HELP Student Bios

Class of 2022

Ashlee Pollard

Carrollton, GA

Assistant Director of Enrollment Services

As the Assistant Director of Enrollment Services at the University of West Georgia, I get to manage logistics of operations and customer service decisions for our students. I chose to pursue an Ed. D. in order to create change and be an advocate within higher education. My research interests focus on the intersection of federal student aid and mindful innovation.

Walt Justice

Acworth, GA

Instructional Designer

I am the instructional designer for the Bagwell College of Education at Kennesaw State University. I am married and have two kids (13 and 11). I am working towards my doctorate degree so that I can advance in higher education or return to the K-12 independent school world. I am passionate about small, private, non-profit HEIs; both faith-based and traditional. Specifically, I am interested in the support measures that these institutions have in place for assimilating faculty into the mission and culture of the institution. Given today’s economic climate, it is imperative that these institutions provide a seamless learning experience for all students regardless of the faculty providing that experience, which is why my research focuses on institutional culture and practices designed to assimilate adjunct, part-time, and contingent faculty into small, private HEIs.

Robert Myers

Dallas, GA

Lecturer

I am a lecturer in the Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech. I have three girls (a 26 yr old married, UNG Doctor of Physical Therapy graduate, a 22 yr old GT senior and a 14 year old.). I am pursuing a doctorate degree for myself. I want to get into research, and I love teaching. An EdD seemed a great fit, especially one that focuses on Higher Education. My research is looking at Corporate Innovation Centers in Tech Square. I am very interested to learn how they centers have evolved from their beginning. What are all the ways they interact with the university and its students?

Class of 2021

	Ross Skilling West Point, NY Tactical Officer	I am an active duty Army Aviation officer currently stationed at West Point, NY. I am married and have four kids (7, 5, 2, and 5 mo.). I am working towards my doctorate degree so that I can pursue a career in higher education after retirement from the Army. As a leader in the Army, I have always enjoyed and personally benefited from the study of leadership. This program has truly enlightened me to different considerations regarding leadership in the educational context. For this reason, I am studying the effects of leadership on student performance at the United States Military Academy.
	Alexis Stinson Richmond Hill, GA Director of Enrollment Services	Hello! I am Alexis! I’m originally from Jonesboro, GA, but I am currently living right outside Savannah. I am married and have two boys and five dogs. I am currently the Director of Enrollment Services at Georgia Southern University. Enrollment Services is a centralized model developed to serve students and others with student records, student aid, and student accounts. The objective behind centralized models is to ease the burden of dealing with multiple offices or departments concerning student services and advocate for them as needed. I find that this is a unique approach to student services, and due to that, I am focusing on the effects that centralized models may have on retention of students and overall student satisfaction.
	Elizabeth Hutchins Dalton, GA Executive Director of Advising and Student Progression	I chose to return to school in the Higher Education Leadership EdD program to enhance my knowledge of the field and learn more about the process of research beyond simple assessments. My background includes working in academic advising and years of adjunct teaching in engineering. My current research examines the challenge and support of academic advising from the perceptions of first-generation, Hispanic students. The highlight of the program has been learning from the experiences of others.
	Erika Gravett Los Angeles, CA Deputy Director, Human Resources	I am a native Californian and I am the proud Godmother of three kids, Billy (16), Tanner (14) and Keegan (12). After living in New Hampshire, Washington, DC and Maryland, I moved to Georgia about nine years ago to be near my God children. I am currently the Deputy Director, Human Resources at Georgia Tech where I am responsible employee relations, workplace learning and professional development, student employment, project management, and serving as back-up for the chief human resources officer. My dissertation is a study of how the chief diversity officer prepares one for a higher education presidency. Upon graduation, I plan to move back home to California. My ultimate career goal is to become a chief of staff to a university president
	Haley Worst Dahlonega, GA Assistant Professor	I have been a faculty member in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Georgia Southern University for the past 6 years. I am married and have 2 girls (Emma age 11, Lydia age 3). I am working towards my Doctorate of Education so that I can progress my faculty position and learn more about the educational system. I plan to study the relationships between perfectionism, anxiety, and coping strategies in Doctor of Physical Therapy students in Georgia.
	Nikki Simpson Milledgeville, GA Assistant Director of Academic Advising	I serve as the Assistant Director of Academic Advising at Georgia College & State University. My husband Daniel and I have two adorable cats. Right after earning my BS in Psychology degree I found a job in academic advising and fell in love with my career. I am pursuing my doctorate degree so I can broaden my understanding of Higher Education. I am studying burnout and leadership for my dissertation. I also like to spend time volunteering. Part of this volunteer work includes work with the Gamma Beta Phi Society, a national honors service society. I serve as the Georgia College Chapter Advisor and a member of the National Executive Committee for the Society.

Class of 2020

Keith Antonia

Keith Antonia

Dahlonega, GA

UNG Associate Vice President for Military Programs

I am a retired Army infantry officer and have been in the higher ed profession at UNG since 2003. I’ve been in my current role since 2015. Before that, I spent 12 years in admissions. I’ve been married for nearly 38 years to my wife who I met at UCONN, and who spent 19 years as an Army wife. I have three grown children--of whom I’m very proud and all who graduated from UNG—and six grandchildren. I enrolled in the UNG EdD program to learn more about the profession of higher education administration and leadership, in which I plan to continue working until I retire, which is 10 years from now. I’ve enjoyed the UNG EdD program and learned a lot!

Jennifer Roberts

Sugar Hill, GA

Program Director

I am the Program Director for the Early Childhood Program at Gwinnett Technical College. I manage the largest on-campus program at the college. I live in Gwinnett County with my husband and two young children. My reason for choosing this program is my family. I want to continue to grow in higher education, but cannot easily move for school. This program has expanded my thinking and pushed me further than I thought possible at times. As a member of the inaugural cohort, I selected a research topic that is also newer and rising in popularity. My research interest is dual enrollment, a very popular program that is growing rapidly in Georgia. I am studying the impact of dual enrollment, post matriculation.