Honors Carolina Team
The Honors Carolina staff includes a team of academic professionals who are committed to undergraduate excellence. Please let us know how we can help you make the most of your Carolina experience.
James Leloudis
Professor of History
Peter T. Grauer Associate Dean for Honors Carolina
Director of the James M. Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence
Dean Leloudis provides overall leadership for Honors Carolina and the Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence. He is an award-winning professor of History whose teaching and research focus on late-19th and 20th-century America. Dean Leloudis graduated from Carolina in History with highest honors, and then earned a master’s degree at Northwestern University and a PhD from Carolina.
Gabriela Valdivia
Professor of Geography
Assistant Dean for Honors Carolina
Dean Valdivia coordinates the selection of Honors Carolina students and is responsible for Honors course programming and extracurricular activities. Her research examines the political dimensions of natural resource governance in Latin America: how Latin American states, firms, and civil society appropriate and transform resources to meet their interests, and how capturing and putting resources to work transforms cultural and ecological communities. She grew up in Peru and conducted ethnographic research in Ecuador and Bolivia, and brings these experiences into her introductory courses on Latin America and advanced undergraduate courses on the political ecology of rural Latin America. Dean Valdivia earned her undergraduate degree from Macalester College, her master’s from UNC-Chapel Hill, and her PhD degree from the University of Minnesota.
Thomas Freeman
Teaching Associate Professor of Chemistry
Executive Director of the Chancellor’s Science Scholars
Thomas Freeman’s training is at the nexus of biochemistry, bioinformatics, and biophysics, all of which can be used to help answer fundamental questions about the mechanistic details of how proteins function and interact with each other and their environment. Using interdisciplinary strategies to answer scientific inquiries have manifested in his taking a similar evidence-based, multi-faceted approach to teaching. Professor Freeman earned his undergraduate degree from Xavier University, and his PhD degree from Tulane.
Benjamin Waterhouse
Associate Professor of History and Grauer Scholar
Director of the Office of Distinguished Scholarships
Ben Waterhouse is a scholar, instructor, and mentor who works closely with Carolina students and alumni applying for nationally competitive fellowships and scholarships. As Director of the Office of Distinguished Scholarships (ODS), he runs the selection committees for most of UNC’s endorsed scholarships, including the Marshall, Mitchell, Rhodes, Knight-Hennessy, Goldwater, Churchill, and Luce. He teaches courses on the history of business and economics, politics and political thought, and capitalism. Professor Waterhouse earned his undergraduate degree from Princeton, and his master’s and PhD degrees from Harvard.
Todd K. Ballenger
Director of Alumni and Career Networks
Todd Ballenger manages the development of the new Go Anywhere software platform, alumni and career networks, and ongoing curriculum designed to create a richer student experience that leads to a more fulfilling and productive post graduate career. He is a serial entrepreneur, published author and national growth and development coach. Todd holds a bachelor’s degree from UNC’s Kenan Flagler business school with a minor in computer science.
Amanda Brumfield
Professional Development and Career Coach
Amanda is an Honors Carolina Coach with expertise in law and the public sector. She provides guidance to students as they explore academic and career goals, and helps them identify learning opportunities, inside and outside of the classroom, that will prepare them for employment or postgraduate study. Prior to joining the Honors Carolina team, she worked as an attorney with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in Washington, DC, and clerked for a federal judge in West Virginia. Amanda is originally from Connecticut and holds a law degree from New York University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in political science and human rights from the University of Connecticut.
Isabelle Christensson
Associate Director for Development for Honors Carolina
Isabelle Christensson works with development for Honors Carolina. In this role, she builds and maintains relationships with alumni and friends who provide philanthropic support to the program. Isabelle has studied business and marketing at the University of Gothenburg, and holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Fayetteville State University.
Jason Clemmons
Director of Curriculum, Recruitment, and Operations
Jason Clemmons leads the Honors Carolina staff and supervises all aspects of the program and the Johnston Center’s daily operations. He also serves on the College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Staff Advisory Committee, acts as executive assistant for the Alpha of North Carolina chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, facilitates the Dunlevie Honors Colloquium each spring, and leads the Honors Carolina PRIDE group. Jason holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Carolina.
Jennifer Cole
Jennifer Cole is an Honors Carolina Coach with over 20 years’ experience providing career strategies and solutions to students and alumni at Johns Hopkins University, Wheelock College, and UNC. For the past 13 years, Jennifer served as the Director for Career Development in the Department of Maternal and Child Health at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She comes from a belief that we each have a lot to offer and there is space for all of our talents and contributions. Empowering students to identify, appreciate, and convey their unique skills and reach their full potential is a passion that Jennifer works hard to accomplish. She has master’s degrees from the University of South Florida in Public Health and Social Work. Outside of work Jennifer likes to spend time with family, rollerblade, and has recently become involved in improv.
Anne Collins
Senior Associate Director of Development for the College of Arts & Sciences
Executive Director of the Arts & Sciences Foundation
Anne Collins is responsible for leading the Arts and Sciences Foundation. She joined the Arts and Sciences Foundation in 2011 as the major gift officer for Honors Carolina. She holds a bachelor’s degree in religious studies and a minor in bioethics from the University of Virginia.
Gina Difino
Director of Global Education and Fellowships
Gina Difino provides guidance to students embarking on international experiences and works with faculty to develop new programs around the globe. She holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Grinnell College and a master’s degree in international education from SIT Graduate Institute.
Matt Eckler
Global Marketing and Programs Assistant
Matt is responsible for providing marketing and program assistance for students who wish to travel abroad with Honors Carolina. He spent a semester abroad himself in Havana, Cuba and ho9lds a bachelor’s degree in management and a minor in Spanish from Siena College.
Andre Evans
Building Custodian
Andre Evans oversees the facilities maintenance of Graham Memorial, including housekeeping services, safety systems, equipment, and repairs. Andre also manages the event setup for activities hosted in the building.
Meghan Gosk
Director of Will Froelich Honors Fellowship Program
Meghan provides academic, career, and project guidance to the students who are admitted to the Will Froelich Honors Fellowship Program. These Fellows are selected as they share Will Froelich’s intellectual curiosity, sense of adventure and passion for civic engagement and impact. Meghan works with the Fellows to determine how they can best utilize their $7500 awards, such as global programs, research, internships, or other academic opportunities where learning and positive impact intersect. Meghan has spent most of her career at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, working in MBA Admissions, Student Engagement, Global Programs, and Career & Leadership. She has her doctorate in Higher Education Administration from North Carolina State University where she wrote her dissertation on the longitudinal impact of service-learning through UNC’s APPLES Program. Meghan grew up in Massachusetts and has undergraduate and master’s degrees from Boston College. She and her husband Chris live in Chapel Hill and have two daughters Taylor (UNC 2021) and Kelley (Elon 2023).
Carmen Marable
Program Assistant, Office of Distinguished Scholarships
Carmen Marable is a PhD candidate studying neuroscience. Her research examines the developmental origins of child neuronal developmental delay and disorders. She was a 2013-2015 Maximizing Access to Research Careers Scholar, a 2017-2019 ORISE Research Fellow with the US Environmental Protection Agency, and was most recently awarded an NIH ECHO grant in 2020 to conduct her doctoral research here at UNC. In her spare time, Carmen enjoys hiking and trying new recipes. She is elated to assist you in securing your next scholarship through advising and document feedback!
Erin Marcinowski
Assistant Director of Recruitment
Special Assistant to the Honors Deans
Erin Marcinowski serves as administrative liaison for the Honors Carolina deans, providing executive-level support and program coordination. She manages recruiting events and visits, conducts new student orientation workshops, and is the primary public contact for program inquiries. Erin holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Mount Olive.
Jenn Marshburn
Enrolled Student Services Coordinator
Jenn Marshburn coordinates an array of student services, from course registration to Senior Honors Thesis reporting. Jenn holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Meredith College.
Will Martin
Building and Environmental Technician
Will Martin maintains Graham Memorial as the “university’s living room” by attending to the custodial needs of our classrooms, offices, and event spaces. Will also assists with event preparation for events hosted in the building.
Michael Norwood
Professional Development and Career Coach
Michael provides guidance to students as they explore academic and career goals, and helps them identify learning opportunities, inside and outside of the classroom, that will prepare them for employment or postgraduate study. Michael was a financial consultant for 28 years before joining Honors Carolina. He was lucky enough to have played under Coach Dean Smith and Coach Roy Williams during his time at UNC where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics.
Noelle-Erin Romero
Program Coordinator, Chancellor’s Science Scholars
Noelle-Erin Romero received her B.S. in biochemistry and molecular biology from Ursinus College. She received her Ph.D. from the curriculum of genetics and molecular biology (GMB) in 2016 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research focused on the Drosophila melanogaster DNA repair protein Fancm. While in her Ph.D. program, Dr. Romero was a graduate program assistant for the Initiative for Minority Excellence (IME), a participant in the Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD), and earned research fellowships and training grants through IMSD, GMB, the National Science Foundation, and The Royster Society at The Graduate School at UNC.
Ann Taylor Shaw
Recruitment & Communications Coordinator, Chancellor’s Science Scholars
Prior to joining the CSS team at Carolina, Ann Taylor spent five years as an undergraduate admissions counselor for the City University of New York, CUNY. Through her work in admissions, she developed a strong affinity for connecting students with resources to help them achieve their goals. She is particularly enthusiastic about advocating for students from underrepresented backgrounds and is delighted to continue that work with the Chancellor’s Science Scholars. She earned a B.A. in Communication with a double major in Public Relations and Economics from the University of Alabama, and a master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in program analysis and evaluation from Baruch College.
Bryan Yackulic
Professional Development and Career Coach &
Go Anywhere Platform Administrator
Bryan is the primary administrator for the Go Anywhere Platform, Honors Carolina’s digital network for students, alumni, employers, faculty and staff. He also provides guidance to students as they explore academic and career goals, and helps them identify learning opportunities that will prepare them for employment or postgraduate study. Bryan specializes in cross-generational leadership, and has given a TEDx talk on the subject. Bryan has a doctoral degree in business administration (DBA) from Wilmington University, a master’s degree in science management (MSM) from the American College of Financial Services, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration (BBA) with a major in finance from James Madison University.
Vacant
Director of Student Development and Co-Curricular Programming
The Director of Student Development and Co-Curricular Programming develops and maintains an active Honors Carolina network that connects currently enrolled students with Honors Carolina alumni, parents, and friends, while also overseeing co-curricular programs for Honors Carolina students.
Vacant
Events and Client Services Manager
The Events & Client Services Manager is responsible for planning and coordinating all Honors Carolina events, communicating with clients on Graham Memorial reservation space and availability, and managing building access and security.
