First Gen Proud Faculty and Staff
Join the First Gen Proud Directory
UMKC defines a first generation college student as any student whose parents or guardians did not receive a bachelor's degree in the United States.
We invite First Gen Proud faculty and staff to join the First Gen Proud directory and encourage adding FIRST GEN PROUD to your email signature.
Fill out the First Gen Proud Directory Google form
Benefits of Joining the First Gen Proud Directory
- Foster Connections with Colleagues — Join a network of faculty and staff dedicated to supporting first gen college students, providing opportunities for collaboration and professional growth.
- Mentorship Opportunities — Inspire and empower first gen college students by sharing your experiences, offering guidance and serving as a trusted resource at Pizza with a First Gen Professor, National First Generations Celebration events, mentoring workshops and more.
- Access Exclusive Professional Development Opportunities — Participate in workshops, events and resources to enhance your understanding of first gen college student needs and impact.
- Promote Student Success and Retention — Make a meaningful impact by guiding first gen college students through their academic journey, helping them feel a sense of belonging and achieve academic success.
- Strengthen Campus and Community Engagement — Help create a more cohesive, supportive campus environment that celebrates the contributions and achievements of first gen college students.
Our First Gen Proud Faculty and Staff
- Nate Addington, Senior Director, External Relations and Constituent Engagement
- Tamara Alvarado, Career and Professional Development Manager, Business Administration
- RaeAnn Anderson, Assistant Professor, Health Sciences
- Amber Andrews, Senior Access Coordinator, Roo Wellness, Student Accessibility Services
- Susana Avalos, Assistant Professor, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
- Becky Bergman, Manager, Roo Advising
- Sadie Billings, Academic Success Coordinator, Summer Bridge
- Amber Blair, Program Project Support Coordinator, Department of Graduate Health Professions
- Jacob Blegen, Welcome Center Event Coordinator, Admissions
- Krystal Brier, MAP Manager, Business and Management, Roo Advising
- Jared Brooks, Assistant Residential Life Coordinator, Residence Life
- Wendy Bross, Senior Advisor in Arts and Cultural Studies, Roo Advising
- Avery Brotherton, Sr. Coordinator of Aquatics and Safety, Campus Recreation
- Gina Campbell, Education Program Coordinator III
- Amy Carlson, Senior Associate Registrar, Office of the Registrar
- Aubry Carpenter, Project Manager, Writer, Editor, Strategic Marketing and Communications
- Liz Case, Senior Assistant Director, Hospital Hill, Financial Aid
- Brittany Cleek, Senior Graduate Recruitment Coordinator, Office of Admissions
- Jaylen Cook-Gibson, Academic Advisor, Roo Advising
- Amber Daugherty, Director, UMKC Central
- Jordan Davis, Senior Manager of Admissions, UMKC Conservatory
- Richard Delaware, Teaching Professor, Mathematics
- Crystal Gorham Doss, Teaching Professor, English
- Kalyan Durbhakula, Assistant Research Professor, School of Science and Engineering
- Natasha Ria El-Scari, Women's Center Director
- Tanna Engle, Assistant Director, Fitness, Wellness, Marketing, Campus Recreation
- Sandra I. Enríquez, Associate Professor and Director of Public History Emphasis
- Connor Fender, Manager, Student Evaluation and Progression, School of Medicine
- Carlen Fidler, Food Assistance Coordinator, Office of Student Involvement
- Daniel Folk, Director, Bloch Career Center
- Chainy Folsom, Senior Advisor HBEJ MAP, Roo Advising
- Onekia Franklin, Senior Office Assistant, Nursing
- Joseph Franklin, Academic Advisor, Roo Advising
- Brian Frehner, Professor, History
- T'Keaya Gaines, Senior Staff Counselor, Student Affairs
- Kelsey Gardiner, Associate Teaching Professor, School of Nursing and Health Studies
- Beth Gehring, DDS, FAGD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Pediatric Dentistry
- Jessica Gomes
- Eric Gormly, Director, Student Veteran Support Services
- Scott Guerrero, STAHR Program Director, School of Medicine
- Ile Haggins, Teaching Professor and Director of Field Education, Social Work
- Michelle Heiman, Student Services Coordinator II, UMKC School of Graduate Studies
- JaVon Hill, Program Director, The Men of Character Academy
- Jenny Ho, Project Coordinator, The Collaborative to Advance Health Services at the UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies
- Kendra Holliday, Adjunct Professor
- Teresa Huff-Pomstra, Interim Director and Training Director, Counseling Services, Roo Wellness, Student Affairs
- Tracey Hughes, Director of Inclusive Engagement, Teaching and Learning Librarian
- Jamie Hunt, Associate Teaching Professor, Health Sciences
- Sarah Jones, Assistant Teaching Professor, Communication and Journalism
- Lorena Juanez, Admissions Counselor
- Spencer Keralis, Head of Digital Scholarship Services, Co-Director of the Center for Digital and Public Humanities, University Libraries
- Cassandra Kinder, Assistant Professor, Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies
- Jacqueline Kitchen, Assistant Professor, School of Medicine
- Kristen Kleffner, Assistant Dean, School of Medicine, Student Affairs
- Kim Kushner, IT Project Manager, UMKC Information Services
- Zhongjin Li, Assistant Professor
- Joey Lightner, Assistant Professor, Health Science
- Toya Like, Associate Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor, Criminal Justice and Criminology
- Brenda Linares, Associate Dean of Library Services, UMKC Libraries
- Cameron C. Lindsey, Chair and Professor, Division of Pharmacy Practice and Administration
- Flor Lizbeth Cruz Longoria, Recruitment and Community Outreach Specialist, Admissions
- Alicen Lundberg, Senior Coordinator for Academic and Student Programs, School of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Ebony Luster, Residence Hall Coordinator, Residence Life
- Daniel Maitland, Associate Professor, Psychology
- Sarah Major, Assistant Registrar
- Ricardo Marte, Associate Teaching Professor, Psychology
- Richard Martinez, Residential Life Coordinator, Residential Life
- Dea Marx, Director of High School College Pipeline Programs
- Youssef Mekawy, Career Coach
- Davlon Miller, Director, Career Services
- Kennedy Mitchell-Hawks, Senior Program Coordinator for Inclusive Excellence, School of Medicine
- Kathleen Moburg, Academic Support, UMKC School of Medicine
- Elizabeth Montelongo, Bloch Program Coordinator, Henry W. Bloch School of Management
- Lee Moore, Assistant Professor, School of Law
- Latoya Muhammad, Assistant Director for Business Operations, Residential Life
- Dominic Musso, Associate Teaching Professor, Architecture
- Brent Never, Associate Professor, Public Affairs
- Steven Onken, Chair and Associate Professor, Social Work
- Erica Ottis, Associate Dean and Clinical Professor, Pharmacy Practice and Administration
- Joseph Parisi, Curators' Distinguished Professor, Conservatory
- Jessica Pearson, Director, Academic Support and Mentoring
- Destiny Delgado Peterson, Career Coach
- Cameryn Plummer, Senior Academic Advisor, Roo Advising
- Brianna Portmann, Curriculum and Academic Policy Specialist, General Education
- Jennifer Quaintance, Assistant Dean Assessment and Quality Improvement, School of Medicine
- Tamilia Reed, Assistant Teaching Professor, Psychology and Counseling
- Tiffani Riggers-Piehl, Associate Professor of Higher Education
- Sandy Rodriguez, Associate Dean of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries
- Meghan Rodriquez, Assistant Teaching Professor, Biomedical Sciences
- KaLynda Ruckman, Academic Advisor, Roo Advising
- Jen Salvo, Head of Resource Sharing (Librarian II)
- Amy Samaripa, Director of External Relations, ERCE
- Sasha Sandoval-Williams, Administrative Assistant, UMKC Honors Program
- Sara Saunders, Pathway Programs Specialist and Field Instructor
- Alexandria Serra, Advocacy Teaching Fellow, Law
- Michelle Smirnova, Associate Professor, Sociology
- Andrew Smith, Clinical Professor, Pharmacy Practice Admin
- Julia Snyder, Associate Teaching Professor, Division of Biological and Biomedical Systems
- Don Stansberry, Vice Provost for Student Affairs
- Garth Tardy, Special Collections Catalog Librarian, University Libraries
- Michael Ternes, Assistant Professor, Psychology and Counseling
- Cindy Thompson, Dean of Libraries, School of Education Alumnus
- Theresa Torres, Associate Professor, Race, Ethnic and Gender Studies
- David Trowbridge, William T. Kemper Associate Research Professor in Digital and Public Humanities, History
- Heidi Updike, Office Support Assistant IV
- Tabitha Varvil, Office Support IV, School of Pharmacy
- Alberto Villamandos, Associate Professor, World Languages and Cultures
- Apa Visinia, Academic Advisor, Roo Advising
- Todd Wells, Assistant Dean of Students, Student Affairs
- Melissa Wharton, International Admissions Advisor, International Affairs
- Shannon Wheeler, Assistant Director, Roo Wellness, Student Accessibility Service
- Sharon White-Lewis, Assistant Professor, PhD Program, Nursing and Health Studies
- Andrica Wilcoxen, First Gen Roo Coordinator
- Nancy Willis-Smith, Program Director (MSN and Certificate), Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Nursing and Health Studies
- Joseph Workman, Associate Professor
- Huang Wu, Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership, Policy and Foundations
- Jerry Wyckoff, Professor and Chair, Div. Pharmacology and Pharm. Sciences, Director of Research and Graduate Studies
- Hilary Yager, Senior Recruitment Specialist, School of Medicine Admissions
- Zoey Yi, Biological Safety Officer, Environmental Health
- Christine Zimmerman, Assistant Clinical Professor and Director of Clinical Simulation