Academic Advising Staff

Academic Advising Center (AAC) staff members provide essential transition and success information for students. The AAC is responsible for POUNCE and INTRO, the registration programs for all students in their first semester at Georgia College. Additionally, academic advisors teach first-year seminars for incoming first-year students, providing support to all students who are starting their academic path at Georgia College. Advisors serve as guides throughout students’ GC journeys.

Feel free to call our office at 478-445-2361. General advising questions can also be sent to advising@gcsu.edu.

Advisor assignments

Current students can locate their assigned academic advisors name on their DegreeWorks audit or the TranGuide, located in PAWS under Student Services and then Student Records.

If you’re a returning, prospective, or incoming student — or if you’re exploring majors or minors — you can click the appropriate gray bar below to see a chart of academic advisors by major.

Currently enrolled students

Current students can locate their primary academic advisors name on the DegreeWorks audit or the TranGuide, located in PAWS under Student Services and then Student Records. Below is a list of advisors who are advising students in each academic major. 

MajorAcademic Advisor
AccountingTawana Payne
ArtMakhalath (Miki) Fahiym
Courtney McMurray
Janice Pillay
BiologyAmber Aucoin
Katie Brock
Sheila Clemmons
Wendy Gaines
Business (undeclared)Tawana Payne
ChemistryKatie Brock
Computer ScienceKathy Hill
C’Lee Long
Criminal JusticeVonya Miller
Data ScienceKathy Hill
C’Lee Long
EconomicsC’Lee Long
EnglishMakhalath (Miki) Fahiym
Janice Pillay
Elementary EducationMichael Lerzo
Environmental ScienceSheila Clemmons
Wendy Gaines
Exercise Science Shay Smith
Amanda Williams
FinanceC’Lee Long
GeographyVonya Miller
HistoryVonya Miller
Liberal StudiesJanice Pillay
ManagementKathy Hill
Ian King
Jared Moore
Management Information SystemsKathy Hill
MarketingFrances Hildenbrand
Jared Moore
Mass CommunicationMakhalath (Miki) Fahiym
Courtney McMurray
MathematicsAmber Aucoin
Sheila Clemmons
Middle Grades EducationMichael Lerzo
MusicJanice Pillay
Music TherapyJanice Pillay
NursingCandice Griffeth
Kurt Reinhard
PhilosophyJanice Pillay
PhysicsSheila Clemmons
Political ScienceVonya Miller
PsychologyAmber Aucoin
Katie Brock
Sheila Clemmons
Wendy Gaines
Public HealthShay Smith
RhetoricJanice Pillay
SociologyVonya Miller
Special EducationMichael Lerzo
TheatreJanice Pillay
UndeclaredCourtney McMurray
World Languages & CulturesMichael Lerzo

 

 

Prospective students, incoming students, and major exploration
MajorContact
AccountingTawana Payne
ArtCourtney McMurray
BiologyWendy Gaines (last names A–D)
Katie Brock (last names E–L)
Sheila Clemmons (last names M–R)
Amber Aucoin (last names S–Z)
Business (undeclared)Tawana Payne
ChemistryKatie Brock
Computer ScienceKathy Hill
Criminal JusticeVonya Miller
Data ScienceKathy Hill
EconomicsC’Lee Long
Elementary Education track (undeclared)Michael Lerzo
EnglishMakhalath (Miki) Fahiym
Environmental ScienceWendy Gaines
Exercise ScienceShay Smith    
Amanda Williams
FinanceC’Lee Long
GeographyVonya Miller
HistoryVonya Miller
Liberal StudiesJanice Pillay
ManagementIan King (last names A–L)
Jared Moore (last names M–Z)
Management Information SystemsKathy Hill
MarketingFrances Hildenbrand (last names A–L)
Jared Moore (last names M–Z)
Mass CommunicationMakhalath (Miki) Fahiym (last names A–M)
Courtney McMurray (last names N–Z)
MathematicsAmber Aucoin
Middle Grades Education track (undeclared)Michael Lerzo
MusicJanice Pillay
Music TherapyJanice Pillay
Nursing track (undeclared)Candice Griffeth (last names A–K) 
Kurt Reinhard (last names L–Z)
PhilosophyJanice Pillay
PhysicsSheila Clemmons
Political ScienceVonya Miller
PsychologyWendy Gaines (last names A–D)
Katie Brock (last names E–L)
Sheila Clemmons (last names M–R)
Amber Aucoin (last names S–Z)
Public HealthShay Smith
RhetoricJanice Pillay
SociologyVonya Miller
Special Education track (undeclared)Michael Lerzo
TheatreJanice Pillay
UndeclaredCourtney McMurray
World Languages & CulturesMichael Lerzo
Minor exploration
MinorAdvisor
African StudiesJanice Pillay
AnthropologyVonya Miller
Art History & Visual CultureCourtney McMurray
BiologyAmber Aucoin
Katie Brock
Sheila Clemmons
Wendy Gaines
Black StudiesJanice Pillay
Business AdministrationKathy Hill
CeramicsCourtney McMurray
ChemistryKatie Brock
Computer ScienceKathy Hill
Creative Music MediaJanice Pillay
Criminal JusticeVonya Miller
DanceJanice Pillay
EconomicsC’Lee Long
EnglishMakhalath (Miki) Fahiym
Environmental ScienceWendy Gaines
FinanceC’Lee Long
GeographyVonya Miller
GeologySheila Clemmons
Global Health StudiesAmanda Williams
Graphic Design Courtney McMurray
HistoryVonya Miller
Information StudiesJolene Cole (jolene.cole@gcsu.edu)
International StudiesJanice Pillay
Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino/a StudiesJanice Pillay
Legal StudiesDr. Jehan El-Jourbagy (jehan.eljourbagy@gcsu.edu)
Dr. Nicholas Creel (nicholas.creel@gcsu.edu)
LogisticsFrances Hildenbrand
Ian King
Jared Moore
ManagementIan King
Jared Moore
Management Information SystemsKathy Hill
MarketingFrances Hildenbrand
Jared Moore
MathematicsAmber Aucoin
Museum StudiesCourtney McMurray
MusicJanice Pillay
Music PrecertificationJanice Pillay
Outdoor EducationDr. Jeff Turner (jeff.turner@gcsu.edu)
PaintingCourtney McMurray
PhilosophyJanice Pillay
PhotographyCourtney McMurray
Physical EducationAmanda Williams
PhysicsSheila Clemmons
Political ScienceVonya Miller
PrintmakingCourtney McMurray
Public HealthShay Smith
RhetoricJanice Pillay
SociologyVonya Miller
TheatreJanice Pillay
Urban StudiesJanice Pillay
Women and Gender StudiesJanice Pillay

Meet Our Team

Academic Advising

Nikki Simpson, Ed.D.

Interim Director of Academic Advising
478-445-1635
Education

Ed.D., Higher Education Leadership & Practice
University of North Georgia

M.Ed., Higher Education Administration
Georgia Southern University

B.S., Psychology
Georgia College & State University

Colandra Boyer

Coordinator of Office Services
478-445-2361

Amber Aucoin

Academic Advisor III (Lead Advisor - STEM)
478-445-2403
Education

M.Ed., Professional Counseling - College Student Affairs
University of West Georgia

B.S., Psychology
University of Georgia

Katie Brock

Academic Advisor I
478-445-2763
Education

M.Ed., Early Childhood Education
Columbus State University

B.S., Early Childhood/Special Education
Mercer University

Sheila Clemmons

Academic Advisor I
478-445-4826
Education

MBA, Business Administration, Human Resource Specialization
Ashford University

B.S., Business Administration 
Ashford University

A.S., Behavioral Science
Georgia Military College

Makhalath Fahiym

Academic Advisor I
478-445-2309
Education

M.A., English
Georgia College & State University

B.A., English
Georgia College & State University

A.S., Middle Grades Education
Georgia Military College

Wendy Gaines

Academic Advisor I
478-445-2764
Education

ABJ, Public Relations
University of Georgia

Candice Griffeth

Academic Advisor I
478-445-4022
Education

M.S., Health and Human Performance
Georgia College & State University

B.S., Early Childhood Education
Georgia College & State University

A.S., General Studies
Georgia Military College

Frances Hildenbrand

Academic Advisor I
478-445-8657
Education

M.P.A., Public Administration
Georgia College & State University

B.S., Sociology
Georgia College & State University

Kathy Hill

Academic Advisor III (Lead Advisor - Business)
478-445-2310
Education

M.Ed., Instructional Technology
Georgia College & State University

B.B.A., Office Systems Communications
Georgia College & State University

A.A.S., Marketing
State University of New York at Alfred

Ian King

Academic Advisor I
478-445-6296
Education

M.A., World History 
Northeastern University

B.A., Linguistics and English 
University of California, Santa Barbara

Michael Lerzo

Academic Advisor I
478-445-6298
Education

M.A.T., Secondary Education
Georgia College & State University

B.A., Spanish
Georgia College & State University

C’Lee Long

Academic Advisor I
478-445-2634
Education

B.A., English
Young Harris College

Courtney McMurray

Academic Advisor I
478-445-8658
Education

B.S., Education, Deaf Education
Valdosta State University

Vonya Miller

Academic Advisor I
478-445-2096
Education

M.S.Ed., Higher Education
Capella University

B.A., History
Stephen F. Austin State University

Jared Moore

Academic Advisor I
478-445-6428
Education

M.S., Counseling
Palm Beach Atlantic University

B.A., Psychology
Paine College

Ryan Palmore

Academic Advisor I
478-445-2362
Education

M.S.Ed., History and Philosophy of Education 
Indiana University

B.A., Philosophy 
Indiana University 

A.S., Liberal Arts 
Ivy Tech Community College

Tawana Payne

Academic Advisor I
478-445-6294
Education

M.Ed., Counseling Psychology
Troy University

B.S., Sociology
Georgia College & State University

Janice Pillay

Academic Advisor III (Lead Advisor - Humanities and Education)
478-445-2767
Education

M.Ed., Student Personnel Services, School Counseling
University of Memphis

B.S.Ed., Elementary Education
Athens State University

A.S., Respiratory Therapy
Calhoun Community College

Kurt Reinhard

Academic Advisor I
478-445-1628
Education

M.Ed., Kinesiology 
Georgia College & State University

B.S., Physical Education
Old Dominion University 

Shay Smith

Academic Advisor I
478-445-1222
Education

M.P.A., Public Administration
Georgia College & State University

B.S., Health Education: Community Health & Human Services
Georgia College & State University

Amanda Williams

Academic Advisor III (Lead Advisor - Health Sciences)
478-445-8254
Education

M.Ed., Higher Education Administration
Georgia Southern University

B.B.A., Management
Georgia Southwestern State University