Meet the Team

Dr. Bradley E. Cox

Dr. Bradley E Cox is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education in Florida State University's Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Broadly invested in research that aims to understand student success and improve student outcomes, Cox undertakes projects that illuminate or extend “actionable intersections" that affect college students’ development, persistence, and graduation. Of primary interest are projects related to 1) the interplay between students’ college experiences and their home lives; 2) interactions between faculty members and students outside of the classroom; and 3) equity of outcomes for traditionally underserved students – especially students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). His research has appeared in higher education journals including Research in Higher Education, Journal of College Student Development, The Journal of Higher Education, and The Review of Higher Education. Check out Brad's Website and follow him on Twitter at @BradCoxHigherEd. Positionality Statement 

Danielle Morgan Acosta

Danielle Morgan Acosta is working on the design guidelines team for this project. She currently serves as Director of Student Government at Florida State University and is the Ph.D. Higher Education Student Affairs Program, currently studying parental divorce and college student identity development. Originally from California, Danielle has a Master of Education from Salem State University, Master of Arts in Teaching from Clark University, and a Bachelor's degree from Clark University. Positionality Statement

Craig W. Beebe

Craig W. Beebe is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Higher Education program and the graduate assistant for the Jon C. Dalton Institute on College Student Values at Florida State University. Craig earned his B.A. in Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychology from Western State Colorado University and his M.S. in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Colorado State University. His research interests include the college experience of religiously nonconforming students, historical perspectives, and the intersections of higher education with quantum and chaos theories. For this project, Craig helps manage social media and web development. Follow Craig on Twitter at @craigbeebe. Positionality Statement

Vivechkanand "V" Chunoo

V. Chunoo is a third-year Ph.D. student on the Student Affairs track in the Higher Education program at Florida State University. His work and research interests involve developing leader identity and capacity in first-generation college students, students of historically underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds, and students from lower socioeconomic communities. He completed a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology and a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling, both from the University of Miami. Also at UM, he was an academic advisor for ten years, and concurrently the Academic Ombudsperson for four years. Currently, he retains a position as a research assistant for the Undergraduate Leadership Studies Certificate; a curricular program overseen jointly by the College of Education and the Center for Leadership and Social Change. He also serves on the Administration Group for the College Student Populations course. Positionality Statement

Chandra Myrick

Chandra Myrick is a second year graduate student in the Higher Education doctoral program. She currently serves as the Director for Residential Student Experience at Florida State University. Chandra received a bachelor's degree in print journalism from Troy State University and a master's degree in higher education from Florida State University. She worked with Maritza Torres on broad/global outreach to identify organizations and promising practices that can provide support and resources to atheist college students. Positionality Statement

Samantha Nix

Samantha Nix is part of the administrative team and is a third year doctoral student in the Higher Education program. She earned her bachelor’s degrees in English Literature and French from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2009 and her master’s degree in Higher Education in 2013. Samantha served as the Program Coordinator for the Women in Math, Science, and Engineering Living Learning Community for three years. She currently serves the Program Coordinator of the FSU Certificate in Institutional Research and is a research assistant with the Center for Postsecondary Success. She identifies as agnostic and spiritual, and has a deep interest in the research that the class is bringing together on atheist students. Positionality Statement

Allison Peters

Allison Black Peters is a doctoral student at Florida State University pursuing a Ph.D. in Higher Education with an emphasis in student affairs. For this project, Allison is working on the document management team to collect, organize, and distribute information regarding references which inform our understanding of students who identify as Atheist. Allison is currently the Graduate Assistant for the Higher Education Program at FSU. Her professional background is in Student Activities, Residence Life, and Campus Recreation. She received her M.Ed. in Higher Education from the University of Arkansas- Fayetteville in 2010 and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Wichita State University in 2004. Her research interests are in graduate student development and socialization, leadership, and adult education. Positionality Statement

Kelvin Rutledge

Kelvin Rutledge is a member of the design team and serves as the Assistant Director of Mock Interviews & Employer Relations at the Florida State University Career Center. He is a first-year doctoral student in the Higher Education program. His current research interest includes the career development processes of underrepresented populations on college campuses. He completed his master’s degree in Higher Education at Florida State University and his bachelor's degrees in Sociology and Political Science at Austin Peay State University. Prior to working at FSU, he served as Academic Success Coach at Austin Peay State University and a Manager within ARG Restaurant Group. Positionality Statement

Trisha Teig

Trisha Teig is a first year student in the Higher Education doctoral program at Florida State University. She is working on the local outreach team for this course. Trisha is also a graduate assistant for the leadership certificate program through the Center for Leadership and Social Change. She received her undergraduate degree in Communication and Theatre from McMurry University and her M.Ed. in Counseling and Guidance-Student Affairs at Texas State University.

Maritza Torres

Maritza Torres is a first year Ph.D. student in the Higher Education (Student Affairs track) program at Florida State University. Born and raised in Chicago, IL she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication with minors in Spanish and Latino Studies from DePaul University. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Student Personnel in Higher Education from the University of Florida. She has previously worked at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a Program Advisor for the Illini Union Board and has recently arrived from the University of Miami where she served as the Assistant Director of Student Activities and Student Organizations. Maritza is a graduate assistant in Leadership Studies in the Center for Leadership and Social Change, where she teaches two sections of Leadership in Groups and Communities as well as serving as an advisor for the Leadership Certificate Program. Positionality Statement

Sally Watkins

Sally R. Watkins is a third-year doctoral student in the Higher Education program. She is the Undergraduate Leadership Studies Certificate Advisor. Most recently she served as associate director of Student Union and Activities at Armstrong Atlantic State University (GA). Sally previously worked in residence life at Emory University (GA), California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo and the University of Georgia, and in student activities at Scottsdale Community College (AZ) and Arizona State University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Alabama, a master’s degree in art education from North Georgia College & State University and a master’s degree in higher and post-secondary education from Arizona State University. Positionality Statement

Christian Williams

Christian Williams is a second-year master's degree student in the Higher Education program at Florida State, where he is a graduate assistant in the Academic Center for Excellence's Learning Studio. He graduated in December 2012 from Florida International University with a bachelor's degree in public relations, and worked professionally in the public relations field prior to moving back into the higher education world. As one half of the Local Outreach team, Christian is directly responsible for coordinating outreach efforts toward local atheist community organizations and gatherings in Tallahassee, as well as building connections with local church and thought leaders to assess attitudes and opinions towards atheism within the community. Positionality Statement