Leadership and Civic Engagement

Mission

We develop Change-makers…

Change-makers are active participants in society accountable to and responsible for the common good.  Their willingness to act and ability to lead transforms visions into reality.  In doing so, they are able to negotiate diverse views and adapt behaviors to work with others as agents of positive and ethical change.

Meet our Staff

Lindsey Woelker, M.Ed.
she, her, hers pronouns
Interim Director and Associate Director for Leadership     
l_woelke@uncg.edu
Lindsey Woelker received her B.A. from the University of Michigan, focusing on psychology and environmental science.  She holds a M.Ed. in Student Affairs and Higher Education from Loyola University Chicago.  While in graduate school, Lindsey served on the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership research team and published an article focused on social perspective-taking and its influence on student leadership development.  Prior to joining UNCG, Lindsey was the Associate Director for Student Life at St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX.  There, she oversaw student leadership programs and taught courses on various topics related to leadership development.  Lindsey is heavily influenced by her undergraduate involvement in Michigan’s Alternative Spring Break program, where she experienced the inherent connection between leadership and service and has since sought to incorporate community engagement into all of the leadership programs she creates.  At UNCG, Lindsey oversees the Leadership Challenge portfolio, supports leadership conferences, and works to institutionalize UNCG’s Leadership Framework and the 8 competencies of a UNCG student leader.  Lindsey hopes to instill a sense of purpose and passion in the next generation of leaders, allowing them to realize their potential and become agents of positive social change in their communities.

Kristina Gage, M.Ed.
she, her, hers pronouns
Associate Director for Civic Engagement
kmsnader@uncg.edu

Kristina Gage serves as the Associate Director for Civic Engagement in the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement. In this role she provides leadership for community service, civic learning, and democratic engagement efforts through a variety of programs and initiatives. Kristina builds partnerships with local non-profits, national non-partisan organizations, and governmental agencies to provide service and civic opportunities for students and to address important issues in Greensboro and beyond. Kristina earned her Masters of Education in Student Affairs Practice in Higher Education from the University of Virginia. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Justice Studies from James Madison University. A two-time AmeriCorps VISTA, Kristina has experience working in the non-profit sector and has served in both the Office of Community Engagement at The College of William & Mary and the Bonner Center for Community Service and Learning at Guilford College. Through her professional and volunteer experiences, Kristina has learned the power of community partnerships to both create positive social change and transformative learning experiences.

April Marshall, M.S., NCC
she, her, hers pronouns
Assistant Director for Leader Development
aamarsha@uncg.edu 

April Marshall is the Assistant Director for Leadership Development.  She manages the Peer Leader Educator’s (PLE) program, student leadership conferences, and the Silver Leadership Challenge program.  April’s passion for leadership development began during her service in the U.S. Air Force, where she served both active duty and active reserve terms of enlistment, strengthening her ability to lead, to follow, and to manage enlisted men and women within the moral framework of integrity, service, and excellence.  Originally from southern California, April has been a Spartan since 2007, when she moved to North Carolina to attend UNCG to finish her B.A. in English.  After working in high school education for five years, she earned her M.S. in College Counseling and Student Development through UNCG’s Counseling and Educational Development program and has become a Nationally Certified Counselor.  April hopes to use her military, teaching, and counseling experience to offer UNCG students the opportunity to discover their strengths, follow their passions, and to engage as change-makers in a global community.

Katelyn Bodwell, M.A.
she, her, hers pronouns
Assistant Director for Civic Engagement
k_bodwel@uncg.edu

Katelyn Bodwell serves as the Assistant Director for Civic Engagement in the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement. In this role she provides leadership for community engagement efforts through a variety of programs including, Catalyst, Spartan Day of Service, and MLK Day of Service. Prior to joining UNCG, Katelyn was a Coordinator with the Center for Leadership and Service at Florida International University in Miami, FL.  There, she advised leadership and philanthropy organizations, including Roarthon- FIU’s Dance Marathon and Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society.  Katelyn earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Rollins College, then a Masters of Arts in Educational Leadership- Higher Education/Student Personnel from the University of Central Florida. As two-time AmeriCorps member, Katelyn has served with the Hope CommUnity Center in Apopka, FL, and United Way in Alexandria, VA. Through all of her professional and volunteer experiences, Katelyn has been dedicated to building the capacity and impact of programs focused around leadership and community engagement so that students may become action-oriented citizens in their communities and beyond.

Michelle Morales
she, her, hers pronouns
Administrative Assistant
rmmorale@uncg.edu

Wally Vinson
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Coordinator for Global Engagement
gwvinson@uncg.edu

Wally received a master’s degree in Liberal Studies from UNCG. He also holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Elon University. As Coordinator for Global Engagement, Wally works to bring UNCG’s commitment to global learning to OLCE programs. He is involved in all levels of the OLCE Leadership Challenge program serving as a facilitator and coach. In addition he works with community partners through the Gold Leadership Challenge. Prior to joining OLCE, Wally worked in corporate learning and development.

Emily Koester
she, her, hers pronouns
Hunger Capacity Coordinator AmeriCorps VISTA
ejkoester@uncg.edu

Emily is the Hunger Capacity Coordinator AmeriCorps VISTA in both the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement and the Wesley-Luther Spartan Open Pantry. Through this role, she will work to grow the capacity on UNCG’s campus to effectively reduce food insecurity among students, faculty, and staff. Emily will work through Spartan Open Pantry, Farmer Foodshare, and several civic engagement events to achieve this goal. Emily received her B.A. in Environmental Studies and a minor in Biology at UNC Chapel Hill. As an undergraduate, she worked to improve UNC Chapel Hill’s energy sustainability and food accessibility through student-run clubs which continues to inspire her work here at UNCG. Emily hopes to increase awareness and destigmatize food and basic-need insecurity on UNCG’s campus by successfully growing both the organizations and the valuable partnerships that rise to meet those needs.

Will Muehl
they, them pronouns
Graduate Intern for Leadership
wwmuehl@uncg.edu

Will earned an MA in Peace and Conflict Studies with a concentration in International Peace Development in 2015 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D in Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations at UNCG. Their research interests revolve around queer education policy, peer education ethics, curriculum development, and phenomenology.  In addition to their role as Graduate Intern for Leadership in OLCE, Will is also the Graduate Assistant for Grogan Residential College overseeing Student Mentoring, Program Assessment, and Student Traditions.  They are a Certified Peer Education Trainer through NASPA where they train undergraduate students in various leadership, health, and wellness related competencies in an effort to create critical and long lasting community change.  Will is also a huge nerd with varied interests relating to Harry Potter, Sailor Moon, and loves to spend time with their temperamental pet cat.

Juwan Jacobs
he, him, his pronouns
Graduate Assistant for Leadership
jljacob6@uncg.edu

Juwan is a graduate student in the Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education program at UNCG. As the Graduate Assistant for Leadership, he oversees the Bronze Leadership Challenge, and facilitates several leadership conference workshops and supports students though the Bronze Leadership Challenge program. Juwan is originally from Chesterfield, VA, and spent the last four years in Norfolk, VA earning his Bachelor of Science in Lifespan Communications from Old Dominion University and serving as the Student Body Vice President for ODU. He found his passion for student affairs at ODU throughout his many leadership positions and is committed to making sure that every student’s experience in college is nothing short of impactful.

Autumn Cox
she, her, hers pronouns
Graduate Assistant for Civic Engagement
arcox3@uncg.edu

Autumn is a graduate student in the Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education Program at UNCG. As the Graduate Assistant for Civic Engagement, she coordinates the Civic Engagement Academy, hires and oversees student Democracy Fellows, as well as supports the planning and implementation of campus-wide community service and civic engagement efforts. She spent the last five years in Harrisonburg, VA earning her Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies from James Madison University, then serving the institution as an Engagement Fellow for a year. She found her passion for community engagement through undergraduate involvement on and off campus in the Harrisonburg community through various service roles. She believes strongly in helping students find their passion through practical and mutually beneficial community engagement and civic learning.

Zach Bell 
he, him, his pronouns
Graduate Assistant for Leadership
zabell@uncg.edu

Zach is a graduate student in the Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education program at UNCG. As the Graduate Assistant for Leadership, he supervises the Peer Leadership Educator program, facilitates several leadership conference workshops and supports students though the Silver Leadership Challenge program. Zach is originally from Lexington, NC, earned his Bachelor of Arts in History with a Social Studies Licensure from UNCG and was previously working as a high school history teacher at Smith High School in Greensboro. He found her passion for student leadership development at UNCG as a student leader, serving as an alumni and off campus advisor for a fraternity at UNCG, and by being involved with the alumni association. Zach strives to have a powerful impact on the next generation of leaders by promoting a growth mindset and helping students find their “why.”

The Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement, in collaboration with the Gender Diversity Working Group, is committed to affirming the lives of and promoting social justice for Trans and Non-Binary people. We have created a comprehensive toolkit to support gender diverse students, located here: https://bit.ly/2Z0EaAc.