Dr. Laura Boudon

Dr. Laura Boudon joined Georgia State University in February 2020 as Director of Study Abroad Programs.  In her role, she leads a team of six professional staff providing study abroad opportunities to Georgia State students and speaking about the academic, personal, and professional impact of study abroad on students’ journeys.  Study Abroad Programs supports and advises students throughout the study abroad process, works with faculty across campus to develop GSU study abroad programs, engages students with study abroad and manages student applications and application software.  Laura was most recently Director of the Office of Study Abroad at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida for almost 5 years, leading FIU’s efforts to increase the number of FIU students who study abroad. During this time, she served as a member of the MSI Summit planning committee for Diversity Abroad from 2016-2018. She participated in Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning Research Seminar on Global Learning and Study abroad from 2015 to 2017. Laura led presentations at the Diversity Abroad conference and the NAFSA region VII conference and co-authored several recent book chapters with colleagues. Laura has more than 15 years of experience in higher education, having also worked at Georgetown University, American University and the University of South Carolina. Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the University of Miami, a Ph.D. in International Relations from Florida International University and a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina. Laura is a global citizen, having grown up in France and lived a year in Bogotá, Colombia, teaching English and conducting dissertation research. She loves to travel the world and try new foods.

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Emily Cahill

Emily Cahill joined Georgia State University’s School of Public Health in 2014. She currently serves as Executive Assistant to the Dean. In this role, she manages operations, communications, and strategic initiatives for the Dean’s Office and serves on the School’s Leadership Team. Prior to joining the School of Public Health, she worked as an Academic Advisor in the University Advisement Center at Georgia State University. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Cognitive Science from Indiana University Bloomington and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Georgia State University. She has taught Georgia State’s new student orientation course as well as undergraduate courses on introduction to philosophy, and she frequently participates as a witness in Georgia State’s Employment Law Mock Trial organized by the GSU Office of AA/EEO Training and Compliance.

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Melissa Duncan

Melissa Duncan is the College Research Officer for the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies (AYSPS). She is tasked with managing a pre- and post-award portfolio for Second Century Initiative (2CI) and Next Generation faculty at the AYSPS, liaising between the AYSPS and central administration offices, training new research administrators as needed, reviewing all proposal submissions, and coordinating research administration for the AYSPS. In this role, she manages federally-funded projects, such as support received by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and the National Science Foundation, just to name a few. She is also responsible for managing state funded projects as well as private institutions and foundations.

In 2012, after working 12 years as a Grants and Financial Analyst with CARE, International, Ms. Duncan was introduced to research administration by way of Emory University. After leaving Emory in 2015, Melissa worked at Georgia State University as a Grants and Contracts Officer III in the Institute of Biomedical Sciences. She then moved on to Georgia Tech for two years in the role of Senior Grants Administrator, before assuming her current role as College Research Officer in AYSPS.

Melissa earned her Bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University and her Master’s degree from Emmanuel College. Melissa is also a Certified Research Administrator (CRA). In her spare time, she enjoys serving her community through volunteering as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). She also enjoys traveling, reading, theater, and live music.

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Fatou Egegbara

In her current role as the HR Officer for Facilities Management Services at GSU, Fatou Egegbara works closely with the VP and the directors to develop and implement strategies that increase the acquisition and retention of highly productive employees.  Fatou has about eight years of experience in the University Systems of GA (five at GA Tech and three at GSU).

In her previous role as Human Resources Officer for the College of the Arts, she advised College leadership on strategic and operational decisions on human resources management.  Fatou also managed the college’s HR transactions, policies, and procedures to support a more productive work environment. While at COTA, she worked with Dr. Lisa Armistead, Associate Provost and Central HR to implement an onboarding system for graduate student assistants that was modeled after the one used at Georgia Tech. The new process has led to efficiency gains and has immensely benefited the graduate student assistants and those hiring them.

During her five years tenure at Georgia Tech as a Senior Recruiting Consultant, she partnered with colleges and divisions across campus to recruit for faculty and staff positions.  Prior to joining Higher Ed, Fatou’s private sector experience includes time at Fortune 500 companies like Honeywell and Bank of America. Her experience in both higher education and the private sector has allowed her to possess a wide range of skills and knowledge in her field.

Fatou received her master’s degree in human resources from Suffolk University in Boston and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts. She also speaks six languages including French and English.

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Donna Frazier

Donna Frazier is an Admissions Counselor III, for the Georgia State University Office of Undergraduate Admissions.  Donna is one of the department’s senior members, who started her higher education career at Georgia State’s Perimeter College, Clarkston. While at Perimeter College, Donna managed the Clarkston and Decatur Admissions Offices with student assistants under her supervision. Donna manages a recruitment territory that includes Dekalb County, South Georgia and several mid-western states.  She works primarily with both Traditional and Non-Traditional First-Year students as well as GSU-62. Donna has worked in higher education more than 15 years.

Donna earned a B.A. in Psychology from Virginia Union University and is currently pursuing an MBA at Georgia State University. Prior to her career in higher education, Donna work over 10 years in the field of Criminal Justice as a Juvenile Probation Officer and Case Manager for federal offenders.

During the  2020, COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and the reemergence of racial unrest in the U.S. and around the globe, Donna served as the Georgia State University Staff Council Chair (2020-2021) and  a member of Georgia State’s inaugural Racial Equity Task Force. Subsequently, Donna was elected to serve as a member of the Georgia State University Presidential Search Committee, tasked with electing a successor for former President Mark Becker.

Donna is a creative, solution-oriented team-player, who is always seeking opportunities to develop her leadership skills and expand professionally.

After hours Donna enjoys producing community television, travel, fine arts and serving community through her local ministry. A fun fact about Donna is that her high school and college mascots were Panthers, so technically she has been a “Panther” since high school.

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Jennifer Harris

Jennifer Harris is the Business Manger III for the University Library.  In her role, she oversees  budget and financial operations which includes ensuring compliance with GSU and BOR policy.  She also serves as grants administrator for pre and post award management.  In 2005, she earned her B.B.A in Management from Georgia State University.  A career employee, she has previously served in financial roles for GSU Housing and the Department of Biology. An avid supporter of GSU Athletics, Jennifer spends her spare time attending various sporting events such as a football and basketball.

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Emily Heberlein

Emily Heberlein is Assistant Project Director on the Population and Global Health Team at the Georgia Health Policy Center. In her role, she supervises and leads multi-disciplinary project teams, managing all aspects of the grant lifecycle. Her areas of expertise include evaluation, monitoring, and quality improvement. She has experience in a range of evaluation approaches to plan, coordinate, and conduct studies of complex and adaptive initiatives to produce actionable and timely results for funders and stakeholders. She also provides evaluation technical assistance to internal and external clients. She has a particular area of research interest in maternal and child health, including group prenatal care and telehealth.

Dr. Heberlein holds a PhD in Public Health from the University of South Carolina, a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Management from Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Northwestern University.

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Japera Hemming

Japera Hemming, PhD is an Assistant Project Director with the Georgia Healthy Policy Center at Georgia State University.  She is an experienced educator, engaging facilitator and research program administrator with expertise in achieving data-driven outcomes. She is actively involved in health systems transformation and is committed to advancing health equity, whole-person health, and social justice research.

Dr. Hemming leads a project supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that examines cross-sector alignment to facilitate recovery from the triple crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, the resulting economic recession, and the ongoing impacts of systemic racism.

Dr. Hemming’s work designing, managing and implementing programs that close opportunity gaps is reflected in a variety of organizations including Georgia Policy Labs, Morehouse School of Medicine, the National Research Mentoring Network, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award Programs, and the National Diversity Council. She is proud graduate of Spelman College where she earned a BS in Environmental Science. She also holds an MA in Environmental Policy Design from Lehigh University and a PhD in Public Administration and Policy from the University of Georgia.

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Linda Lee

Linda Lee is the Assistant Director of Student Experience, serving three applied mathematical graduate student programs. She joined the Robinson Graduate Student Experience team, in 2017, after participating nearly 15 years on various teams at Georgia State University and a Fortune 10 healthcare company. Linda is a servant-leader with expertise in Program, Project and Talent Management, and Student Success. She is also a credentialed Judgement Index Practitioner. Her warm style of engagement, coupled with her unique blend of relational, tactical, and strategic capabilities, enable her to quickly identify the individual, team, and operational needs, close gaps, and move forward with what matters most. Linda has a passion for cross-functional team collaboration, training and development, and delivering results that exceed stakeholder expectations. Initially from Northern, KY, Linda pursued her undergraduate degree in business administration at Northern Kentucky University before relocating to Atlanta, GA. Outside of Robinson, Linda enjoys extending hospitality to others, utilizing her culinary skills, hiking, teaching, reading, and writing.

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LaTisha Mitchell-Johnson

LaTisha Mitchell-Johnson is the assistant director of engagement for the Honors College. In this role, she plans and executes honors college events, oversees the Honors College Ambassador corps, assists with recruitment initiatives, and serves as the college’s liaison for the Parent and Alumni boards. LaTisha is also the founder and co-chair of the college’s first ever Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion committee and serves on the Georgia State University Staff Council.

LaTisha has a passion for higher education and, as a first generation college graduate, recognizes how the college experience can unlock the potential in underserved communities. Using her lived experience as a student in the Upward Bound TRiO program, and later by through roles in college admissions, new student orientation, career services, student activities and college access programming, she has demonstrated her gift for connecting with students to aid in their personal, academic, and professional growth. Prior to joining Georgia State, LaTisha has served at Clark Atlanta University, University of San Francisco, Georgia Gwinnett College, Agnes Scott College, and the University of South Carolina-Columbia.

A South Carolina native, LaTisha holds a bachelor’s degree from Furman University, a master’s degree in Higher Education Leadership from Mercer University, and is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Student Affairs Leadership at the University of Georgia. She has also been recognized for her outstanding leadership, innovation, and commitment to community work in Atlanta as a Young Nonprofit Professionals of Atlanta, 30 under 30 award recipient.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, mentoring through Save a Girl, Save a World, and trying out new restaurants.

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Erin Oakley

Erin Oakley is the planning and resource manager for the Public Finance Research Cluster at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, where she is responsible for the Executive Education in Public Finance training program, internal operations, and special projects. In 2019, Erin served as Administrative Director for the Mandela Washington Fellowship of the US State Department’s Young African Leadership Initiative. Prior to working at Georgia State University, Erin facilitated social enterprise programming at the Center for Civic Innovation and served as trial court liaison with the Georgia Administrative Office of the Courts, supporting the Council of Probate Court Judges and the Judicial Council Committee on Access and Fairness. She began her career at the Georgia Commission on Family Violence as an administrator of intimate partner violence intervention programs.

Erin was a 2018 fellow with the Georgia Women’s Policy Institute of the YWCA of Greater Atlanta and a founding board member of the Dream Warriors Foundation. Through her professional pursuits and other volunteer activities, Erin holds central her career-long commitment to capacity building for public servants through servant leadership and effective programming. Erin is a proud alumna of Berry College in Rome, Georgia, a novice gardener, and an invested community member.

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Jackie Slaton

Jackie Slaton serves as Manager of Learning Community Development (LCD) in Georgia State’s Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Online Education (CETLOE). In CETLOE, Jackie has the privilege of curating digital leadership initiatives that prepare GSU students for success in the 21st-century workplace by increasing their digital, professional, and leadership skills while working with industry leaders. As a member of the CETLOE leadership team, Jackie collaborates with administrators, professors, and GSU staff to provide innovative and award-winning programs that serve students at both the downtown and PC campuses.

Jackie holds a BA in International Relations from Wesleyan College and an MPA from the Andrew Young School Policy and is currently a doctoral candidate in the College of Education and Human Development, seeking an Ed.D in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education.

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Jessica Smith

Jessica Smith is a Research Assistant Professor and Assistant Project Director at the Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. She joined GHPC in 2016 as a Senior Research Associate and led data analytics for the Medicaid Policy and Business Team, applying her extensive experience in statistical programming and data management to support the research and policy evaluation needs of the Georgia Department of Community Health.

In 2019, Jessica began leading the Medicaid Policy and Business Team as an Assistant Project Director and accepted a research faculty appointment at GSU. Jessica also directs the Center’s portfolio of work related to substance use disorders and conducts research focused on health care delivery and health outcomes for publicly insured populations. In her roles, she manages an interdisciplinary team of senior researchers, research assistants, and administrative staff; maintains lines of communication with state partners and clients; oversees multiple project budgets and contracts; and contributes to the advancement of scholarship at GHPC.

Jessica graduated from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and spent two years in Washington, DC working in economic consulting. She went on to earn a master’s in Economics and a doctorate in Population Health from the University of Wisconsin.  She is an avid runner and enjoys being outdoors with her husband and two sons.

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Elizabeth Spears

Elizabeth Spears serves as the Senior Director of Development for the College of Arts & Sciences. She has been with the college since January 2019. In her role, Spears is responsible for cultivating support from alumni and friends of the College of Arts & Sciences.

Spears holds a B.A. in History and a B.A. in Religion from Baylor University. She is a proud alumna of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies with a Master of Public Administration degree, focusing on nonprofit management. Spears is a Certified Fund Raising Executive or CFRE.

Before returning to Georgia State University, Spears solicited support for Public Broadcasting Atlanta, Southern Poverty Law Center, and The Study Hall.

A native of North Carolina, Spears lives in Atlanta. Most weekends you can find her on the tennis court.

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Keyonna Sutton

Keyonna Sutton joined the Project Management Office (PMO) as an entry-level Project Coordinator in 2014, worked her way to a Sr. Project Manager position, and was promoted to the Manager of the PMO of Instructional Innovation & Technology (IIT) in 2020. In this role, she defines and upholds the standards for project management, focuses on the development and implementation of project management processes that support and enable technology services, provides training in the fundamentals of project management, and promotes the PMO value-add proposition across the organization. Keyonna also serves as and manages a team of project managers that are responsible for planning, organizing, and managing the completion of projects while safeguarding the projects’ time, budget, and scope. Year-over-year, the PMO supports several high-cost, high-priority, university-impacting strategic initiatives that have a direct impact on faculty, staff, and students.

Keyonna is a long-term GSU constituent, earning both her BS in Psychology (’07) and BA in Sociology (’10) from Georgia State University. She has served on Staff Council, is a recurring GSU Cares volunteer, and has served as a subject matter expert in presentations on project management for various departments and student programs.

Keyonna has shared her love for GSU with her spouse and children, who are now part of the GSU community. In her spare time, she enjoys reading murder-mystery novels, gardening, and DIY projects.

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Crystal L. Turnage

Crystal L. Turnage is a Police Sergeant for Georgia State University Police Departments Community Outreach/Crime Prevention Unit. She is an accomplished Law Enforcement official with over twenty years of dedicated service. She oversees and coordinates signature events for the Police Department/University. Crystal is a certified Peer Support Counselor who functions as a support and debriefing resource for employees and their families. Crystal also serves as the Outreach Coordinator for Harm’s Way Non-Profit Domestic Violence organization, where she partners with other stakeholders to combat the efforts of Domestic Violence.

Crystal graduated from Saint Leo University with a Master of Criminal Justice specializing in Critical Incident Management. Crystal is also an Adjunct Criminal Justice Instructor with Atlanta Technical College and believes that the essence of education is to make learning contagious. Prior to this role, Crystal served as a police officer in various capacities at the Forest Park Police Department. Crystal has helped to bring about positive change in the community through various outreach programs educating the public and helping them to understand how to navigate the criminal justice system. In her spare time, she enjoys movies, riding her motorcycle and fishing.

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Iris Trejo Valencia

Iris Trejo Valencia is a Retention Coordinator for the office of Latinx Student Services and Outreach (LASSO) at Georgia State University (GSU). Iris implements new initiatives and programs to support our Latinx students and provide them with a culturally rich experience. Iris also coordinates and oversees the cohort meeting programming for over 100 Goizueta scholars for the Atlanta campus. She is a former Goizueta scholar and graduated with B.S. degree in psychology from GSU. During her time as an undergraduate at GSU, Iris became one of the chapter founders of the Alpha Pi Chapter of Sigma Lambda Upsilon/Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Incorporated. She also found her passion for higher education while working as an undergraduate student at the LASSO office.

Prior to joining GSU, Iris spent five years gaining graduate and undergraduate admissions experience and developing new initiatives to provide prospective students with a more welcoming campus experience. She earned her Master’s in Education degree in Higher Education Administration at Georgia Southern University. Iris enjoys finding new ways to make the higher education experience more accessible to first-generation students. She is glad to return to GSU and work in the office that she once considered her home away from home.

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Adrienne Veal

Adrienne Veal serves as the Director of Donor Relations for the division of University Advancement. In her role, Adrienne leads a team to create, implement, and manage the University’s donor recognition programs and stewardship efforts. Working closely with advancement leadership, senior administrators and top donors, Adrienne and her team ensure that donors are recognized and thanked graciously and that they remain engaged with the University in ways that make them feel the impact of their philanthropy. Before joining the University in 2008, Adrienne was an executive recruiter for the fashion industry.

Adrienne earned a B.A. in Theatre with a minor in French from Kennesaw State University. In her free time, she enjoys working out, baking/cooking, painting, gardening and spending time with her husband and fur-kids.

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Jyll Walsh

Jyll Walsh is currently the Program Manager at Prevent Child Abuse Georgia which is housed in the School of Public Health at Georgia State University. In her role, she works to educate and advocate for programs and policies that support kids and strengthen families.  Additionally, she manages statewide training and technical assistance for family serving professionals to prevent and mitigate child abuse and neglect. She also recently completed her Doctorate in Public Health at GSU and the Civic Leader Fellowship at Hands On Atlanta.

Dr. Walsh was previously an ORISE fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, where she supported communication efforts related to the “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” program for parents of children with developmental delays.

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Ashley Watts

Ashley Watts is the Assistant Director of Alumni Relations in the office of Career Services and Alumni Relations in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies (AYS). In this newly created role, she manages alumni-related programs and events, social media, and serves as the staff advisor for the AYS Alumni Council, as well as provides career counseling to alumni and students of AYS. Ashley began her tenure at Georgia State in October 2013, previously working in the central University Career Services office as a Career Counselor and Employer Relations Coordinator. She loves to connect people to one another, to services, and to resources that help them achieve their goals, and she is passionate about career development because of the strong link between career and one’s identity. This is best reflected in Ashley’s favorite career quote, “The career development process is, in essence, a spiritual journey reflecting our choices concerning how we will spend our time on Earth,” Niles & Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005. Ashley is a native Texan and holds an M.Ed. in Higher Education from Abilene Christian University and a bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University.