also an active member of Rotary International and a graduate of the Rotary Leadership Institute.
Katy Frey is a student from West Chester, Pennsylvania, majoring in Environmental Management of Agriculture and Natural Resources, with a minor in Sustainability. Since high school, she has had a strong passion for politics and voting rights. As an Andrew Goodman Ambassadors, she wants to help encourage more Gators to become civically engaged. Her mantra is "your voice does matter," which is why she dedicates herself to Gators Vote Everywhere and tries to empower students to vote. She is also the President of the UF chapter of She's the First, a national nonprofit organization that sponsors girls' education in low-income countries. In her free time, she enjoys exploring nature, doing yoga, and watching documentaries.
Nomfumo Manaba is a student at the University of Florida where she is completing a dual degree in Political Science and Journalism. Nomfumo’s interest in civic engagement was ignited during the student-led Fees Must Fall protests, which happened in October 2015 in South Africa. Nomfumo is also a member of the African Student Union and a contributing writer for Spoon University, an online publication. She hopes to go to law school and eventually work in media or corporate law in her home country, South Africa.
Shae'Erica Horne is a pre-med student majoring in Biology at the University of Florida. She is a recent graduate of Fitzgerald High School where she was an active member of 4-H, the Technology Student Association, BETA Club and Y-Club. She served as chairman of the Junior Board of Directors at the Community Banking Company of Fitzgerald and served as a poll worker for numerous elections. In her spare time, Shae enjoys traveling, reading, dancing and singing. Her passion for civic involvement and the medical field stems from her natural desire to want to help others. She has a focus on marginalized people and communities. As an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, Shae hopes to eliminate the idea that one vote does not count while increasing voter turnout in young adults and minorities. Her future plans are to gain a possible minor in public leadership and attend medical school at Harvard University to become an anesthesiologist.
Myrna Hugo is a Program Coordinator for the Office of Civic and Community Engagement. In her role, Myrna works with students to foster one of the university’s core values of community engagement through community-based learning opportunities. She also coordinates with community partners to identify and support collaboration that builds a culture of civic engagement within their neighboring communities. Prior to joining the University of La Verne, Myrna was a member of the President’s Office administrative team at the University of Redlands.
Abrelle Negrete is an Honors Education Major at the University of La Verne and is involved in the Campus Activities Board as a committee member and the Multicultural Club Council as Treasurer. Getting students involved is very important to her, and she is thankful to have the opportunity through being an Andrew Goodman Ambassador. She hopes to get students involved, not just in spirit, but politically within the community, state, and even the country.
Kaley Ann Ponce is a Communications Major and Marketing Minor at the University of La Verne. She is involved in the Residence Hall Association as Vice President and is a member of the sorority Sigma Kappa. Having been a poll worker twice before, she is very much looking forward to helping more people get the opportunity to vote through The Andrew Goodman Foundation.
Caleb Brooks runs the International Service Learning Program at UofL. He’s a Louisville native who enjoys language learning, basketball, and writing essays about the world around him.
Arianna Moya Porras is currently majoring in Political Science, and minoring in Spanish and Social Change. As an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, she hopes to encourage civic engagement in all of its forms on campus and within the Louisville community at large. On campus, she is currently a Diversity Student Ambassador for Admissions for the University of Louisville, as well as a secretary for her school's Latinx Student Union. Outside of school, she enjoys watching movies and painting!
Wyn Garfinkle Plymesser is a student at the University of Louisville, majoring in Communication with a minor in Jewish Studies. During her time at UofL, Wyn has been involved in a variety of organizations, in differing leadership positions; she is currently the president of UofL’s Hillel, PR Chair of her service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, and an Ambassador for Ban Conversion Therapy KY. Wyn believes that our vote is our voice, and every election is our opportunity to have our voices heard. As a queer Jewish woman, she believes that voting is how we can all stand up to oppressive systems that are currently in place. Just like her vote, every other vote matters. She is beyond excited to be an Andrew Goodman Ambassador and cannot wait to see UofL become an even more voter-friendly campus!
Erin Byrnes has served as the Lead for Democratic engagement since the fall of 2016 and directs nonpartisan student voter registration, engagement, and education across the University of Michigan’s central campus. She also coordinates the Big Ten Voting Challenge, a friendly competition to enhance student participation in the democratic process across the Big Ten Conference.
Erin grew up in Dearborn, MI where she was recently elected to serve on the City Council. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and a former New York City Teaching Fellow, with a Master’s in Education from CUNY.
Meredith Days is a student at the University of Michigan, studying Public Policy at the Ford School of Public Policy, and minoring in Community Action and Social Change. Outside of her work with The Andrew Goodman Foundation, Meredith is involved in the Roosevelt Institute, a progressive public policy think tank, as the Internal Membership Chair, and organizes University of Michigan’s Alternative Spring Breaks program as a member of the Communications and Operations team. In her free time, Meredith enjoys cheering on Michigan sports teams until she loses her voice (GO BLUE), baking with her friends & family, and exploring old bookstores.
Cory Dubin is a student at the University of Michigan, majoring in Political Science and minoring in History. As an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, he works with faculty, staff, and student organizations to increase student voter registration and election turnout. Cory has an interest in U.S. Public Policy with a focus on higher education, electoral politics, and Reconstruction-era history. In his spare time, Cory enjoys watching movies, cheering on the Michigan football team, and rooting for the New England Patriots.
Erin L. Payseur Oeth is profoundly interested in exploring the public square—how we develop civic learning, skills, and practices to thrive together in community. As a practitioner, facilitator, and scholar, she built her career in the university sector, with over 10 years of experience in creating civic learning initiatives. She currently serves as project manager for community engagement at the University of Mississippi where she manages university-community partnerships and serves as facilitator/convener of the UM Voting Engagement Roundtable. Through the roundtable, the university has been designated a co-designer campus with the Ask Every Student initiative with Students Learn Students Vote and is currently seeking designation as a Voter Friendly Campus. Erin received her B.A. degree in Religion/Philosophy from Presbyterian College and her M.Ed. in Higher Education & Student Affairs from the University of South Carolina. Before joining the University of Mississippi in 2019, she previously held positions at Baylor University and Columbia College (SC).
Katelyn Winstead is a student at the University of Mississippi with a double major in Philosophy and Public Policy Leadership. She is a Sally McDonald-Barksdale Honors College Scholar and previously transferred from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Katelyn was a regional and chapter officer for the two-year Honors Society, Phi Theta Kappa, at her community college; she then moved on to join the Andrew Goodman Campus Team upon her arrival at Ole Miss. In her free time, Katelyn works as a runner at a local law firm and volunteers for various causes within the Oxford and Ocean Springs communities. Katelyn aspires to attend a dual Public Policy and Law Degree Program so that she may pursue various career opportunities in both the law and public policy sectors; as a person who is highly passionate about politics and policy, Katelyn feels that it is absolutely necessary to fight for progressive change and social justice in our ever-changing society.
Caroline Leonard is a student at the University of Mississippi majoring in Chemical Engineering and International Studies and minoring in Arabic. She hopes to help increase civic involvement and political literacy on campus through her role as an Andrew Goodman Ambassador by increasing voter education and turnout.
As the Assistant Director for Volunteer Outreach, Sean Langley serves as an outreach liaison between UNC Charlotte and the wider Charlotte community. In 2014, he co-founded the Niner Student Pantry that provides UNC Charlotte students experiencing economic hardship with healthy, emergency food. In the spring of 2014, Sean’s office partnered with the Department of Sociology to lead a Habitat for Humanity service learning trip to El Salvador where students built homes side-by-side with Salvadoran families, learning about their culture and lives. He serves as an adjunct professor in the Department of Sociology where he teaches courses on race and ethnic relations and social movements.
As the Research Associate for Academic Planning and Analysis, Tamara Johnson researches and communicates UNC Charlotte’s student success and community engagement initiatives to the broader campus community, and designs programming that supports engaged scholarship and enriches the student experience through experiential learning, community engagement, and international education. As adjunct faculty in the Department of Global, International and Area Studies, she teaches courses on globalization and global cities, as well as food justice in South Africa (where she was a Peace Corps volunteer and a Fulbright scholar). She received her doctorate in Geography from UNC at Chapel Hill in 2011.
Kiley Murray is a Masters of Public Administration student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In May of 2018, Kiley graduated with her Bachelor's degree in Political Science. She currently serves as the Graduate Assistant for the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity in the Dean of Students office. She has previously served as the Vice President for the Roosevelt Institute for Public Policy at UNCC spearheading a nonpartisan initiative on campus and worked as an Administrative Assistant to the Director of the New Hanover County Board of Elections (NC) during the 2016 election.
Faustine Sun is the Academically Based Community Service (ABCS) Coordinator at the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania. A recent Penn alum, Faustine spent her undergraduate years encouraging students to become more involved in the Philadelphia community and has continued to do so in her new role as the liaison between Penn faculty, students, and community partners. Her main goal is to support and encourage students on their way to becoming more democratic, civically-minded citizens.
Originally from Houston, Texas, Tvisha Malik is pursuing a B.S. in Economics in the Wharton School and hopes to concentrate in Public Policy. Tvisha is excited to join the team and incentivize civic engagement in the West Philly Community.
Eva Gonzalez is a student at the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Hispanic Studies. She is a co-director for Penn Leads the Vote and is passionate about encouraging civic engagement on campus. She spent the summer working on a policy brief on college student voting rights in Pennsylvania and hopes to continue working on legislative advocacy in the future.
Chaz Kellem was appointed Director of PittServes in 2018. The Office of PittServes provides University of Pittsburgh students the opportunity to engage in ethical and sustainable service to the community on a local, national, and international scale. Prior to joining Pitt, Chaz was the Senior Director of Advocacy for Race & Gender Equity at YWCA Greater Pittsburgh.
Originally from North Ridgeville, Ohio, Daphne Plantner is currently a student at the University of Pittsburgh studying engineering. In her free time, she loves camping, painting, and playing board and card games games!
Angeline Vuong joined the McCarthy Center in 2017 as the Program Manager of Community-Engaged Learning. She oversees the Center’s undergraduate public service programs and supports community-engaged learning across the institution. She has a diverse background in the public sector, specializing in immigration, economic and community development issues for government agencies and non-profit organizations. Most recently she worked with UNICEF to design mentorship and education programs for in Vietnam and at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C., managing social and economic policy analyses for communities of color. She holds a Master of Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies from Trinity University. A native of Texas, Angeline is passionate about social justice, educational equity, youth engagement, and immigration issues.
Ariana Robert Martinez is a Psychology major, double minoring in Natural Science and Public Service and Community Engagement at the University of San Francisco. She was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, where she lived most of her life and where her interest in community organizing and civic engagement was sparked. She's passionate about her roots, culture, and more importantly about speaking out against political and social injustices in Puerto Rico. At USF, she's working on developing her leadership skills, getting more hands-on experience in community organizing, and as a first-generation college student, working on setting an example for her younger siblings. She truly believes that voter registration and education are the fastest ways to reform and create a society that is fair for all people.
Amaya is a student at the University of San Francisco where she is studying Political Science. She hopes to one day work for a nonprofit organization or the education department so that she can work on reforming the public education system and unequal funding practices at a state level. She is originally from Tacoma, Washington where she volunteered for a nonprofit writing center whose focus was to provide educational enrichment and opportunities to students in under-resourced public elementary and middle schools. Amaya also served as a senator on the ASUSF Senate and is a part of USF's Title IX Task Force.
Allison Clark Ellis, Ph.D., is the Civic Engagement Coordinator and an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of South Carolina Upstate. Her teaching and research focuses on American politics, and specifically political behavior, campaigns and elections, and political parties.
Makenzie Duncan is a Political Science major and Pre-Law minor at the University of South Carolina Upstate with hopes of attending law school. Makenzie is the President of Engage at Upstate, an organization dedicated to improving civic engagement on campus in partnership with The Andrew Goodman Foundation. She is passionate about political activism and participation. Her long term goal is to work with nonprofits whose work is aimed at providing legal services to marginalized communities.
Originally from Greenville, South Carolina, Sharan Ravishankar is majoring in Political Science and minoring in Pre-Law. He is currently the Student-Body President of the University of South Carolina Upstate. He has also been the Student Body Treasurer, Honors Program President, and Student Ambassador. His passion in life is to help the community through being elected into a public office.
Kyle Tucker is a Programs Coordinator for the Hinckley Institute of Politics. His work includes assisting with the Hinckley’s internship programs, website and data management, organizing an annual university-wide speech contest, and overseeing the voter and civic engagement initiatives of the Hinckley Institute in partnership with The Andrew Goodman Foundation. Kyle is a recent graduate of the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a Spanish minor.
Jonas Warner is a Political Science major at the University of Utah with a minor in Art History Studies. Throughout his political engagement experience, Jonas has gained leadership positions such as executive head of his city’s youth council and speaker of the house for his high school’s student congress, as well as a leadership position in his university’s Public Lands advocacy group. With a passion for youth civic involvement, Jonas has led multiple efforts in his school to create lasting political change in the community through the creation of the Timpanogos Alliance for Social Change (TASC), a student activist group focused on mobilizing students under the voting age to create efforts in building a safer community for all.
Sierra Marty is a student studying social work, criminology and political science. She enjoys volunteering to register people to vote and is an avid enthusiast of the outdoors. She hopes to use her legislative, federal court, and campaign experience to prepare her for a future career in public service.
Lauren Harvey is a student at the University of Utah where she studies Ethnic Studies and Political Science with an emphasis in Law and Politics. She serves as a member of the Government Relations Board in student government and is a Service Scholar at the service center on campus. Her interest in politics flourished during the summer after her senior year of high school when she interned for former Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski’s office. She hopes to one day become a Supreme Court justice, and her friends call her “The Next RBG”.
Kelsi Grubisich is the Civic Engagement and Leadership Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. She works with UW - La Crosse's Campus Election Engagement programs and is excited to participate along with her campus Ambassadors in the The Andrew Goodman Foundation's Vote Everywhere program.
Courtney Conway is a student at the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse, where she is studying Psychology with a minor in At-Risk Child and Youth Care. In the future, she hopes to work as a juvenile counselor and help address challenging behaviors students may exhibit in schools that are moving away from policing. She is a part of The Andrew Goodman Foundation because she admires Andrew’s dedication to fighting for voter equality, and she wants to continue that fight by helping all students be able to exercise their right to vote if they wish to do so.
Zachery Holder works with UW-Madison and community partners on nonpartisan Democratic Engagement and Civic Learning alongside the BadgersVote Coalition as the Voter Engagement and Civic Learning Coordinator. In his role, Zachery aims to increase and sustain student participation in the democratic process and support the institution in closing the racial gap in voting rates, through voter mobilization and civic education. Zachery comes from a background in University Housing working with learning communities emphasizing liberal arts, cultural awareness, and civic engagement.
Tamia Fowlkes is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, planning on majoring in Journalism and Political Science. She is thrilled to have an opportunity to positively influence her peers in her role as an Andrew Goodman Ambassador. In her time at UW-Madison, Tamia has served in various organizations that have further developed her passion for serving her community and creating inclusive, engaging spaces to talk about policy including: UW-Madison’s Associated Student Government Legislative Committee, Bell Magazine, and Period: The Menstrual Movement. She is excited to continue working towards making UW-Madison a more civically engaged campus during her sophomore year.
Shreya Bandyopadhyay is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she studies Political Science and Legal Studies. She is an intern at the UW-Madison Social Justice Hub, as well as an ambassador for the Wisconsin chapter of The Women’s Network. Growing up in a politically active family in St. Louis, Missouri, she has always been passionate about politics. Her interests especially grew when she canvassed for the 2018 election and saw the impact she could have on the voting habits of others by simply engaging in an informed conversation.
Beth Allen is a student at UW-Madison majoring in Communications and Political Science. She has always been curious about the influence of media on democracy, and she hopes to learn more about the intersection of these domains through her role as an Andrew Goodman Ambassador. Politics have always been a subject of fascination, but she realized the depth of her passion when she began her position as a Communications Intern in the Office of the Governor. Beth is excited to work as an Ambassador, spreading her excitement about voter engagement and social justice in her campus community and beyond.
Peggy James is Dean of the College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies, and has been working on active citizenship, engagement, and voting for 30 years at the University of Wisconsin - Parkside. She has a PhD in Political Science, and has led the Election Experience on campus for three presidential elections. She is only one member of the Parkside team, and is constantly amazed at the energy that the team creates around active citizen engagement.
Alisson Anguiano Salas is an undergraduate student majoring in English and Political Science with a Law concentration and a minor in Spanish at the University of Wisconsin - Parkside. She is a member of Latinos Unidos, Student Government, and Mock Trial as well as an SSS Success Coach and Writing Tutor at the PARC. Alisson has joined The Andrew Goodman Foundation to continue encouraging her peers to advocate for themselves and their communities through voting.
Rose Smyrski is the Vice Chancellor for University Relations at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, where she provides strategic leadership for the six departments within the Division of University Relations. Smyrski serves on the chancellor’s executive leadership team as chief of staff for external affairs. She also acts as UW-Platteville’s legislative liaison, advocating on behalf of the university on federal, state, and local matters, as well as cultivating and building on existing relationships to advance the mission of the institution.
Smyrski has worked for the University of Wisconsin System in various capacities for a decade. Prior to this, she was chief of staff for a Wisconsin state senator for six years. Her federal experience includes six years with the U.S. Department of Agriculture as liaison between researchers and federal, state, and local governments.
Smyrski earned her Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Management and Policy and a Master of Arts in Developmental Policy and Public Administration, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Logan goes to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville where he studies civil engineering. Engineering is very interesting to Logan, but he also enjoys politics. He currently is a part of UW Platteville’s Student Senate, and that's what led him to get involved in other roles like being an Andrew Goodman Ambassador. Becoming an Ambassador has helped Logan become a better leader and help him within his career.
Kurstin Frey a student at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville majoring in business administration management and political science, as well as minoring in psychology. She serves as the Student Body Vice President through UW-Platteville's Student Senate and the chair of Presidents' Council, which is an organization consisting of the leadership from all student governance groups at the university. Kurstin became interested in politics in her late high school years and decided to pursue studying the topic in college, as well as joining several political student groups on campus. Kurstin loves to gain any political experience to further her knowledge and her own personal goals of one day working as a politician.
Jacqueline Smith-Mason, Ph.D., joined The Honors College in 2004 and serves as the Associate Dean and Director of Undergraduate Research. She previously taught courses in criminal justice and political science in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at VCU. In addition, she has also held various policy research positions in state government.
Her research and teaching interests include public policy affecting women, families and children, challenges facing the American criminal justice system, public sector management and issues related to honors education.
Dr. Smith-Mason received her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration and M.S. in Criminal Justice from VCU, as well as her B.A. in Sociology from George Mason University.
Matt Tessema is a first-generation college student born from an immigrant family originating in Ethiopia. He was born and raised in northern Virginia and is currently a student at VCU studying Broadcast Journalism with his sights set on law school after graduation. He is the founder and president of the Pre-Law Society at VCU and hopes to utilize his legal education to become a voice for the under-represented and unprivileged. His goal through The Andrew Goodman Foundation is to inspire his campus to feel obliged to involve themselves in the community and represent their opinions in the polls consistently.
Emily Leary is pursuing a major in Communication Arts and a minor in Creative Writing at VCUArts. After graduation, she plans to become a children’s book author and illustrator, as well as a studio artist. As an Ambassador for The Andrew Goodman Foundation, she hopes to spread awareness of voting to her college peers through visual art. She believes that art is an incredible form of communication and wants to use it to share messages across campus.
Amanda Hanson (she/her/hers) began working in higher education more than a decade ago as an AmeriCorps VISTA. She has her MA in College Student Development and Administration from Shepherd University. Through working in offices at four different campuses across the country, she extensive experience with engaging student leaders in the civic and community engagement process. Currently, she serves as the Assistant Director for Student Community Engagement in the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning at Western Carolina University. In this role, she is the advisor to the Student Democracy Coalition, a student-led, student-run non-partisan organization that has been has won national awards for their work to increase voting efforts on campus. Outside of higher education, she owns a small portrait photography business and enjoys spending time with her dog.
Dr. Lane Perry currently serves as the Director of the Center for Service Learning and is an adjunct faculty member of the Human Services Department (College of Education) and the Entrepreneurship Program (College of Business) at Western Carolina University. Lane completed his Bachelor of Business Administration, Masters of Adult Education and Training at the University of Central Oklahoma, and Masters of Entrepreneurship at WCU. As a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, New Zealand International Doctoral Research Fellow, and Canterbury Doctoral Research Fellow, he achieved his Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education degree at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Lane has presented and published extensively in the fields of community engagement, service-learning, global citizenship, and pedagogical approaches to disaster response. He currently serves as a co-editor of the International Journal for Research on Service-Learning & Community Engagement. Most recently Lane has been recognized as the 2015 North Carolina Campus Compact Civic Engagement Professional of the Year, the 2015 co-recipient of the John Saltmarsh Award for Emerging Leaders in Civic Engagement, and the 2017 Gulf South Summit Community Engagement Practitioner of the year.
Lane lives by the belief that the only thing better than watching someone grow, is helping them grow. He believes that with the fertile soil of higher education (and all the watering an idea needs) a student, faculty, or staff member have only one choice – and that is to grow! He strives to help others grow in their passion, purpose and calling on a daily basis and in turn, he gets to consistently live his purpose and calling. Currently, Lane lives in Waynesville, North Carolina with he wife, Dr. April Perry (Associate Dean of the Graduate School), his five-year-old daughter Prescott Perry, 14-month-old daughter Pennon Perry, and his golden retriever – Riley.
Dr. Russell M. Frazier is an Orlando, Florida native, and he currently serves as Department Head of Political Science at Xavier University of Louisiana. Dr. Frazier was recently honored in the Cambridge Who’s Who Among Executives, Professionals and Entrepreneurs, a nationally distributed publication recognizing exceptional members of our national community. He is also a former Southern Regional Education Board and Benjamin Lever Doctoral Fellow. Dr. Frazier is an active member of the American Political Science Association and an active member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). In addition to Dr. Frazier's professional and scholarly endeavors, he serves his community through many Xavier University community initiatives, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity incorporated, and recently served as a Board member for the New Orleans Court Appointed Special Advocates organization.
Prior to Dr. Frazier’s Xavier University faculty appointment, he served as a Western Kentucky University Post-Doctoral Fellow; Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Director of Student Programs at Southern University and A & M College; and as the Director of Residence Life at Kentucky State University. He has a progressive and diverse career in higher education that spans almost 20 years. As a result, Dr. Frazier has published multiple articles concerning effective policy implementation, effectively taught complex course material, successfully directed complex administrative agencies, and managed successful academic programs.
Dr. Frazier began his B.A. studies at Kentucky State University where he completed his undergraduate degree in criminal justice. After working for the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts, he earned his second degree from Kentucky State University: A Master of Public Administration. After serving several years as a public agency administrator, he earned a Ph.D. in Public Policy with a concentration in community development at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Frazier’s desire to understand the intricate mechanisms associated with community development is what led him to pursue this area of study.
Aside from Dr. Frazier’s community service and busy career demands, he also manages the responsibility of being a father to his son, Brandon Frazier. In his free time, he enjoys reading literature relative to his research interests: community development, policy implementation, policy evaluation, and organizational theory.
Jaleel Ross is a Political Science major from Lafayette, Louisiana. As an advocate for social justice both on his campus and in his community, Jaleel has served as the Vice President of his university's chapter of The College Democrats. While holding this position, Jaleel was able to engage, educate, and mobilize student voters in elections both on and off campus. Additionally, Jaleel has also been a part of various organizations geared toward service, leadership, and social justice on his campus.
Tia Alexander is a student at Xavier University of Louisiana pursuing a Political Science Pre-Law major with a minor in Philosophy. A native New Orleanian, she enjoys attending college in her city and remaining close to its culture and her family. In her free time, Tia enjoys running her Pre-Law Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta as its President, participating in AGF voter engagement efforts with her peers, and volunteering with CourtWatch NOLA. In the future, she hopes to attend law school.
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