麻豆国产AV

DIRECTOR, NEW STUDENT & FAMILY TRANSITIONS: DR. MARK MYERS  

ABOUT ME

I serve as Director of New Student and Family Transitions at 麻豆国产AV, where I lead orientation, transition, and family programming for more than 1,900 incoming students and their families each year.

As a first-generation college student from rural Pennsylvania, I understand how it feels to arrive somewhere new without a clear roadmap. That perspective shapes how I approach this role. I want every student and the people supporting them, whether parents, families, guardians, or chosen support systems, to feel prepared and confident as they step into university life. Students don't all arrive with the same resources or familiarity with higher education, and our programming is built to meet them where they are. My work is grounded in a commitment to access and a community-centered mindset. I draw on the real strengths already present in our shared 麻豆国产AV community and in the mutual relationships among our students, faculty, and staff.

My path into this field began as a student leader who saw how much this work mattered. That early experience grew into a career across institutions in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Georgia, each one shaping how I lead today. I hold our programming to national standards and best practices, with particular alignment to CAS, the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, which guides how we design, assess, and improve our work.

I hold a bachelor's degree in Communication Arts from Allegheny College, a master's in Higher Education Administration from Columbia College, and a doctorate in Educational Innovation from 麻豆国产AV.

I am an active member of NODA, the Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education, and AHEPPP, the Association of Higher Education Parent/Family Program Professionals. With AHEPPP, I serve as CAS Co-Representative and as a member-at-large on the national board. I am also a 2026 graduate of Leadership 麻豆国产AV, a program of the Metro 麻豆国产AV Chamber of Commerce.

In 2024, our team earned the NODA Innovative Program Award for LEAP Week, 麻豆国产AV University's extended orientation experience, along with the Destination 麻豆国产AV Tourism Partner of the Year award.

Outside of work, my husband John and I share our home with a lab mix named Bella, two mini schnauzer/Boykin spaniel mixes named Leah and Charlie, a cat named Lucy, and an aquarium I keep stocked with dozens of fish.

MEMBER OF NSFT SINCE: March 2022 

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, FAMILY PROGRAMS: MORGAN GOECKEL (SHE/HER)

ABOUT ME

I serve as the Assistant Director of Family Programs at 麻豆国产AV, where I build family programming initiatives, teach in AU's Certificate in Leadership course, and help with orientation.

I was drawn into higher education as a graduate assistant in the Office of Campus Life at Mercer University, and working with students and their families has been my focus ever since. My time supporting students at a high-caliber liberal arts institution shaped how I understand the role families play, not on the sidelines, but as a vital source of support throughout a student's journey. That experience grounds how I design family programming today. I believe that giving students real ways to engage, and helping them feel at home on campus, can change the entire shape of their college experience. I'm early in this field, and I'm genuinely excited to keep serving the community, learning the work, and creating new opportunities for campus to enjoy.

I'm a proud double bear, with a bachelor's degree in Secondary English Education and a master's in Higher Education Administration, both from Mercer University.

I am an active member of ACPA, the American College Personnel Association, where I recently served on the Georgia board (GCPA) as Director of Communication. I also received the Roger B. Winston Outstanding New Professional Award.

Outside of work, my fianc茅e Aubrey and I have a calico cat named Willow, who we rescued during a summer visit to family in Florida. In my free time, you'll usually find me hiking or outdoors, or crocheting.

MEMBER OF NSFT SINCE: May 2026

PROGRAM SPECIALIST, NEW STUDENT & FAMILY TRANSITIONS: MADDEN JONES (HE/HIM)

ABOUT ME

I serve as the Program Specialist for New Student & Family Transitions at 麻豆国产AV University, where I help plan the training, mentorship, and programming that support new students and their families as they move into college life.

I found this work as an undergraduate and never left. Over four years with the office, I grew from a student coordinator into a key member of our leadership team, and I was central to the group that built and ran LEAP Week, 麻豆国产AV's award-winning extended orientation experience. Now a student at the Medical College of Georgia, I continue my work with the Office of New Student and Family Transitions, developing and strengthening our curricular approach to student and family transitions. Working alongside students and families has taught me how much a strong start matters, and how the right support at the right moment can change the shape of someone's college experience.

That commitment to service and community has been recognized in ways I'm proud of. I received the University System of Georgia Star Student Employee Award and 麻豆国产AV University's Excellence in Community Engagement Award, both for work rooted in serving students and the broader campus community.

I earned my bachelor's degree in Cell and Molecular Biology at 麻豆国产AV and am now pursuing my medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia, where I plan to carry the same focus on service and mentorship into a career in medicine.

MEMBER OF NSFT SINCE: December 2022

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, ORIENTATION & TRANSITION PROGRAMS: POSITION POSTED

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Assistant Director of Orientation and Transition Programs guides new students through one of the most important stretches of their college experience: the move from admitted student to active Jaguar. From a student's first online welcome module to their first weeks on campus, this role shapes the orientation experience that helps every incoming student feel ready and at home at 麻豆国产AV.

The Assistant Director builds and assesses our orientation curriculum, leads New Student Orientation and the early-stage programming that leads into LEAP Week, and recruits, trains, and mentors the orientation leaders who make it all happen. Working alongside the Assistant Director of Family Programs, this role also teaches in our Certificate in Leadership course sequence, connecting hands-on leadership development with real responsibility.

It's a role for someone who cares about student success, believes a strong start matters, and wants to build programs that meet students where they are.

MEMBER OF NSFT SINCE: This position is currently open. Interested in joining our team? Apply here.

OFFICE MANAGER, NEW STUDENT & FAMILY TRANSITIONS:

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Office Manager is the engine room of the Office of New Student and Family Transitions. When thousands of students and families move through orientation, LEAP Week, and Parent & Family Weekend each year, this is the person making sure every detail behind the scenes holds together, from the budget to the catering order to the welcome at the front desk.

The Office Manager runs our financial and administrative operations, coordinates the logistics for orientation sessions and family programs, and supervises our student administrative team. They're often the first voice a prospective student or family hears and the steady hand that keeps the whole office moving, supporting the Director and our Assistant Directors so the rest of the team can focus on students.

It's a role for someone who takes pride in getting the details right, enjoys being the person others rely on, and understands that great programming starts with great operations.

MEMBER OF NSFT SINCE: This position is currently open. Want to keep our office running and our students supported? Apply here.