Student Affairs Bios, 21-22 Awards

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Kelly Lester, M.F.A.

Kelly Lester, a Professor of Dance, leads the Center of Faculty Development as its director.

Kelly is this year’s Friend of the Division because, as her nominator argued, she “sees the broad landscape of Higher Education and the many factors that contribute to its success . . . She acts on her desire for a stronger, more effective Southern Miss, and we feel the effect of this ethos across the division.”

Thank you, Kelly!

Jared Pierce

Lieutenant Jared Pierce leads the University Police patrol division, and our event productions staff members are highly appreciative of his support. In fact, the nominator confidently declares that Officer Pierce is “without a doubt the most helpful person on campus."The nominator described several instances in which Officer Pierce has displayed his desire to serve the campus community by going above and beyond.

Whether the situation is a late-night power outage or a gameday complication, our staff knows Officer Pierce will be there to help ensure the event is safe and successful.

Thank you, Officer Pierce!

Geneal Washam

Geneal Washam’s office is tucked away in the Fraternity & Sorority Life office suite. While perhaps ‘out of sight’, Geneal, the department’s office manager, is anything but ‘out of mind’.

The nomination summed up her contribution well, describing this year’s Pillar of the DSA as “the glue that holds our office, both staff and student alike, together.” The nominator concludes by saying she “is the kind of Golden Eagle that this award was created for, and I genuinely could not think of anyone more deserving than her.”

Thank you, Geneal!

Carl Thomas

Carl Thomas, Jr. began his role in Leadership & Student Involvement nearly a year ago as their newest Assistant Director and advisor of the Student Government Association.

His Rising Star nominator had this to say, “Carl has a unique blend of attention to detail and ability to stay on top of many tasks . . . . He truly believes in student engagement as a learning opportunity and challenges his students regularly to reflect and explore opportunities for growth.”

Keep up the great work, Carl!