Meet Elon’s newest employees

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Emilia Bachrach, Visiting Assistant Professor
Emilia Bachrach is a native of Woodstock, N.Y. She received her bachelor’s degree in religion from Smith College, her M.T.S. in south Asian religions and her Ph.D. in Asian studies from University of Texas at Austin. In her free time, Emilia enjoys hiking, running, gardening, cooking and traveling.

Nick Cook, Admissions Counselor
Nick Cook is originally from Greensboro, N.C. He graduated from Elon with a bachelor’s degree in acting. He previously worked as a university tour guide and communications intern when he was a student. In his free time, he enjoys running, hiking, singing and spending time with his 6-year-old sister. He is excited to work at Elon after a great undergraduate experience.

Jennifer Dabrowski, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Jennifer Dabrowski hails from Ilion, N.Y. She received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Le Moyne College, and her Ph.D. in chemistry from Boston College. Before coming to Elon, Jennifer worked as a chemistry consultant for Source Sentinel, LLC. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Steven. Jennifer is excited to come to Elon because she is attracted to the student-centered learning, community engagement and support of faculty research efforts both in the classroom and the laboratory.

Beth Mannella, Career Services Advising Fellow
Beth Mannella is originally from Morrisville, Pa. She holds a doctorate in education policy and leadership from Marquette University and a bachelor’s degree in management from James Madison University. She enjoys cooking, reading and adventuring in her free time. Beth is excited to come to Elon because it is an ideal opportunity for her to explore a new area in higher education.

Melissa McBane, Program Assistant, Department of Political Science, Policy Studies and Philosophy
Melissa McBane is originally from Greensboro, N.C. She received her bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Phoenix and her master’s degree from DeVry University. Previously, she worked for the Alamance County Board of Elections and Alamance Burlington School System. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Matt, and her daughter Sarah, as well as spending time at the beach and various craft projects. Melissa is excited to work for Elon because she has heard wonderful things from current employees and because of the university’s staff development opportunities.

Tracy McBane, Program Assistant for Mathematics and Statistics, Computing Sciences
Tracy McBane is originally from Graham, N.C. She received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Greensboro College and previously worked for Hospice of Alamance-Caswell. In her free time, Tracy enjoys watching basketball, reading and spending time with her family, including her husband, Todd, daughter Morgan and sons, Seth and Jason, as well as her 6-month-old grandson, Brantley.

Scott Spurlock, Assistant Professor
Scott Spurlock received his bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Florida and his master’s degree in computer science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Before coming to Elon, Scott worked as a graduate assistant at UNCC, as well as a software engineer, project manager and consultant. When he isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Michelle, and his two sons, Will and Sam. He also enjoys playing the guitar and reading. Scott is excited to work for Elon because the combination of great faculty and students, and the great North Carolina location is just what he was looking for in an employer.

Padmini Waldron, Assistant Professor of Political Science
Padmini Waldron comes to Elon after working at Sweet Briar College. She has a doctorate in political science from the University of Arizona, and is originally from Mauritius. She lives with her husband, Scott, and their two dogs, Vinnie and Bruno. In her spare time, she enjoys walking, running, hiking and reading.

Jennifer Zinchuk, Assistant Professor of English
Originally from Helena, Mont., Jennifer Zinchuk previously worked for the University of Washington-Seattle. She received her bachelor’s degree in politics and government from the University of Puget Sound, her master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from the University of Washington-Seattle and her Ph.D. in English—language and rhetoric from the University of Washington-Seattle. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys hiking, camping, photography, trying local food and breweries and spending time with her son, Nikita.

Elon’s Newest Arrivals

Jessica Clark, coordinator for violence response, and Elena Adamo welcomed daughter Lucinda Jane, on Aug. 23.
Mayte de Lama, associate professor of Spanish, and husband Rod Salazar welcomed their son, Ander, on Aug. 4.
Lindsey Owens, human resources specialist for employee relations, and husband Jonathon welcomed their son, Harper Clay, on July 26. He joins big brother Reece.