Higher Education in CSHPE: Student Ambassadors
Ambassadors are current students and alumni who have agreed to answer your questions about CSHPE. Please contact any of the students or alumni listed below if you are interested in exploring the program from a student’s point of view.
If you have general Higher Education questions, please contact the CSHPE
program directly. Remember: To help us alert you to recruitment events
and the latest admissions updates, be sure to also fill out a graduate
program inquiry form
.
Current Students:
Brett S. Alpert (Ph.D., Organizational Behavior and Management, 2005 cohort)
alpertb@umich.edu
Hi! Originally from Southern California – I spent 4+ years in the private sector before heading back to school to pursue a career in higher education administration/leadership. I decided to apply and accept admission to the University of Michigan’s Higher Education Program after learning of its: long-standing, strong reputation in the field; vast array of course offerings; large core of well-regarded faculty members with diverse research interests; and long list (roughly 50 years worth) of successful alumni.
Looking back now… I couldn’t be happier with the decision I made to attend UM. I have broadened my research interests and knowledge in the field of higher education, am more prepared to fill a variety of leadership roles, and have made professional and social contacts that I am confident will last a lifetime.
Geisce Ly
(Ph.D., Organizational Behavior & Management (2004))
geisce@umich.edu
I have three primary career interests: 1) to be a university administrator; 2) to be the executive director of a leadership institute; and 3) to be an executive coach.
I chose CSHPE because of its research intensive focus, self-directed philosophy, and countless resources to help me achieve my goals.
Everybody here (students, staff, and faculty) is a resource and they've been very supportive, helpful, and motivating. In fact, I've been able to gain other relevant work experiences by asking questions and pursuing various leads (i.e., writing curricula as a educational consultant, facilitating UM's leadership trainings and challenge programs, coordinating social events for the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs). In short, by diversifying my experiences and broadening my skills and knowledge, I will be more well-rounded when I become a university administrator.
Karen Moronski
(Ph.D., Public Policy in Postsecondary Education, 2007 Cohort)
moronski@umich.edu
I'm originally from Buffalo, NY and received my Ed.M. from the University of Buffalo and a B.A. in Mathematics from Daemen College. My research interests are K-16 policies, how academic preparation affects college access and persistence, and the impact of financial aid policies.
I love it here at Michigan – Ann Arbor is a great town, CSHPE is an excellent program, and I have an awesome cohort. What makes this such a great program is the people. The numerous opportunities to collaborate with faculty and other students on research projects have greatly enhanced my research abilities. The diverse backgrounds of my classmates bring interesting perspectives to our discussion of higher education issues. My advisor, Ed St. John, constantly challenges me to do research that will truly make a difference (which is one of the main reasons I came to Michigan). Michigan has exceeded my expectations and I have no doubts that I made the right decision in coming here.
Pelema I. Morrice, M.A.
(Ph.D., Independently Designed Program, 2006 Cohort)
pmorrice@umich.edu
After several years as an assistant director of admissions I decided to return to graduate school and pursue a doctoral degree. At the conclusion of my studies I hope to accomplish two main goals: effectively lead and direct the admissions operations of a college or university and bridge the gap between sound educational research and effective practice in enrollment management. Thankfully the University of Michigan and the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education have provided me with the tools to accomplish these goals. As a current student I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have regarding our program and I sincerely hope you consider the joining our educational community.
Molly Ott
(Ph.D. in Academic Affairs & Student Development, 2005 cohort)
Hi, my name is Molly Ott and I am in my fourth year of the CSHPE doctoral program … After earning my bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame, I was a business technology consultant for several years then made the switch to higher education. My master’s degree in Educational Policy & Leadership is from Marquette University and prior to entering CSHPE, I worked in student affairs at Alverno College and DePauw University. I chose this doctoral program for a combination of personal and professional reasons. When I visited the program after being admitted, the collegiality and openness of the faculty and students made me feel extremely comfortable. The strong working relationships and friendships that I’ve developed since have definitely reinforced my initial sense of fit. Also, the Center’s emphasis on research – both in coursework and in assistantships – was a key factor in my decision, as was as the opportunity to take advantage of Michigan’s amazing courses and faculty expertise in the social sciences writ large. My research interests relate to the sociology of higher education, including issues of stratification and inequality, and I’ve found many opportunities to challenge myself about these questions at Michigan. I am confident that my classes, summer research work, and especially the experiences I’ve had working as a research assistant to Jan Lawrence and Steve DesJardins have prepared me to begin my dissertation and re-enter the workforce either in a faculty or full-time research capacity.
Ambassadors are current students and alumni who have agreed to answer your questions about CSHPE. Please contact any of the students or alumni listed below if you are interested in exploring the program from a student’s point of view.
If you have general Higher Education questions, please contact the CSHPE
program directly. Remember: To help us alert you to recruitment
events and the latest admissions updates, be sure to also fill out a graduate
program inquiry form.
Current Students:
Natalie Bartolacci - nplosky@umich.edu
I am a part-time Master’s student at CSHPE. I have a Bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science from the University of Michigan. Though the setting of U-M was not new to me as a student, graduate school is a whole new world from my undergraduate experience. It is
exciting and invigorating to be around students and faculty who are passionate about higher education.
I entered the program thinking that I knew exactly which classes I wanted to take and which direction I wanted to go. After my first year, I realized that my interests had broadened and that there was so much more to learn than I originally had thought. I feel like I am in a good program to explore these interests with amazing faculty members.I have worked at the University of Michigan for the past five years, first at the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching and now at Rackham Graduate School. I knew that I wanted to continue a career in higher education, but I felt that I was lacking some of the fundamental theories and a broader understanding of the field of higher education. I decided to continue working full-time while pursuing my education part-time and my current position serves as my “internship” requirement for the program.
Please contact me if you have any questions about what it is like to be a part-time student in the program.
Inger Bergom – inbe@umich.edu
I am a master’s student in the CSHPE program. I received my BA in music from Grinnell College. After beginning a graduate program in music composition, I realized that path wasn’t for me. I was more interested in how the program was structured and run than I was in actually writing music. Since my primary interest is college student development and learning outcomes, I looked at graduate programs for student affairs/college student personnel and programs for higher education administration in general, like Michigan’s. I decided on Michigan because here I can study college student development within a broader institutional and social context. I’ve developed an understanding of how student learning and development is affected by forces outside of student affairs, like public policy, state and federal law, and the governance and organization of an institution.
I hope to work as a student affairs administrator at a small or mid-sized institution. Because I have gained an understanding of some of the major issues facing higher education as a whole, I feel equipped to become a leader in student affairs who can work to promote diversity, commitment to public good, and global and intercultural awareness. In addition to gaining professional preparation and a knowledge base in higher education, I have received wonderful support from faculty and staff and have been impressed by the diversity of backgrounds and ideas represented in my cohort. I would be happy to talk with anyone who might be interested in the program!
Current Students
Britany Affolter-Caine - doctoral student
Brett Alpert - doctoral student
Mary Antonaros - doctoral student
Peter Bacevice - doctoral student
TaShara Bailey - doctoral student
Christopher Baldwin - doctoral student
James Barber - doctoral student
Cassie Barnhardt - doctoral student
Christopher Becom - MA student
Allison Bell - doctoral student
Ann Benton - MA student
Jack Bernard - doctoral student
Carrie Bernat - MA student
Victoria Bigelow - doctoral student
Nancy Birk - doctoral student
Andrea Blad Admin. Asst.
Angela Boatman - MA student
Nicholas Bowman - doctoral student
Marta Brill - MA student
Helen Burn - doctoral student
Eric Chambers - doctoral student
Rong Chen - doctoral student
Marlene Coles - doctoral student
Nathan Daun Barnett - doctoral student
Ashley ("Mattie") de St. Paer - MA student
Staney DeGraff - doctoral student
Julie DeGraw - doctoral student
Sonia DeLuca - doctoral student
Elizabeth Desormeaux - MA student
Karen Downing - doctoral student
Brighid Dwyer - doctoral student
Edith Fernandez - doctoral student
Amy Fisher - doctoral student
Marcia Fuentes - MA student
Mark Garrett - doctoral student
Joshua Gottlieb - doctoral student
Shirley Greene - doctoral student
Lorenzo Gutierrez-Jarquin - doctoral student
Lisa Guzman - doctoral student
Nate Hall - MA student
Virginia Hamori-Ota - doctoral student
James Hamrick - doctoral student
Genevieve Harclerode - MA student
Lori Hendricks - doctoral student
Preston Hicks - doctoral student
Yasuo Hozawa - doctoral student
Cynthia Hudgins - doctoral student
Ziehyun Huh - MA student
Masamichi Inoue - MA student
Travis Jackson - MA student
Ozan Jaquette - doctoral student
Christopher Jensen - doctoral student
Xinquan("Cindy") Jiang - doctoral student
Amanda Johnson - MA student
Kimberly Johnson - doctoral student
Mark Kamimura - doctoral student
John Katunich - doctoral student
Marie Kendall Brown - doctoral student
Jiyun Kim - MA student
Sandra Kortesoja - doctoral student
Melissa Kuklin - MA student
Xu Li - doctoral student
Nathan Lindsay - doctoral student
Stephanie Locke Bechtel - doctoral student
Angela Locks - doctoral student
Charles Lord - doctoral student
Geisce Ly - doctoral student
Bilal Maanaki - MA student
Krista Maclean - MA student
Magdalena Martinez - doctoral student
Katharine Mason - MA student
Kaluke Mawila - doctoral student
Daniel Mayo - MA student
Kasey McCullough - MA student
India McHale - MA student
Lisa McRipley - doctoral student
Dan Merson - doctoral student
Danielle Molina - doctoral student
Wataru Moriwaki - MA student
Elias Morrel-Samuels - MA student
Molly Ott - doctoral student
Laurel Park - doctoral student
Penny Pasque - doctoral student
Honor Passow - doctoral student
Melissa Peet - doctoral student
Thomas Perorazio - doctoral student
Caroline Pettit - MA student
Iria Puyosa - doctoral student
Wen Qi - MA student
Mary Ramirez - doctoral student
Teri Rosenberg - MA student
Robin Routenberg - MA student
Christopher Shults - doctoral student
Cheryl Simpson - doctoral student
Josephine Sirineo - doctoral student
Jenny Small - doctoral student
Ryan Smerek - doctoral student
Gilia Smith - doctoral student
Caren Stalburg - MA student
Ethan Stephenson - doctoral student
Andrew Suhy - doctoral student
Venice Sule - doctoral student
Tara Sullivan - doctoral student
Janel Sutkus - doctoral student
Sandy Tarbox - doctoral student
JoNes VanHecke - doctoral student
Derek S. Vaughan - doctoral student
Katherine ("Kat") Walsh - MA student
Yinmei Wan - doctoral student
Mark Willder - doctoral student
Krystal Williams - doctoral student
Alina Wong - doctoral student
Lijing Yang - doctoral student
