First Scholars Faculty & Staff
First Scholars Faculty and Staff are voluntary, self-identified first-generation college graduates and professionals who serve as USU faculty, advisors, staff, and administrators who want to support first-generation college student success.
Many current and potential first-generation college students can better relate, converse, and receive feedback from a person in a position of leadership who has experienced similar feelings, challenges, and triumphs to get to where they are.
What They Do
- Self-identify as a first-generation college graduate and accept the invitation to support first-generation college students at USU.
- Attend an annual USU first-generation college student celebration.
- Connect, mentor, and refer first-generation college students to resources both proactively and when approached throughout the year.
First Scholars Faculty & Staff by College/Division
Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services
| Name | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Breanne Litts | breanne.litts@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Instructional Technology & Learning Sciences |
| Nate Trauntvein | nate.trauntvein@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Kinesiology & Health Sciences |
| Mireya Ori | mireya.molinar@usu.edu | Program Coordinator II | Department of Nursing (USU Eastern) |
| Donna Blaylock | donna.blaylock@usu.edu | Online Adjunct Instructor |
| Ryan Seedall | ryan.seedall@usu.edu | Associate Professor | Marriage & Family Therapy |
| Marilyn Cuch | Marilyn.cuch@usu.edu | Lecturer, Advisor, Director of the RCDE Secondary Education Program | Teacher Education & Leadership |
| Mario I. Suárez | mario.suarez@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Teacher Education & Leadership |
| Katherine Vela | katherine.vela@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Teacher Education & Leadership (USU Eastern) |
| Scott Bates | scott.bates@usu.edu | Department Head | Psychology |
| Sara Boghosian | sara.boghosian@usu.edu | Clinical Assistant Professor | Psychology |
| Michael Gerald | michael.gerald@usu.edu | |
| Kathleen (Kit) Mohr | Kathleen.mohr@usu.edu | Professor | Teacher Education & Leadership |
| Trenton Landon | trent.landon@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Special Education & Rehabilitation |
| Kathleen (Kat) Marie Oertle | kathleen.oertle@usu.edu | Associate Professor | Special Education & Rehabilitation |
| Ty Aller | ty.aller@usu.edu | Coordinator of Programs SR | Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice |
| Kaylee Litson | kaylee.litson@usu.edu | Post-Doctoral Research Fellow | Instructional Technology & Learning Sciences |
| Cache Pitt | cache.pitt@usu.edu | Audiologist, Faculty | Communicative Disorders & Deaf Education |
| Brenda Smith | brenda.smith@usu.edu | Project Coordinator III | Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice |
| Linda Donaldson | linda.donaldson@usu.edu | |
| Tressa M. Haderlie | Tressa.Haderlie@usu.edu | Advisor | Psychology |
| Dakota Pond | dakota.pond@usu.edu | Service Navigator | Sorenson Legacy Foundation Center for Clinical Excellence |
| Faith Thomas | faith.thomas@usu.edu | Project Coordinator SR | Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice |
| Hillary Fruge | hillary.fruge@usu.edu | Coordinator III | Psychology |
| Jennifer Caines | jennifer.caines@usu.edu | Advisor | Teacher Education & Leadership |
| Aryn Dotterer | aryn.dotterer@usu.edu | Associate Professor | Family, Consumer, and Human Development |
| Jeannine Huenemann | jeannine.huenemann@usu.edu | Marketing Manager | Teacher Education & Leadership |
| Amanda Ramos | amanda.ramos@usu.edu | Professor | Human Development & Family Studies |
| Ronen Sebag | ronen.sebag@usu.edu | Lecturer | Teacher Education & Leadership |
| Heather Thomas | heather.thomas@usu.edu | Advisor | Nursing |
Caine College of the Arts
| Name | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Danielle Green | danielle.green@usu.edu | |
| Anthony Lott | anthony.lott@usu.edu | Associate Professor | Art (USU Blanding) |
| Raymond Veon | Raymond.veon@usu.edu | Assistant Dean | Arts Education |
College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
| Name | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Bart Tarbet | bart.tarbet@usu.edu | Research Associate Professor | Animal, Dairy, & Veterinary Sciences |
| Prateek Sharma | prateek.sharma@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Nutrition, Dietetics, & Food Sciences |
| Mateja Savoie Roskos | mateja.savoie@usu.edu | Assistant Professor, Co-Director | Nutrition, Dietetics, & Food Sciences |
| Bonnie Schenk-Darrinton | bonnie.schenk-darrington@usu.edu | Office of Research- Proposal Development Specialist |
| Kara Thornton-Kurth | kara.thornton@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Animal, Dairy, & Veterinary Sciences |
| Denise Stewardson | denise.stewardson@usu.edu | Associate Professor, Director | Agriculture Systems Technology & Education |
| Andreas 'Baron' Wesemann | andreas.wesemann@usu.edu | Director | Aviation & Technical Education |
| Mirella Meyer-Ficca | Mirella.Meyer@usu.edu | Research Assistant Professor | Animal, Dairy, & Veterinary Sciences |
| LaCee Jimenez | lacee.jimenez@usu.edu | Program Coordinator | Nutrition, Dietetics & Food Sciences |
| Tami Spackman | tami.spackman@usu.edu | Advisor | Animal, Dairy, & Veterinary Sciences |
| Valerie Novack | valerie.novack@usu.edu | Graduate Student | Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning |
College of Engineering
| Name | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Melissa Scheaffer | melissa.sch@usu.edu | Principal Lecturer | Engineering Education |
| Shannon Syrstad | shannon.syrstad@usu.edu | Research Engineer II | Utah Water Research Laboratory |
Jon M. Huntsman School of Business
| Name | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew D. Meng | matthew.meng@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Marketing & Strategy |
| Sterling Bone | sterling.bone@usu.edu | Professor | Marketing & Strategy |
| Polly Conrad | polly.conrad@usu.edu | Senior Lecturer | Data Analytics & Information Systems |
| Dave Patel | dave.patel@usu.edu | Associate Dean | Student & External Affairs |
| Jason Smith | jason.smith@usu.edu | Professor | Economics & Finance |
| Randy Simmons | randy.simmons@usu.edu | Professor | Economics & Finance |
| Erin Bergeron | erin.bergeron@usu.edu | Advisor | Management |
| Nate Q. Jensen | nate.jensen@usu.edu | Career Specialist | FJ Management Center for Student Success |
| Russell Fisher | russell.fisher@usu.edu | Lecturer, Associate Director | Marketing & Strategy, Center for Entrepreneurship |
| Pia Bergholtz | pia.bergholtz@usu.edu | Advisor | Exploratory, Business & Communication |
| Chad Simon | chad.simon@usu.edu | Associate Dean | School of Accountancy |
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
| Name | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Nichelle Frank | nichelle.frank@gmail.com | Assistant Professor | History (USU Eastern) |
| Angela Montague | angela.montague@usu.edu | Instructor | Sociology, Social Work, & Anthropology |
| Joseph Ward | joe.ward@usu.edu | Dean | College of Humanities & Social Sciences |
| Russ Winn | russell.winn@usu.edu | Lecturer | English |
| Rosa Thornley | rosa.thornley@usu.edu | Lecturer | English |
| Cris Meier | cris.meier@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Sociology, Social Work, & Anthropology |
| Jason Leiker | jason.leiker@usu.edu | Principal Lecturer | Sociology, Social Work, & Anthropology |
| Meredith Wang | meredith.wang@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Journalism & Communications |
| Jayme Walters | jayme.walters@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Sociology, Social Work, & Anthropology |
| Sam Arungwa | sam.arungwa@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Sociology, Social Work, & Anthropology (USU Blanding) |
| Ashley Wells | ashley.wells@usu.edu | Lecturer | English |
| Kim Hales | kim.hales@usu.edu | Lecturer | English (USU Statewide) |
| Davis Anderson | davis.anderson@usu.edu | Instructor | Political Science |
| Jason Gilmore | jason.gilmore@usu.edu | Associate Professor | Languages, Philosophy, & Communications Studies |
| Vonda Jump Norman |
vonda.jump@usu.edu | Associate Professor | Social Work |
| Guadalupe Marquez-Velarde | guadalupe.marquez-velarde@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Sociology, Social Work, & Anthropology |
| Christy Glass | christy.glass@usu.edu | Professor, Interim Director | Sociology, Social Work, and Anthropology |
| Colin Flint | colin.flint@usu.edu | Distinguished Professor | Political Science |
| Tammy Proctor | tammy.proctor@usu.edu | Distinguished Professor, Department Head | History |
| James Sanders | james.sanders@usu.edu | Professor | History |
| Joyce Kinkead | joyce.kinkead@usu.edu | Professor | English |
| Jessica Rivera-Mueller | jessica.riveramueller@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | English |
| Tom Liljegren | tom.liljegren@usu.edu | Director | College of Humanities & Social Sciences Advising Center |
| Hannah Stevens | Hannah.stevens@usu.edu | Graduate Instructor | English |
College of Science
| Name | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| John A. Flores II | john.flores@usu.edu | Principal Lecturer | Biology |
| Nick Dickenson | Nick.dickenson@usu.edu | Associate Professor | Chemistry & Biochemistry |
| Lisa M. Berreau | lisa.berreau@usu.edu | Vice President for Research, Professor | Chemistry & Biochemistry |
| KimberLeigh Felix Hadfield | k.hadfield@usu.edu | Senior Lecturer | Mathematics & Statistics |
| Monica Borghi | monica.borghi@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Biology |
| Tonya Triplett | tonya.triplett@usu.edu | Principal Lecturer | Physics |
| Sara Freeman | sara.freeman@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Biology |
| Emily Virgin | emilyevirgin@aggiemail.usu.edu | Graduate Student | Biology |
| Jordan Truex | jordan.truex@usu.edu | Advisor | Chemistry & Biochemistry |
| Claudia Ki | Claudia.ki@usu.edu | Graduate Student | Biology |
| Jaden Turner | jaden.turner@usu.edu | Graduate Student | Biology |
| Alana Ward | alana.ward@usu.edu | Business Manager | College of Science |
| Joe Shope | joe.shope@usu.edu | System Administrator III | Biology |
S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources
| Name | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Janice Brahney | janice.brahney@usu.edu | Faculty | Watershed Sciences |
| Tal Avgar | tal.avgar@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Wildland Resources |
| Trisha Atwood | Trisha.atwood@usu.edu | Faculty | Watershed Sciences |
| Cody Zesiger | cody.zesiger@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Agriculture (USU Extension) |
| Joseph Wheaton | joe.wheaton@usu.edu | Faculty | Watershed Sciences |
| Casey Pennock | casey.pennock@usu.edu | Research Assistant Professor | Watershed Sciences |
| Shantell Garrett | shantell.garrett@aggiemail.usu.edu | PhD Student | Wildland Resources |
Executive Vice President
| Name | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Grecia Jimenez | grecia.jimenez@usu.edu | Admissions Specialist | Admissions |
| Ryan Jensen | ryan.jensen@usu.edu | Director of Enrollment Marketing | Admissions |
| Erin Wadsworth-Anderson | erin.anderson@usu.edu | Instructional Designer | Center for Innovative Design & Instruction |
| Rene Eborn | rene.eborn@usu.edu | Deputy of Digital Transformation & Associate Vice President | Executive Vice President |
| Adela Dempkowski | adela.dempkowski@usu.edu | Residency Officer | Admissions |
| Stephanie Bagnell | stephanie.bagnell@usu.edu | Counselor | Financial Aid |
| Karla Urie | karla.urie@usu.edu | Advisor | Exploratory, Pre-Business |
| Tarren Jessop | tarren.jessop@usu.edu | Staff Assistant | Admissions |
| Shari Christopherson | shari.christopherson@usu.edu | Manager | Academic Testing Services |
Student Affairs
| Name | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Aeden Anbesse | aeden.anbesse@usu.edu | Black & African American Program Coordinator | Inclusion Center |
| Michelle Bogdan-Holt | michelle.bogdan@usu.edu | Director | Inclusion Center |
| Daniel Lawrence | Daniel.Lawrence@usu.edu | Director | Campus Recreation |
| Sarah Timmerman | sarah.timmerman@usu.edu | Program Coordinator | Inclusion Center |
| Jessica Roueche | jessica.roueche@usu.edu | Program Coordinator | USUSA Clubs |
Business and Finance
| Name | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Isela Phelps | isela.phelps@usu.edu | Programmer Analyst | Information Technology |
| Alex Bindrup | Alex.bindrup@usu.edu | Supply, Art & Sundries Buyer | Campus Store |
| Rebecca Seamons | becca.seamons@usu.edu | HR Specialist | Human Resources |
| Jared Leatham | jared.leatham@usu.edu | Coordinator, Interior Designer | Facilities Planning, Design, & Construction |
Athletics
| Name | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Hearrell | tony.hearrell@usu.edu | Assistant Director | Compliance |
Provost's Office, Advancement, Marketing, and Administration
| Name | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Becky Thoms | becky.thoms@usu.edu | Head of Digital Initiatives | Merrill-Cazier Library |
| Janet Anderson | janet.anderson@usu.edu | Vice Provost, Associate Vice President | Provost's Office, Academic & Instructional Services |
| Dana Rhoades | dana.rhoades@usu.edu | Director | University Marketing |
| Scott Olson | scott.olson@usu.edu | Senior Director | Principal Giving (Advancement) |
| Jonathan Young | jonathan.young@usu.edu | Director of Annual Giving | University Advancement |
USU Statewide / USU Extension
| Name | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Pullman | sarah.pullman@usu.edu | Business Manager | Business Services (USU Eastern) |
| Tim Keady | tim.keady@usu.edu | Assistant Professor | Extension Cache County |
| Ashley Yaugher | ashley.yaugher@usu.edu | Assistant Professor, Program Coordinator | Extension Carbon/Emery Counties |
| Latrisha Fall | latrisha.fall@usu.edu | Administrative Assistant | Uintah Basin-Vernal |
| Kimberly Hiatt | kimberly.hiatt@usu.edu | Program Coordinator- Student Support Services | Blanding |
| Vanessa Liesik | vanessa.liesik@usu.edu | Program Coordinator III | Uintah Basin- Roosevelt & Vernal |
| Heather Lyman | heather.lyman@usu.edu | Academic Advisor- Student Support Services | Blanding |
| Rebecca Berrett | rebecca.berrett@usu.edu | Completion Coordinator & Integrated Studies Advisor | Statewide Campuses |
| Bailey Horton | bailey.horton@usu.edu | Program Coordinator | 4-H & Youth (Extension) |
| Jacob Van den Akker | Jacob.vandenakker@usu.edu | Director of Statewide Advising | Statewide Campuses |
| Jessica Prettyman | jessica.prettyman@usu.edu | Staff Assistant | USU Eastern |
| Jess Crank | jess.crank@usu.edu | Program Coordinator | Upward Bound (USU Eastern) |