In 2022, a group of faculty, staff, students and alumni were selected to participate on the Mentoring Initiatives Design Team. President Book charged the MDT to:

  • Envision an infrastructure to provide all students with multiple pathways, skills, and agency to build meaningful relationships and mentoring networks, and
  • Design, pilot, and suggest steps for a multi-year plan devoted to supporting student, faculty, and staff capacities for high-quality mentoring, including but not limited to structures of support, considered how the university curriculum, co-curricular offerings, and community partnerships are connected to these efforts.

Originally divided into three subcommittees (co-curricular, curricular and integration) the team was organized into Working Groups starting in spring 2023: Academic Advising, Access & Equity, First-Year/Elon 1010, Graduate Students, Peer Mentoring and Shared Governance.

In fall 2024 the team released its final report detailing its work over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years and offering recommendations for future mentoring in meaningful relationships endeavors.

Executive Team

  • * co-chair
  • consultant
  • pilot lead
  • Buffie Longmire-Avital

    Professor of Psychology and Director of the Black Lumen Project

  • Emily Krechel

    Director of New Student Programs

  • Olivia Choplin

    Associate Professor of French and Associate Director of the Center for Advancement of Teaching and Learning

  • Jonathan McElderry

    Dean of Student Inclusive Excellence and Assistant Professor

  • Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler

    Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Research on Global Engagement

  • Peter Felten

    Assistant Provost for Teaching and Learning, Executive Director of the Center for Engaged Learning, and Professor of History


Project Manager

  • Mary Southern

    Project Manager for Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships


Team Members

  • pilot lead
  • Amy Allocco

    Professor of Religious Studies

  • Bethany Brinkman

    Associate Professor of Engineering

  • Kenneth Brown Jr.

    Assistant Director, First-Generation Student Support Services

  • Anita Bryant

    Program Assistant, Office of Academic Advising

  • Brooke Buffington

    Assistant Vice President for Student Professional Development Center

  • Michael Carignan

    Professor of History

  • Jeff Carpenter

    William S. Long Professor and Professor of Education

  • Paula DiBiasio

    Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Education

  • Colin Donohue

    Director of Student Engagement and Special Projects and Assistant Professor of Journalism

  • Marcus Elliott

    Director of Odyssey Scholars Program

  • Brian Feeley

    Assistant Vice President for University Advancement

  • Raymond Fletcher

    Senior Director for Facilities Management

  • Helen Grant

    Professor of Law at the Elon University School of Law

  • Jennifer Hamel

    Associate Professor of Biology and Associate Director of Undergraduate Research

  • Scott Hayward

    Associate Professor of Management

  • Elena Kennedy

    Doherty Emerging Professor of Entrepreneurship and Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship

  • Alexa Milan

    Associate Director of Marketing Communications

  • Cherrel Miller Dyce

    Associate Professor and Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education

  • Sylvia Munoz

    Assistant Dean of Students/Director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education

  • Karen Neff

    Associate Director of Elon Charlotte

  • Destiny Payne

    Assistant Director for New Student Programs

  • Brandy Propst

    Director of Elon 1010 and Assistant Director of Academic Advising

  • Jodean Schmiederer

    Dean of Student Development and Assistant Professor

  • David Scobey

    Director of Bringing Theory to Practice and Visiting Professor

  • Marilyn Slade

    Administrative Assistant for Student Life

  • Kim Stokes

    Associate Professor of Physician Assistant Studies and Department Chair/Program Director for the Dept of Physician Assistant Studies

  • Paul Tongsri

    Assistant Dean for Student Success and Retention

  • Kathy Ziga

    Director of Academic Advising