Director
Dr. Beth Spencer
Dr. Beth Spencer worked at Georgia Tech for 10 years in a number of roles, including Senior Assistant Director for the Center for Academic Success (CAS); Pre-Teaching advisor (she was our first); and Academic Advisor II in Biomedical Engineering. Most recently, she served as the Director of the Center for Academic Success at the University of West Georgia. She holds a Ph.D. in History from Georgia State University, a M.Ed. in Adult Education from the University of Georgia, and a M.A. in Modern Social History from the University of Lancaster (UK).
Beth collaborates closely with the Complete College Georgia-Georgia Tech (CCG-GT) steering committee to ensure alignment of academic advising with CCG strategies. She works closely with the Registrar’s Office on the development and communication of academic policy and curriculum updates as they relate to advising. Finally, she serves as Georgia Tech’s representative on the USG’s Regent’s Advisory Committee on Academic Advising (RACAD) and advises GTAAN and other campus partners.
Advising & Academic Coaching
Nicole Leonard
Assistant Director for Advising & Coaching
nicole.leonard@gatech.edu
Nicole brings 15 years of advising experience at Georgia Tech to this role. She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Clayton State University and Certification as a Co-Active Coach. She joined the Honors Program shortly after its founding in 2006, serving as Assistant to the Director and then Academic Advisor before assuming her current role as Advising & Outreach Manager for the Honors Program in 2017. Nicole has advised and mentored generations of Honors Program students from all majors. During this time, she has also pursued additional leadership training through participation in the Georgia Tech ASPIRE program, Center for Deliberate Innovation Change Accelerator, and Inclusive Leaders Academy. Nicole has served as a Georgia Tech Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Leadership Fellow Coach for several years and as an instructor for several courses, including GT 1000, GT special topic, GT innovation internship, and Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) courses. She has been a member of the Georgia Tech Academic Advisor Network (GTAAN) since 2008, serving as Vice President of Programming from 2012-2014, and a member of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) since 2009, delivering a paper “I Got it from NACADA: Incorporating Life Coaching Techniques into an Advisor’s Toolbox” at a regional conference in 2016. She was recently recognized by the Women of Georgia Tech Employee Resource Group as a L.O.V.E (Living Our Values Every Day) Nominee.
Stephanie Aluko
Exploratory Advisor
stephanie.aluko@gatech.edu
Stephanie Aluko has been working with exploring/undecided students for three and a half years. Her interest in combining advising theory and student developmental theory led to unique approaches to helping students gain autonomy and confidence in pursing their interests. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in English Literature, from the University of West Georgia. She also received her Master of Public Administration at the University of West Georgia.
Stephanie is also interested in multicultural competencies and has presented at regional and national conferences with the National Academic Advising Association to help educate advisors on ways to gain awareness of biases and micro aggressions to remove barriers in advisor and student interactions.
Crystal Fowler
Academic Coordinator I
crystal.fowler@gatech.edu
Crystal Fowler earned her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a Concentration in Management from Southern Polytechnic State University (post consolidation known as Kennesaw State). Crystal has been working in higher education for 4 and a half years across different departments at Georgia State University. Recently while at State; she worked in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions as an Enrollment Services Assistant assuring students exceptional customer service and rapid decisions to ensure their success at the institution. While she was able to adapt to the office’s ever changing environment, she decided it was time for a transition of her own. As a new edition to Georgia Tech; she plans to use all that she has learned and creative skills to ensure the success of the students and the advisors of the OUE.
Aside from her university duties, Crystal enjoys volunteering, reading, enjoying different genres of music and is excited to begin her first year as a professional dancer performing with the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream Shooting Stars dance team.
Sydnee Henry
Academic Coach
shenry39@gatech.edu
Sydnee Henry earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Georgia Tech and is currently pursuing her Master’s of Architecture degree. With her degrees, Sydnee hopes to aid in diversifying the field of Architecture and Design. While in undergrad she worked for the Office of Minority Education and Development as an EDGE Mentor and a Challenge counselor. Her roles in OMED fostered her love for helping other students and pushing them to be their best and authentic selves. Aside from studying and work, Sydnee spends her time watching anime, traveling , and helping her little sister with her homework.
De'Angelo Neely
Academic CoachFinancial Administrator III (Office of the Provost/Executive Vice Provost for Academic Affairs)
De’Angelo earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Juvenile Law and his Master of Communications degree from Lindenwood University in Saint Louis, MO. Before coming to Georgia Tech, he worked in Finance for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. His time there prepared him for a career in Academia which started in April 2015.
De’Angelo, continues to work in Finance for the Provost Office and in additional to his main role he works as an Academic Coach and GT 1000 Instructor. He was awarded GT 1000 Instructor of the Year 2020 and will continue his work as a resource and ally to the Tech community..
Patricia Rangel
Academic Coach
patricia.rangel@gatech.edu
Patricia Rangel's twenty-four-year career in education has led me from Birmingham, Alabama, to Australia, East Timor, and Seattle, Washington. I have taught everything from preschool to graduate school and maintained a foot in the creative world during the duration. Over a year ago Atlanta became home and in 2020, I began a second career where I am currently earning a Master in Architecture from Georgia Tech. I was fortunate enough to be the child of two Colombian immigrants who, despite their own limited opportunities, made sacrifices to ensure I had a quality education and enriching life experiences.
Chelsea Scoffone
Academic Coach
muhlhahn@gatech.edu
404-894-1945
Chelsea has a diverse background in higher education and scholarship program administration. In her current role, she manages the recruitment and selection process for the Stamps President’s and Gold Scholarships, the First-Year Retreat and Outdoor Leadership Tech Treks and assists with other programmatic responsibilities such as student mentorship, academic support, and student development initiatives. She has a strong passion for working with students and helping them develop both personally and professionally during their time at Tech. Prior to coming to Tech, she served as an assistant director of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of California, Berkeley. She also served with both the US-UK Fulbright Commission in London and the National Scholars Program at Clemson University. Chelsea holds a Bachelor‘s of Science degree from East Tennessee State University, a Master’s of Education from Clemson University and is currently working on her PhD in Counseling and Student Personnel Services at the University of Georgia. In addition, she is a professional sexual assault prevention educator, making several presentations annually across the United States. In her free time, Chelsea enjoys coffee, cycling, anything involving the outdoors, and both international and domestic travel.
Transition Programs
Savitra Dow
Academic Transition Program & Operations ManagerDr. Lacy Hodges
Assistant Director, Academic Transition ProgramsLacy Hodges earned her Ph.D., M.A., and B.A. in English from the University of Florida. Before coming to Georgia Tech in 2014, she served as an Assistant Professor of English, teaching literature, writing, and media studies. In her current role, Lacy oversees the GT 1000 and GT 2000 programs, which guide and support our incoming first-year and transfer students as they begin their journeys at Georgia Tech. Her areas of interest include student development theory, curriculum development, inclusive teaching practices, and student transitions.
In addition to her work with GT 1000 and 2000, Lacy is also a Gallup-certified Strengths coach and is part of Georgia Tech’s Effective Team Dynamics Initiative, helping to develop and facilitate workshops for students, faculty, and staff using Strengths to build effective teams.
