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College of Education
Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research
Belk Center - Home Week 2025 Group

Our Team

Staff
Affiliated Faculty
Postdoctoral Scholars
Graduate Researchers
Visiting Research Scholars
Affiliates
JMB Impact

Belk Center Staff

Audrey Jaeger, Ph.D.

Executive Director, W. Dallas Herring Professor

Monica Clark, Ed.D.

Deputy Director

Monique N. Colclough, Ph.D.

Director of Programs and Initiatives

Sarah A. Deal, Ph.D.

Director of Research

Catherine Nagy

Director of Communications

Helena Calzada, M.A.

Program Assistant

Diana Cervantes, Ph.D.

Assistant Director of Research and Evaluation

Kaitlin N. S. Newhouse, Ph.D.

Senior Associate Director of Research

Holley Nichols, Ph.D.

Senior Associate Director of Research

Stephanie Policastro

Senior Communications Manager

Nohemi Ramirez, M.Ed.

Assistant Director of Programs and Initiatives

J. Ross Ramsey, Ph.D.

Senior Research Associate

Dre'Sha Singleton, Ph.D., MBA

Assistant Director of Programs and Initiatives

Olivia Slack, M.A.

Executive Coordinator

Daniel West, Ph.D.

Associate Director of Research and Evaluation

Zach Barricklow, Ed.D.

Liaison for Rural Engagement and Research, Belk Center; Associate Vice President for Strategy and Rural Innovation, NC Community College System

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Belk Center Affiliated Faculty

David F. Ayers, Ed.D.

Associate Professor

Anna J. Egalite, Ph.D.

Professor and University Faculty Scholar, ELPHD; Faculty Scholar, Belk Center

Kenneth Ender, Ph.D.

Professor of Practice, ELPHD; Faculty Scholar, Belk Center

Devon Graves, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, ELPHD; Faculty Scholar, Belk Center

Catherine Hartman, Ph.D.

Assistant Teaching Professor, ELPHD; Faculty Scholar, Belk Center

Mary Rittling, Ed.D.

Professor of Practice, ELPHD; Faculty Scholar, Belk Center

Makena Stewart, Ed.D.

Assistant Professor of Practice, ELPHD; Faculty Scholar, Belk Center

Robert Templin, Ed.D.

Adjunct Professor of Practice, ELPHD; Faculty Scholar, Belk Center

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Belk Center Postdoctoral Scholars and Graduate Researchers

Natasha Adams Spencer, M.A.

Research Associate

Sam Dotson, M.S.

Research Associate

Jess Edwards, Ed.D.

Senior Research Associate

Connor Guerin

Research Associate

Colin Jones

Research Associate

Jared King, M.S.

Research Associate

Nyasia Lloyd

Research Associate

Oscar Miranda Tapia, M.Ed.

Research Associate; JMB Impact Fellow

Kayla R. Patterson, M.Ed.

Research Associate

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Belk Visiting Research Scholars

Zach Barricklow, Ed.D.

Liaison for Rural Engagement and Research, Belk Center; Associate Vice President for Strategy and Rural Innovation, NC Community College System

Trip Belote

Executive Vice President, NC East Alliance

Kris Burris

Vice President, Student Success and Enrollment Management, College of the Albemarle; Research Affiliate, Belk Center

Emily Creamer
Gloria Crisp
Loren Durako Fisher

Visiting Research Scholar

Pamela Eddy, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Higher Education, William & Mary; Faculty Affiliate, Belk Center

Mike Faulkner

Executive Director Institutional Research (Retired), Surry Community College

Dion Harry, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Oklahoma State University; Faculty Affiliate, Belk Center

Julia Karpicz

Associate Director Student Accessibility Services, Worcester State University

Carrie Kisker

President, Kisker Education Consulting; Director, Center for the Study of Community Colleges

Ryan Knight, Ph.D.

Visiting Research Scholar, Capacity Builder

Micara Lewis-Sessoms, Ed.D.

Director, Work Based Education, Durham Technical Community College; Research Affiliate, Belk Center

Jonathan Loss, Ed.D.

Dean of Enrollment Management, Catawba Valley Community College

Amber Lubera, Ph.D.

Data and Analytics Administrator; Founder, Data Gremlins

Carmen Nunalee, Ed.D.
Joseph Schaffer
Emily Smail

Director of Research and Evaluation, North Carolina Community College System

Douglas Smith
Zoe Thornton
Randall Jay VanWagoner
Emily VanZoest, Ph.D.

Associate Director of Research and Evaluation; Visiting Research Scholar

Ece Yilmaz, Ph.D.

Visting Research Scholar

Belk Center Affiliates

Frim Ampaw, Ed.D.

Chair and Professor Higher Education Program, Morgan State University; Faculty Affiliate, Belk Center

Erica Andrews, Ed.D.

Assistant Dean for Advising and Assessment, UNC Charlotte; Research Affiliate, Belk Center

Kara Battle, Ed.D.

Chief Academic Officer, Durham Technical Community College; Research Affiliate, Belk Center

Jorge Burmicky, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Howard University; Faculty Affiliate, Belk Center

Jody Call

Executive Director of Institutional Research, Planning, and Effectiveness, Wilkes Community College; Research Affiliate, Belk Center

Mark D'Amico, Ph.D.

Professor of Higher Education, UNC Charlotte; Faculty Affiliate, Belk Center

Ciji Heiser, Ph.D.

Research Affiliate, Belk Center

Matthew Ison, Ph.D.

Instructor, Northern Illinois University; Research Affiliate, Belk Center

Darris Means, Ph.D.

Professor, University of Pittsburgh; Faculty Affiliate, Belk Center

David Nguyen, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Dean, University College, Ohio University; Research Affiliate, Belk Center

Robin Ross, Ph.D.

Vice President of K-64 & Talent Development

Cameron Sublett, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Director, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Faculty Affiliate, Belk Center

Jason Taylor, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, The University of Utah; Faculty Affiliate, Belk Center

Stacy Waters-Bailey, Ph.D.

President, South Piedmont Community College

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JMB Impact Fellows

Oscar Miranda Tapia, M.Ed.

Research Associate; JMB Impact Fellow