Alumni News

Jennifer Hodges Stephens (PhD 2013) is the associate vice president of public affairs at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), which opened its doors in 2006 with 118 students and serves almost 11,000 students today. GGC is the first four-year, public college created in Georgia in more than 100 years. Stephens’ primary responsibilities are to tell the college’s story, launch its new and evolving brand, and build strong relationships with its various constituencies. She has been intimately involved in almost every facet of the creation of the new institution and its strategic planning.

Stu Evans (EdD 2011) is the executive director of the McIntire School of Commerce Foundation at the University of Virginia and the assistant dean of strategic initiatives at the McIntire School of Commerce.

Hsueh-hua Chen (EdD 1986) is currently the university librarian of the National Taiwan University (NTU) Library, the leading university library in Taiwan, and professor of library and information science.

Daniel Sniff (EdD 2011) is associate vice president for finance and administration at the University of Georgia, where he directs the Office of the University Architects (OUA). During his 26 years at UGA, he has helped develop and oversee the first comprehensive master plan, strategic, and academic planning effort since 1906. During the implementation of this plan, his office added more building area to campus than at any point in the 225-year history of the University.

JOY BLANCHARD (PhD, 2008) is an assistant professor of higher education at Louisiana State University. Prior to joining the LSU faculty in August 2015, she spent five years on the faculty at Florida International University. Joy’s research focuses mainly on the intersection of higher education and the law, particularly as it relates to negligence liability for student welfare and safety, intercollegiate athletics, and academic freedom and faculty rights.

Linda Bachman (EdD, 2013) was named UGA’s inaugural director of university experiential learning in the Office of the Vice President for Instruction, effective May 1. Bachman, who chaired a university-wide committee convened by Provost Pamela Whitten in 2014 to explore an experiential learning requirement for undergraduate students, will provide leadership for this groundbreaking academic initiative.

MAKEBA MORGAN HILL (EdD, 2013) serves as the deputy to the president and chief planner of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in New York City, supporting the efforts of the president and overseeing the foundation’s multiple planning efforts. Prior to joining the foundation, she spent 14 years in strategic planning roles at Emory Healthcare and Emory University. Most recently, she served as assistant vice provost for planning and accreditation at Emory in the Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness.

KANGJOO LEE (PhD, 2010) is a research fellow with the Korean Educational Development Institute in Seoul. KEDI is a public institution funded fully by the Korean national government for educational policy research and planning, guiding the national agenda. In addition to his doctorate from UGA, Lee earned a master’s in educational psychology and a bachelor’s in education from Seoul National University.

What are you currently working on (i.e. research, major projects, etc.)?

JENNIFER OLSON (PhD, 2012) is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Faculty of Education, University of Oslo, Norway. Her research focuses on the governance of coordinating internationalization processes, employability and research-based education policy. She is working within the Norwegian Research Council project, Horizontal Governance and Learning Dynamics in Higher Education. She previously worked as a lecturer at the University of Osnabrueck, Germany. While at IHE, Olson was awarded a Fulbright research scholarship to Germany.

DAVID SNOW (EdD, 2013) is the director of military affairs for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. He promotes higher education awareness, access, collaboration and achievement for all current and past members of the military community and their families. Previously, Snow was associate professor at National Defense University’s Joint Forces Staff College. Prior to joining National Defense University, he was a human resources policy manager for the U.S. Navy.

Brenau University appointed Dina McDade Hewett (Ph.D. 1999) as director of Brenau University’s School of Nursing on July 15.

Hewett’s appointment comes at a pivotal time in the growth and evolution of the nursing program at Brenau, which produced its first five Doctor of Nursing Practice degree recipients this year, said Dr. Gale Starich, dean of the College of Health Sciences.

Angie Bell, senior executive director for Research, Policy and Analysis for the University System of Georgia (USG) has been named a Fellow with the Institute of Higher Education.

When colleagues share a passion and enthusiasm for research, the results can be very rewarding. Barrett Taylor, assistant professor of higher education at the University of North Texas, has enjoyed great success when collaborating with his peers. “I was fortunate to develop a number of close-working relationships with people I met at the IHE. Seeing those relationships turn into projects that can benefit all contributors is very satisfying,” remarks Taylor.

Graduates of the IHE, being among the brightest and the best, continue to realize successful careers in higher education leadership. We are proud to include in our long list of outstanding alumni, eight of whom currently serve as presidents or chancellors of universities, community and technical colleges. Here are their thoughts on the role of leadership in today’s academic world

Charles Mathies had wanderlust in his blood. He wanted to live and work in another country so after completing his PhD, he was excited to secure a position with the University of Jyväskylä in Jyväskylä, Finland.

Kathy Pharr likes to refer to herself as a “Triple Dawg.” All three of her degrees were obtained at the University of Georgia. A career path can take many twists and turns along the way. Pharr obtained a degree in Broadcast Journalism and became a newscaster. Goals changed and a Masters in Public Administration helped her to become an assistant to UGA President, Michael Adams. Then, a doctorate from the Institute of Higher Education led to the position of chief of staff for the University of Georgia’s newly appointed president, Jere Morehead.

Austin Lacy has advice for those considering a PhD in higher education. “Go to the Institute of Higher Education for the professors and for the tremendous amount of resources available to students.”

Corey Dortch likes to live his life at the speed of light. Even as an undergraduate at the University of Georgia, his schedule was jam-packed and his accomplishments were many. He was a member of the Arch Society, the Sphinx Club, and the Blue Key Honor Society and was the recipient of the Tucker Dorsey Memorial Award. He was also one of the two student representatives on the Leadership Advisory Board.

Statistically speaking, not everyone is a “numbers person.” You might call those who struggle with statistics, probabilities and causalities, mathematically challenged. That description certainly doesn’t apply to Institutional Research Analyst (IR), Dr. Yang Yang. Working in the Office of Institutional Research at the President’s Office of the University of California, Yang spends her days maintaining and updating the database, analyzing survey data, responding to data requests and assisting with survey administration.

While acquiring a degree in higher education, we all know it’s wise to map out a career plan. We hope to factor in our interests, where we will succeed and what will give us the most satisfaction. But, even the best-laid plans can change, and the next thing we know, we’re on a different path.

Funds for institutional support are crucial to help maintain the growth of colleges and universities, regardless of their status. The Greek philanthropist, Cimon donated funds to The Academy of Socrates. Plato and Alexander the Great gave financial assistance to Aristotle’s Lyceum. Fundraising for higher education began at Harvard College in 1641. By the mid twentieth century, most colleges and universities had established a department of advancement. By the twenty-first century, some top-tier universities have fundraising drives of over $1 billion.

A graduate student working with Dr. Sheila Slaughter, the Louise McBee professor of higher education, Barrett Taylor was the recipient 2011-2012 of the Zell and Shirley Miller graduate fellowship. The fellowship, established in 2005, honors former senator and Mrs. Miller for their many contributions to higher education and is awarded to the graduate student who shows great promise for a future career in higher education.

How many professional hats can one person wear? If you’re Tracey Ford – the answer is 18. As director of the Center for Academic Excellence at North Carolina A&T State University, this go-getter must never sleep.

“As the director, I provide leadership for several programs including: new student success courses, academic advising, tutorial programs, supplemental instruction, student athlete academic enhancement, Project MARCH and SISTERS learning communities for males and females respectively, and developmental instruction,” explains Ford.

Jennifer Frum (PhD, 2009) 2012 has been quite a year for Dr. Jennifer Frum. It all began in January when, after a national search, UGA named her vice president for public service and outreach (PSO). She is the first female vice president to lead the university’s service mission.