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
Sheila Clemmons
Wendy Gaines
Business (undeclared)Tawana Payne
ChemistrySheila Clemmons
Computer ScienceKathy Hill
C’Lee Long
Criminal JusticeRyan Palmore
Data ScienceKathy Hill
C’Lee Long
EconomicsC’Lee Long
EnglishMakhalath (Miki) Fahiym
Janice Pillay
Elementary EducationMichael Lerzo
Environmental ScienceSheila Clemmons
Wendy Gaines
Exercise Science: Fitness & Performance ConcentrationShay Smith
Exercise Science: Pre-Professional ConcentrationAmanda Williams
Exercise Science: Sports Medicine ConcentrationShay Smith
FinanceC’Lee Long
GeographyRyan Palmore
HistoryRyan Palmore
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
Michael Lerzo
Middle Grades EducationMichael Lerzo
MusicJanice Pillay
Music TherapyJanice Pillay
NursingAshley Devero
Kurt Reinhard
PhilosophyJanice Pillay
PhysicsSheila Clemmons
Political ScienceRyan Palmore
PsychologyAmber Aucoin
Sheila Clemmons
Wendy Gaines
Michael Lerzo
Public HealthShay Smith
RhetoricJanice Pillay
SociologyRyan Palmore
Special EducationMichael Lerzo
TheatreJanice Pillay
UndeclaredCourtney McMurray
World Languages & CulturesMichael Lerzo
Janice Pillay

 

 

Prospective students, incoming students, and major exploration
MajorContact
AccountingTawana Payne
ArtCourtney McMurray
BiologyWendy Gaines (last names A–L)
Sheila Clemmons (last names M–R)
Amber Aucoin (last names S–Z)
Business (undeclared)Tawana Payne
ChemistrySheila Clemmons
Computer ScienceKathy Hill
Criminal JusticeRyan Palmore
Data ScienceKathy Hill
EconomicsC’Lee Long
Elementary Education track (undeclared)Michael Lerzo
EnglishMakhalath (Miki) Fahiym
Environmental ScienceWendy Gaines
Exercise Science: Fitness and Performance ConcentrationShay Smith
Exercise Science: Pre-Professional ConcentrationAmanda Williams
Exercise Science: Sports Medicine ConcentrationShay Smith
FinanceC’Lee Long
GeographyRyan Palmore
HistoryRyan Palmore
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)Ashley Devero (last names A–K) 
Kurt Reinhard (last names L–Z)
PhilosophyJanice Pillay
PhysicsSheila Clemmons
Political ScienceRyan Palmore
PsychologyWendy Gaines (last names A–D)
Sheila Clemmons (last names M–R)
Amber Aucoin (last names E–L, S–Z)
Public HealthShay Smith
RhetoricJanice Pillay
SociologyJanice Pillay
Special Education track (undeclared)Michael Lerzo
TheatreJanice Pillay
UndeclaredCourtney McMurray
World Languages & CulturesMichael Lerzo
Minor exploration
MinorAdvisor
AnthropologyJanice Pillay
Art History & Visual CultureCourtney McMurray
BiologyAmber Aucoin
Sheila Clemmons
Wendy Gaines
Black StudiesJanice Pillay
Business AdministrationKathy Hill
CeramicsCourtney McMurray
ChemistrySheila Clemmons
Computer ScienceKathy Hill
Creative Music MediaJanice Pillay
Criminal JusticeRyan Palmore
DanceJanice Pillay
EconomicsC’Lee Long
EnglishMakhalath (Miki) Fahiym
Environmental ScienceWendy Gaines
FinanceC’Lee Long
French Language & CultureMichael Lerzo
GeographyRyan Palmore
GeologySheila Clemmons
Global Health StudiesAmanda Williams
Graphic Design Courtney McMurray
HistoryRyan Palmore
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 ScienceRyan Palmore
PrintmakingCourtney McMurray
Public HealthShay Smith
RhetoricJanice Pillay
SociologyRyan Palmore
Spanish Language & CultureMichael Lerzo
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

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

Ashley Devero

Academic Advisor I
478-445-4022
Education

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

B.S., Middle Grades Education 
Georgia State University

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

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

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

Sierra Ponder

Academic Advisor I
478-445-2763
Education

M.Ed, Sport and Exercise Psychology 
Springfield College

B.A., Psychology 
Centenary College of Louisiana

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