Full Name: Douglas Bell

Undergraduate Institution: Austin Peay State University

Master’s Institution: University of Southern Mississippi, and University of West Florida

Master’s Degree: Sports Administration, College Student Personnel Administration

Assistantship or Job:  Student Affairs Specialist at the University of Georgia

Why did you choose UGA’s College Student Affairs Administration (CSAA) program? The University of Georgia provided me with the unique opportunity to learn from faculty members who are esteemed researchers and practitioners.

Student Affairs Interest/Research interest: Behavioral Intervention/Threat Assessment, Mental Health, Crisis Management

Full Name: Jessica S. Lowy

Undergraduate Institution: Vassar College

Master’s Institution: University of South Florida

Master’s Degree: Master of Public Health

Assistantship or Job:  Assistant Director, BBA & Pre-BBA Advising & Programming, Emory University

Why did you choose UGA’s College Student Affairs Administration (CSAA) program? I chose UGA because of the reputation of the faculty and the program, and the ability to complete the degree part-time while maintaining my full-time position. Several of my colleagues have graduated from the program and all have had favorable experiences. In addition, I had the opportunity to take a master’s-level class last year instructed by the PhD program director and was impressed by the support for open and intellectual conversation in the classroom. I feel very fortunate to have such a quality program that fits my professional needs and is so close to home!

Student Affairs Interest/Research interest: Professionally I have worked in undergraduate admissions, academic advising, and graduate career services. I am interested in a wide variety of topics, including academic and student affairs collaboration, undergraduate major selection, resilience and success following an interruption in education, the impact of competency-based self-assessment tools on student development, college students in recovery, the impact of fear of violent crime on campus access, legal issues in higher education, the impact of LGBT-inclusive policies on student/staff experiences, and the healthcare experiences of LGBT students.

Full Name: Travis L. Martin

Undergraduate Institution: Mississippi Valley State University

Masters Institution: University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

Assistantship or Job:  Senior Coordinator of Greek Life

Why did you choose UGA’s College Student Affairs Administration (CSAA) program? I chose UGA’s College Student Affairs Administration program because of the reputation of the program and faculty along with the flexibility to pursue my studies while working full-time in the field.

Student Affairs Interest/Research Interest:  Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs), men of color college achievement, and first generation college students.

Full Name: Jessica Anne Pense

Undergraduate Institution: Central Washington University

Master’s Institution: Northern Arizona University

Master’s Degree: Educational Counseling, Human Relations

Assistantship or Job:  Area Coordinator with University Housing

Why did you choose UGA’s College Student Affairs Administration (CSAA) program? I have been dreaming of the UGA program for a long time.  I am drawn to the cohort model, the faculty, and the variety of classes offered.

Student Affairs Interest/Research interest: Faculty-student interactions outside of the classroom, from a faculty perspective

Full Name: Cara Winston Simmons

Undergraduate Institution: University of Georgia

Master’s Institution:  University of Georgia

Master’s Degree: College Student Affairs Administration

Assistantship or Job: Program Coordinator III, UGA College of Veterinary Medicine – Office of Graduate Affairs

Why did you choose UGA’s College Student Affairs Administration (CSAA) program? As a university employee and graduate of the CSAA-M program, I was very familiar with the reputation of the doctoral program. In addition to the reputation, the program was a fit for me because of the part-time option, tuition assistance as a full-time employee, the flexibility to pursue research interests different from the faculty and the integration/focus of being a scholar-practitioner.

Student Affairs Interest/Research interest: How are students paying for college, socioeconomic status on college campuses, financial literacy of students, language/ecology of college campuses, graduate students, institutional governing boards, veteran students, married college students, international undergraduate students