Professional updates and achievements in the past year from our graduates
1960s
Mary M. (Peg) Wood (EDD ’63), director of the nonprofit Developmental Therapy Institute, shifted her professional focus this summer from teachers to parents in a new resource just released: “Parents — HEAR ME! Unspoken Messages in Children's Behavior.” This workbook covers parenting priorities for children's emotional development; and another new resource is a YouTube video explaining developmental anxiety for parents and teachers.1970s
Gwendolyn Allen (BS ’79, MED ’81) is starting her second year as a visiting lecturer at Georgia Gwinnett College in the Department of Special Education and Social Foundations. She is teaching special education classes in the education preparation program, where she also provides field supervision for student teachers.Nancy Hensel’s (EDD ’73) latest book, “Undergraduate Research for a Sustainable Future: Moving the World” will be out in October. She just finished an interim position as dean of education at California State University Channel Islands.
Fran Leto Budzinski (MED ’78) retired seven years ago after 42 years as a practicing school psychologist.
1980s
Tara Bray (BSED ’87, MED ’90) was awarded one of Virginia Commonwealth University’s inaugural Excellence in Pedagogical Innovation Awards for her work with well-being and mindfulness in the classroom as well as her work with studio classes. She teaches at VCU in Richmond, Virginia. Her poetry collection, “Ghost,” was accepted for publication by LSU Press and will be published in spring 2027.Debbie Clark (BSED ’83, MED ’86) just began her 44th year as a classroom teacher at Johnson High School (Hall County School District) in Gainesville, Georgia. Her children’s book, “’Twas the Year of the World Series,” was awarded the distinction of National Family Choice Award Winner through 2027.
1990s
Tyrone Bledsoe (PHD ’94), founder of SAAB, has been selected to receive the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is one of only 17 men nationwide to receive this honor in 2025.Mel Bolling (BSED ’94) retired from the U.S. Forest Service on May 31, 2025 after more than 30 years of public service as an outdoor recreation and land management professional.
Joseph (Joe) Feinberg (EDS ’96, PHD ’03) is a professor of social studies education at Georgia State University and was recently named chair-elect for the American Educational Research Association’s PDS Research SIG. He has secured over $50 million in federal, state, and private foundation funding to promote and support school partnerships in Atlanta. His recent scholarship includes co-editing “Advancing School-University Partnerships and Professional Development Schools through National Research” (2024). He also holds key leadership roles, serving as past-president (2022-23) and current board member for the Georgia Council for the Social Studies and a founding board member and treasurer for the Southeastern Association of School-University Partnerships.
David Brian Hollingsworth (BSED ’95) was an educator teaching grades 4-8 in Fairfax County Public Schools in Fairfax, Virginia, for 30 years. He was awarded 2022-23 Teacher of the Year.
Steve Kamerschen (BSED ’97) started a payroll service and sold it 33 years later after making it one of the top five largest independent payroll services in the USA.
Kate McKinnie (MED ’99) was recently promoted to chief development officer of Appalachia Service Project, a nonprofit home repair and home replacement ministry in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Dewey Moye (EDS ’90) retired as superintendent of Lumpkin County School System after 35 years. He was selected as 2025 Pioneer in Education by Pioneer RESA and elected Hometown Hero for 51 years in education by a local church community.
Sherna Spearman-Lott (BSED ’99) wrote and published her fourth children’s book, “The ABCs of a Teacher,” and is currently working on her fifth storybook.
2000s
Amanda Ackerman (BSED ’01) started teaching middle school math 25 years ago when she graduated and since then, has taught every subject from pre-K through grade 8 (mostly math). She recently moved to Tennessee and earned her ESOL endorsement and is working on her SPED endorsement and getting certified in special needs advocacy.Carmen Bennett (MED ’02) is the new gifted coordinator for the Jenkins County School System in Millen, Georgia. This is her 29th year in education.
Bryna Bobick (EDD ’08) is a professor of art education at the University of Memphis.
Allen Edwards (BSED ’03, MA ’07) was recently named the chief academic officer for the Colquitt County School District in Moultrie, Georgia.
Natalie Gibbs (BSED ’00) opened her own audiology practice, Middle Georgia Audiology, in Warner Robins, Georgia, in August of 2024. The practice specializes in hearing testing and fitting the best hearing aid technology available. Her team won Middle Georgia’s 2026 Best of the Best for audiology practice with the Macon Telegraph.
Emily Gray (BSED ’02) is assistant principal of Pritchardville Elementary School in South Carolina.
Katie Hanks (BSED ’06, MED ’08, EDD ’17) was recently named the principal of Whit Davis Elementary School in the Clarke County School District.
Kenneth L. Johnson, Jr. (BSED ’05, PHD ’26) was named director of talent management for the Columbia County School District. In this role, he leads the district’s recruitment, staffing, onboarding, employee engagement, retention, and talent pipeline initiatives. He previously served as director of human resources for the Richmond County School System and held a state-level leadership role with the Georgia Governor’s Office of Student Achievement.
Jessica Kaminski (BSED ’05) recently traveled to Singapore to learn from the National Institute of Education (where she met another UGA alum) and visited a school and the Ministry of Education. She uses this understanding with her own math professional development company, Math with Purpose, to help teachers apply strategies to their math instruction.
Matthew Kent (EDS ’01) became a Florida Supreme Court-certified family law mediator and was commissioned as a Kentucky colonel by Governor Andy Beshear.
Willie Mazyck (BS ’04, MED ’06) recently started a new position as head of U.S. learning at UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on creating value for people living with severe diseases in immunology and neurology. In this role, he leads the U.S. learning organization, shaping and executing enterprise learning and capability strategies that strengthen organizational performance and accelerate business outcomes. He is responsible for advancing a future-focused learning ecosystem that develops critical capabilities across commercial and business functions and positions learning as a strategic driver of performance, innovation, and growth.
Stacie Pettit (BSED ’00, PHD ’07) was hired as the department chair of teacher education at Georgia College & State University in June 2024.
Chris Semones (BSED ’00) was recently named president of Martinez Tools.
Kirk Shook (BSED ’07, EDD ’24) was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp to be the executive director of the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency. This state agency serves Georgians with disabilities to empower them to live independently.
Cara Simmons (MED ’07, PHD ’18) served as president of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences during the 2025-26 term.
Emily Robinson (MED ’05) is the adviser of the yearbook class at her school. Her school’s yearbook consistently earns top marks for quality, including the most recent First Class rating by the National Scholastic Press Association.
JaNaé Taylor (MED ’03, PHD ’07) was recently elected as the 2026-27 president-elect of the Hampton Roads Counselors Association, a chapter of the state organization Virginia Counselors Association.
2010s
Taylor Adams (BSED ’15) began a new position as director of partnerships with Oak View Group in Athens overseeing corporate sponsorships for Akins Ford Arena and The Classic Center.Mykhael Briones (BSED ’20) was recently named head football coach and boys athletic coordinator at Leaman Jr. High School in Fulshear, Texas.
Dana M. Bryant (MED ’13) assess and treats adults with neurological disorders, primarily brain injury and stroke, across settings. Her primarily clinical interests include promoting functional speech therapy activities and person-centered goal writing, all while preventing clinician burnout. She has spent the past six years launching a business and creating a social media platform of over 20,000 followers dedicated to F.A.S.T. (Functional and Affordable Speech Therapy). Most recently, she was an invited peaker at the 2025 American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention in Washington D.C. She also has an upcoming feature in the September/October issue of the ASHA Leader, the official newsmagazine for members of ASHA, in which she details how to swap generic items for more functional and person-centered materials in speech therapy sessions.
Carolyn Burroughs (MED ’16) began a new position as director of talent acquisition at Harrisburg Area Community College in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in July, and earned an Ed.D. in educational and organizational learning and leadership from Seattle University in August 2025.
Michael Darke (BSED ’15) graduated from Georgia Southern University in May with his M.Ed. in instructional technology.
Brian Garsh (MED ’18) completed his Ph.D. through the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education at UGA in December 2025.
Virginia Harvey (BSED ’18, EDS ’25) started her Ed.D. program this fall with an emphasis in learning, design, and technology at Johns Hopkins University.
Lauren Leister (BSED ’14, MED ’19) was named to the Top 100 Rising/Future Athletic Directors list by Silver Waves Media.
Jasiah McCalla (MED ’21) was appointed as associate director of the inaugural TRiO Student Support Services at Augusta University.
Ron Moses (BSED ’11) was named vice president and director of athletics at Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, where he leads an NCAA Division I program competing in the Horizon League. Since taking the role, he led the restoration of two sports cut a decade ago, men’s outdoor track and field and women’s golf, both of which returned to competition in 2026-27. He also brought corporate sales, ticket operations, and NIL/revenue-share administration in-house alongside management of the UPMC Events Center and is building out the department’s fundraising and corporate partnership operation from the ground up.
Darius Phelps (MED ’19, EDS ’21) completed his Ph.D. in English education and continued developing and sharing his research on narrative, identity, belonging, and healing-centered pedagogy. His research and writing have been published and featured in venues including Language Arts, and he continues to develop Embracing Every Hue, a framework and body of work centered on using our narratives to cultivate healing and create space for students and educators to be fully seen. He is also excited to share the publication of two poetry collections, “My God’s Been Silent,” and “The Holy Ghost Lives in Her Laugh,” which reflect his ongoing commitment to using poetry as a space for vulnerability, storytelling, and healing.
Jennifer Purcell (EDD ’13) was appointed associate director of the School of Government and International Affairs at Kennesaw State University.
Sarah Sharpe (BSED ’13) earned both an M.Ed. and a Ph.D. and is now a tenured associate professor of elementary education at Columbus State University. In this role, she prepares future educators while remaining actively engaged in service, leadership, and scholarship in the field of education. Most recently, one of her publications received the Georgia Association of Literacy Advocates’ Article Award for Excellence.
Dean Stevenson (EDS ’18) was recently promoted from professional growth specialist to supervisor of talent development for Manassas City Public Schools.
Shayla (McGlothan) Thompson (MED ’17) was named Georgia School Counselor of the Year after winning Middle School Counselor of the Year for Gwinnett County Public Schools.
Tom Willner (MED ’21) recently founded Now We Thrive, a nonprofit dedicated to helping cancer survivors move from surviving to thriving. A cancer survivor himself, he created Now We Thrive to address the often-overlooked challenges that can emerge after treatment ends. He is also a TEDx speaker and longtime musician who uses original music and personal storytelling as part of his work.
2020s
John Agin (BSED ’24) completed his first year in the D.P.T. program at Mercer University in Atlanta.Danielle Bostick (PHD ’21) started a new position as the inaugural executive director of student advising and success at Winthrop University.
William Carter (MED ’26) completed his M.Ed. in educational administration and policy at the University of Georgia and transitioned from K-12 public education into higher education administration. After serving as an English teacher and department leader, he joined UGA’s Office of Student Financial Aid, where he now works with federal financial aid programs, policy, compliance, and students. He hopes to start a Ph.D./Ed.D. program in the future.
Holly Chafin (BSED ’21, MED ’21) and Amanda Keller (BSED ’21) won Teacher of the Year at their elementary schools, Creek View Elementary and Cogburn Woods Elementary respectively, in Fulton County.
Ashley Ellis (MED ’24) currently serves as the director of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and the director of enrichment at the Atlanta Speech School, where she helps lead organizational learning and culture initiatives and oversees multidisciplinary enrichment programming across four schools. She also become a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory and facilitates learning around intercultural development, identity, communication, conflict, and inclusive leadership. Most recently, she launched Purpose in the Pieces LLC, a consulting and facilitation practice focused on helping individuals and teams engage in the inner work that strengthens how they show up, connect, serve, and lead.
Ayça Fackler (PHD ’23) started as an assistant professor of science education in the College of Education at the University of Florida.
Anna Herrington (EDS ’26) was recently hired as one of Georgia’s new school-based literacy coaches and is serving at Waynesboro Primary School in Burke County. She was also one of 100 Georgia educators chosen to participate in the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language & Literacy’s 2026-28 Literacy Coach Network Cohort.
Stevie Jackson (BSED ’21, MAT ’22) started her ninth year in education and is now pursuing her Ph.D. in instructional technology at Liberty University. She presented to her special education pre-K cohort and to more than 70 educators about ways to differentiate curriculum to meet the individual needs of their students.
Elliott Kuecker (PHD ’22) is an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. During this past academic year, he completed three competitive fellowships for archival research: The Wilson Visiting Researcher Fellowship at UNC-CH, the Syd Hoff Fellowship at the University of Southern Mississippi, and the Prospect Practitioner Fellowship at the University of Vermont.
Jing Li (MS ’26, PHD ’26) started as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Counseling at Pittsburg State University.
Anna E. Mercer (BSED ’23, MED ’25), CCC-SLP, won “Rookie of the Year” for Commerce City Schools, where she recently finished her first year as the middle and high school speech-language pathologist. She graduated from the College’s communication sciences and disorders master’s program in May 2025, when she was awarded the Jane H. Harvey Award for Clinical Achievement.
Aviann Morris (MED ’23, PHD ’25) joined the College of Charleston in February as its inaugural instructional designer in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. In this role, she leads key instructional design initiatives across campus, specializing in aligning online courses with Quality Matters rubric standards and developing program-level review strategies.
Wesley Ng (BSED ’25) began UGA’s master’s program in financial planning this fall.
Maggie Perkins (MED ’20) became a content developer for Costco’s Department of Global Sustainability and Compliance in April, where she maintains the resources, training materials, and employee-facing guidance needed for Costco locations as they adhere to their sustainability commitments.
Noell Phillips (MED ’25) became a UGA Alumni Career Exploration Coach and a UGA Alumni Mentor this summer, guiding students on their journeys. In July, she was promoted to senior training and development specialist at her company.
Kara Scoggins (BSED ’24, MED ’26) started a job as a clinical fellow speech-language pathologist at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.
Stacey Scott (MED ’25) is currently teaching special education at Athens Community Career Academy. For the 2025-26 school year, she was named Teacher of the Year.
Ashanti Smith (EDS ’21) was promoted to director of career, technical, and agriculture education for the Quitman County School District.
Chandler Spivey (MS ’23) is the general manager and coach for CrossFit Liberate in downtown Athens. She will start work with the Athens Indoor Football League as their nutrition coach in the future.
Alicia Welch (PHD ’21) received tenure and promotion to associate professor at the University of Central Oklahoma, where she teaches in the undergraduate educator preparation program. She also teaches research and statistics courses at the master’s and doctoral levels.