VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY - Key Persons
Aileen Murphy has a Master of Fine Arts in Poetry from Colorado State University, and a Bachelor's Degree from Oklahoma State University. She has taught at Virginia Tech since 1994. She teaches Creative writing, Poetry, and Community Writing, and directs the Giovanni-Steger Poetry Prize for undergraduates at Virginia Tech. She has a chapbook of poetry, There Will Be Cats.
Amanda MacDonald is a High-Impact Practices Librarian in the University Libraries and serves as the liaison to the Honors College, the Office of Undergraduate Research, the SERVE Living Learning Community, and the department of Human Development. As the Honors College librarian, she works closely with students, faculty, and staff to address information and research needs and provide educational support through a variety of offerings. She teaches instruction sessions on conducting library research and developing ePortfolios, coordinates an undergraduate research workshop series (the Advanced Research Skills Program), conducts research consultations, and develops library research guides. Amanda is dedicated to supporting students' undergraduate research endeavors and serves on the Office of Undergraduate Research Advisory Board and the Student Experiential Conference Committee.
Amanda earned a master's degree in library science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master's degree in English from Auburn University. Prior to Virginia Tech, she served as the QEP Undergraduate Research Librarian at Louisiana State University.
Amanda is originally from Ohio but moved south for college. She earned her bachelor's degree in English from Coastal Carolina University. Amanda is a member of CrossFit 460 and enjoys hiking and playing video games.
Ashlee Cox has joined the Honors College as the Administrative Assistant. She serves as the first point-of-contact for those who call or enter the Honors College suite. She provides administrative support to the Dean as needed and manages the Honors College's main email address. She assists with reviewing and approving the honors credits that have been entered into the Canvas Honors Credit Tracker and with maintaining the Faculty-Student Agreements.
Ashlee obtained her B.S. in Vocal Music from Radford University and obtained certifications in Administration through Florida Gulf Coast University. While not working, Ashlee enjoys spending time with her son, husband and two dogs. She and her family enjoy family camping trips, kayaking and bike rides.
Job Titles:
- Director of Professional Development
- Director of Professional Development and National & International Scholarships
- Director of Professional Development, National and International Scholarships
- Member of the National Association of Fellowship Advisors
Christina McIntyre is the Director of Professional Development and National and International Scholarships for the Honors College. She oversees the university process for many national and international level awards. Christina serves as president for the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC). Students are encouraged to take a moment to review this 11 minute TedX video from Doug Cutchins, a scholarship advisor and colleague, for a healthy perspective and mindset when applying to any type of scholarship.
From 1995 to 2007, Christina worked as a Research Associate, Instructor, Undergraduate Coordinator, and Assistant Department Head for Human Nutrition, Foods & Exercise in the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. She joined the Honors College staff as Associate Director in July 2007.
Christina is a member of the National Association of Fellowship Advisors (NAFA). She serves as past-chair for NCHC's Partners in the Parks committee, a collaboration with the National Park Service. She also serves on the Advocacy Committee for NCHC. In 2012, her advising accomplishments were recognized with the Provost's Award for Excellence in Advising and a certificate of merit from National ACdemic ADvising Association (NACADA). On campus she serves as the faculty advisor for the Outdoor Club of Virginia Tech (OCVT), an AT trail maintaining club.
Job Titles:
- Director of Instructional Design & Development for Technology
- Director of Instructional Design for the Learning Experience Design ( LED ) Unit of TLOS, Affiliated Faculty
Daron Williams is the Director of Instructional Design & Development for Technology-enhanced Learning & Online Strategies (TLOS). In this role, he works with faculty and administration to plan, design, and build engaging technology-enhanced courses and programs. He and his team also consult with faculty about effective teaching with technology, and facilitate faculty professional development around topics in the same realm.
Daron comes from a professional background originally in broadcasting and journalism. He has earned a master's degree in Communication from Virginia Tech, and is currently a PhD candidate in Curriculum and Instruction in the School of Education. His undergraduate degree is from beautiful Roanoke College in Salem, VA.
Originally from the Nashville area, Daron has lived in the Blacksburg area for the better part of two decades now with his wife, children, and small petting zoo of furry animals (plus one scaly one!). He is a CrossFit Level 2 Trainer, and enjoys traveling and spending hot Summer days at the pool with family and friends.
Daron Williams, Director of Instructional Design for the Learning Experience Design (LED) unit of TLOS, Affiliated Faculty, Honors College
Job Titles:
- Collegiate Associate Professor, College of Architecture and Urban Studies /
- Collegiate Associate Professor, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
- Collegiate Associate Professor, Studio Lead
Dr. Anne-Lise Velez is a Collegiate Associate Professor in the Honors College and affiliated faculty with the School of Public and International Affairs in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, where she conducts transdisciplinary research primarily on public and nonprofit management, scholarship of teaching and learning. Anne-Lise teaches transdisciplinary SuperStudio courses as well as courses focused on environmental policy and transdisciplinary research methods for the Honors College. She also teaches STEM-H graduate students as part of the +Policy Network's Science, Technology & Engineering in Policy (STEP) graduate certificate. She held previous academic appointments as assistant collegiate faculty, as a postdoctoral associate for the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at VT, and as a postdoctoral scholar for the School of Public and International Affairs at NC State University.
Anne-Lise earned her PhD in Public Administration from NC State University, as well as master's degrees in Public Administration and in Architecture from NC State, and a Bachelor of Architecture from VT. This interdisciplinary background led to an interest in transdisciplinary research, and she currently works with a multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional group of researchers on issues that cross disciplinary boundaries. Her research broadly relates to management and decision-making at the intersection of the public and nonprofit sectors, especially around environmental and urban policy relating to community wellbeing and sustainability. This research includes work on community capacity and representation in disaster response and cultural resource preservation.
Job Titles:
- Collegiate Assistant Professor
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Associate Dean for Finance and Administration
Dr. Lefter Daku serves as chief financial officer of the Honors College providing leadership for financial and strategic resource planning, fiscal compliance, scholarship administration, policy development and other administrative operations. He works closely with the Dean to develop and coordinate the College's annual academic and operating budget planning process.
Before joining the Honors College, Dr. Daku served as founding Director of Enrollment Research and Analysis in the Office of Enrollment Management (2012 - 2017) and Sr. Planning Manager and Associate Director of Research and Planning in the Office of University Scholarship and Financial Aid (2003 - 2012) at Virginia Tech. He also held academic appointments as Lecturer of Business Statistics at Tirana Agricultural University, Albania, and as adjunct faculty of economics at Radford University. He earned an M.S. and a Ph.D. in applied economics from Virginia Tech.
Dr. Daku serves on the editorial board of Journal of Student Financial Aid. He also was a member of the U.S. Education Department's Technical Review Panel that designed the College Net Price Calculator, used by thousands of colleges and universities across the United States. He is a regular presenter at regional, national, and international conferences, and has published several monographs, book chapters, and peer-reviewed articles.
Job Titles:
- Collegiate Assistant Professor
- Professor of Information Technology & Decisions Sciences for the Calhoun Honors Discovery Program
Michael Kretser is an assistant collegiate professor of Information Technology & Decisions Sciences for the Calhoun Honors Discovery Program where he instructs in communicating data. He is also an affiliate assistant professor with the Business Information Technology and Business Management programs.
Michael earned his Ph.D. in Logistics with a specialty in Systems Engineering and a MS degree in Logistics Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and a BS in Computer Science: Programming from Limestone College. Michael's research has been focused on data-driven analytical solutions using programs such as MATLAB and Arena, merging his computer science and logistics backgrounds. His thesis, "Modeling Predator MQ-1 Logistics" and dissertation, "Reducing Enterprise Systems Complexity Utilizing Collapsing Design Structure Matrices" focused on modeling and simulation in logistics that encompassed logistics, supply chain management, and business process improvement methods that employed tools from the operations and systems engineering communities. His transdisciplinary research experience combined with an accomplished Air Force career that also spanned disciplines for a common goal prepared him to join the multidisciplinary team, providing innovative education and mentorship for the Calhoun Discovery Program.
Mike is originally from Canajoharie, New York. He recently retired from the Air Force after nearly 25 years of service. He spent the first half of his Air Force career as a Boeing C-17 maintainer, and the second half as a logistics officer. Mike enjoys SCUBA diving when location allows, traveling, reading, and spending time with his wife Crystal and their four children.
Job Titles:
- STAFF Member
- Faculty Principal
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Collegiate Associate Professor
- Collegiate Associate Professor, Methods Lead
Dr. Nikki Lewis is a collegiate associate professor and the research methods instruction lead for the Honors College at Virginia Tech. She also serves as the faculty preceptor for the Hillcrest Honors Living-Learning Community. In her previous professional roles at the university, she worked with colleagues to develop innovative active learning courses and presented her work at numerous educational conferences. She continues this work in course and curriculum development through her current role in the college.
Nikki's service to the university includes serving on the advisory board for the Office of Undergraduate Research, as a faculty fellow for the Forging Interest in Research and Engagement (F.I.R.E.) Starters Program sponsored by the Fralin Life Sciences Institute, and positions on conference and symposium planning committees where students can present their undergraduate research work to the university. Her continual engagement in undergraduate research education and involvement with research-associated campus initiatives shows her dedication to and passion for the process of learning about the research process.
Dr. Lewis holds a PhD in genetics, bioinformatics, and computational biology from Virginia Tech, and a Bachelor of Science in biology from Christopher Newport University. Her previous research involved molecular docking methods for computer aided drug discovery and design with a focus on identification of nutraceuticals effective against the inflammation associated with diseases like inflammatory bowel disease and type 2 diabetes. Her current primary research within the scholarship of teaching and learning concerns research and problem-solving skill development in undergraduate honors populations and best practices for transdisciplinary learning. You can find publications on this and her previous work, and well as learning artifacts from course-based project on Google Scholar.
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean
- Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Dr. Paul Heilker is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Honors College. He is also an Associate Professor in the English Department, he has served as Director of the PhD in Rhetoric and Writing and Director of Composition. Dr. Heilker is a long-term member of the Virginia Tech Academy of Teaching Excellence, having earned both the Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching and the University Sporn Award for Excellence in Teaching Introductory Subjects. As Associate Dean, Dr. Heilker leads the efforts of the Honors Laureate Diploma Program, the Honors Reading Seminars (UH 2124), and the VT Presidential Global Scholars Program -- the Honors College semester abroad experience. Central to Dr. Heilker's recent scholarship is the idea that rhetoric is a way of being in the world through language. To create a less hostile and violent future, he says, we need less hostile and violent discourses, and we need to teach these alternative ways of being in the world to students.
Job Titles:
- Founding Dean
- University Distinguished Professor
Paul Knox is a University Distinguished Professor who came to Virginia Tech from the United Kingdom to teach in the Urban Affairs program. His degrees are in Geography and his interests are urbanization and urbanism. Between 1997 and 2006 he served as Dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, since which he has served as Senior Fellow for International Advancement, reporting directly to the university President. This has involved responsibility for the Steger Center for International Scholarship in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland, a spell as Interim Director of the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, leadership of the planning process that produced the university's 2013-2019 strategic plan, the establishment of Virginia Tech's Global Forum on Urban and Regional Resilience and, now, Founding Dean of the Honors College.
He is a member of Virginia Tech's Ut Prosim Society and serves on the editorial board of seven international journals. His most recent books are Strong Island: Portsmouth's History in Brick and Stone (Aegir, 2019); Metroburbia (Merrel, 2017); London: Architecture, Building and Social Change (Merrell, 2015), and Atlas of Cities (Princeton University Press, 2014), which received the Association of American Geographers' Globe Book Award for Public Understanding of Geography. He is currently writing a book on the cultural political economy of the design professions.
Job Titles:
- Collegiate Assistant Professor
- Collegiate Assistant Professor, Community Engagement Lead
As a cultural anthropologist, Rachael Budowle's research program sits at the intersection of environment and society. She focuses on a range of social-ecological community resilience, sustainability, and justice and equity issues including: (1) food systems, security, justice, and sovereignty; (2) local sustainability transformations and community-based climate action; and (3) community engagement around emerging and potential energy sources and siting. Rachael is particularly interested in community-based participatory, ethnographic, and narrative approaches, primarily through transdisciplinary and collaborative projects that often engage student co-researchers. She is lead principal investigator for a three-year Department of Energy-funded project, Engaging Wyoming Communities in an Environmental Justice Approach for Advanced Nuclear Energy Facility Siting.
Rachael earned her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Wyoming, M.S. in Animals & Public Policy from Tufts University, and B.S. in Psychology from Virginia Tech-where she completed the then Honors Program. She has extensive experience teaching interdisciplinary environmental studies, sustainability, and community-engaged and place- and project-based courses. Her years of practitioner experience, including as a sustainability coordinator at Virginia Tech and MIT, enrich her teaching and scholarship.
Job Titles:
- Business Operations Coordinator
- the Business Operations Coordinator
Eni Gosselin joined the Honors College as the Business Operations Coordinator. She provides fiscal and business support for the College and serves as the Building Emergency Coordinator.
Eni has a B.S. in Applied Economic Management and a M.S. in Business Administration from Virginia Tech. Prior to joining the Honors College, Eni has worked as a business coordinator in the Department of Animal & Poultry Sciences and the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Self - Sufficient Buildings Studio at IAAC
- Professor of Practice in Collaborative Discovery and Design
Enric Ruiz-Geli was born in Figueres in 1968 and became an architect through the Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB, UPC). He is the founder and principal architect of the Cloud 9 studio in Barcelona, founded in 1997. He is the stage designer associated with Bob Wilson: ‘Danton's Tod', Salzburger Festspiele and ‘Time Rocker' in Hamburg's Thalia Theater from 1995-2000. He was the curator of the Spanish Pavilion at V Biennale of Architecture in São Paulo in 2003 and has been the World Ambassador of iGuzzini since 2018. Since 2007, he has worked with Jeremy Rifkin on Global Green Growth (GGG) and has been co-chairman of the Third Industrial Revolution Architects Roundtable committee. He was also a Science Advisory Committee of TECNALIA member from 2011 to 2017 and an HP Experts Committee member from 2012 to 2017.
Enric Ruiz-Geli's interdisciplinary approach to architecture includes multiple collaborations across the disciplinary spectrum: theorist and philosopher Paul Virilio, visual artist Frederic Amat, artist and scientist Zush, ceramist Toni Cumella, designer and educator Simon Taylor, artist Inma Femenía, performer Pep Bou, sculptural designer Pere Gifre, soundscape's musicians Josep Manuel Berenguer and Rioji Ikeda, architect Frei Otto, landscape architect Margie Ruddick, physicist Josep Perelló and Neil Gershenfeld, fashion design Bless, photographers Daniel Riera and Iwan Baan, and most recently with El Bulli chef Ferran Adrià.
Job Titles:
- Communications Specialist
Erin Deitzel joined the Honors College in 2022 and works in the capacity of Communications Specialist, coordinating the internal and external communications of the Honors College. They earned their M.A. and undergraduate degrees from Appalachian State University in the department of English. Their Master's thesis, "Print Culture and the Roma in North America," won Outstanding Thesis Award for its discussion of the depiction of the Romani throughout nineteenth century North American ephemeral print literature. They also worked on Mandarin to English translation projects, including translating and analyzing the "Misty" poetry of Bei Dao. They have previously held the positions of Assistant Editor at Cold Mountain Review and Web Content Manager at Cottonwood Music Emporium.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Faculty and Staff
- Graduate Teaching Assistant
Job Titles:
- Professor of Practice in Collaborative Discovery
Job Titles:
- Instructor in Collaborative Discovery
Lance S. Bush takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of morality that draws on philosophy and psychology. Lance's primary research is in the psychology of metaethics, an emerging field that explores how people think about abstract questions about the nature of morality. Do people tend to believe that there is a single, objective standard of moral truth? Or do they think moral standards are only true relative to individuals or societies? These questions are difficult to answer, prompting Lance's more recent focus on methodological difficulties in devising valid ways to measure people's attitudes towards traditionally philosophical questions.
Lance also works on broader methodological issues in philosophy and psychology and on the more traditional dispute between moral realism and antirealism. Lance's most recent projects include a critique of scales designed to measure belief in free will and a collaborative series of studies which provide a novel explanation for the social role that expressing an objective or relative stance towards morality plays in signaling tolerance and intolerance towards people with different beliefs.
Lance completed a Ph.D. in psychology at Cornell University, an M.A. in philosophy at Tufts University, and bachelor's degrees in philosophy and psychology at Florida Atlantic University. Lance has experience teaching courses in philosophy and psychology and conducts research in both fields.
Job Titles:
- STAFF Member
- Honors Laureate Program Coordinator
- Program Support Specialist
Job Titles:
- Academic and Program Administration
- Director of Programs and Partnerships
- Director of Programs and Partnerships, Calhoun Honors Discovery Program
- Program Manager - Calhoun Honors Discovery Program
- Program Manager for the Calhoun Honors Discovery Program
Michelle Kovac is the Program Manager for the Calhoun Honors Discovery Program (CHDP). She serves as the liaison between Virginia Tech students and faculty and the industry partners who are participating in the CHDP. Her responsibilities include coordinating scheduling of program courses, event coordination, and assisting with student and faculty travel.
Michelle Kovac is the Program Manager for the Calhoun Honors Discovery Program. She serves as the liaison between Virginia Tech students and faculty and the industry partners who are participating in the Calhoun Honors Discovery Program. Her responsibilities include coordinating scheduling of program courses, event coordination, and assisting with student and faculty travel.
Michelle has an M.S. Ed. in Career and Technical Education and a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Virginia Tech. Her professional career began in the hospitality industry working in convention services and sales. Then, she went on to teach high school marketing for 10 years before coming to Virginia Tech as a project manager for the last 3 years. Working with the Calhoun Honors Discovery Program combines her experience as a teacher and project manager to benefit students, faculty members, and industry partners.
Michelle is originally from Allentown, PA, but came to Virginia Tech for college and has made Blacksburg her home. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, 4 rescue dogs and a cat. She is passionate about health and fitness, works on home improvement projects, and can usually be found outside doing landscaping work.
Job Titles:
- Technical Director
- Technical Direction and Communications
- Technical Director for the Calhoun Honors Discovery Program
Neal Henshaw is the Technical Director for the Calhoun Honors Discovery Program (CHDP). He plans and manages the Discovery Studio and the adjacent prototyping lab. He also maintains the online journaling platform that is part of the CHDP educational experience.
Neal has an M.A. in Instructional Design and Technology from Virginia Tech, and a B.A. in Secondary/Spanish Education from Brigham Young University. He began his professional career teaching high school Spanish in Tucson, AZ, but has also worked as a network engineer and network administrator for an Internet Service Provider, a corporate trainer for a midwest healthcare provider and has spent the last 11 years at Virginia Tech's Newman Library. His varied professional experience across different levels of education, as well as his hands-on experience with A/V and educational technologies over 24 years makes him uniquely suited to serve in this role.
Neal is originally from Buckingham, VA, where he grew up on a farm. Since then, he has lived in Utah, Guatemala, Arizona, and Illinois. He now calls Blacksburg home because his wife fell in love with the New River Valley. In what little free time Neal has between work and church responsibilities, he likes to visit National Parks or Walt Disney World with his wife, three children, and anyone else who wants to go. He also enjoys photography, woodworking, reading, cooking, basketball, golf, and is trying to learn more about astronomy.
Job Titles:
- Director of Admissions and Scholarships
Russell coordinates the entire recruitment and admission process for first-year, transfer, and current Virginia Tech students entering the Honors College.
He first started working for the Honors College in August 2004 as Assistant Director. Through the years, he also has served as Senior Assistant Director and Associate Director, having coordinated the Honors admissions process, recruitment scholarship process, Odyssey Fellowship process, various teaching responsibilities (including time in Switzerland with the Honors Presidential Global Scholars), and organizational responsibilities for the Honors residential communities (Hillcrest and the Honors Residential Commons). He has presented at the National Collegiate Honors Council and Honors Education in Research Universities conferences.
Russell's interest in college students began several years before he came to Virginia Tech. From 2000-2001, he worked at Concord University as Counselor/Coordinator for the Upward Bound Math/Science Program, which was the only program of its kind in West Virginia. This position allowed him to work with underserved and underrepresented high school student populations in southern West Virginia as they prepared to enter their college years.
Beginning in 2001, Russell worked for three years as an Assistant Director of Admissions at Radford University. While there, he traveled extensively throughout the entire New England region as well as the Hampton Roads, Richmond, Northern Neck, and Shenandoah and Roanoke Valley areas of Virginia. He left Radford in August 2004 to begin his role at Virginia Tech.
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean for Academic Operations
Sara Vandyke has worked for the Honors College since 2012. Sara serves as an advisor to the Dean of the Honors College on topics and initiatives in line with College priorities. Her work with students includes directing the Honors Peer Advising Center and advising for the Honors Minor in Transdisciplinary Praxis. Sara also oversees College human resources and manages strategic planning and reporting.
Sara has an MA in Political Science from Virginia Tech. She attended Virginia Tech as an undergraduate student in the University Honors Program (now Honors College), where she earned a BA in Political Science with a minor in Spanish.