Orientation Professional Staff

Tisha McCoy-Ntiamoah

Interim Director

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Schools Attended:

University of Kansas, Business Administration

University of Maryland - College Park, College Student Personnel Administration

Favorite Quote: "The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become." ~Charles Dubois

Email: mccoyta@jmu.edu

My role as the director is to: support the university mission, vision and values through programming efforts that engage new students and set academic and social expectations for their collegiate experience; provide vision for the development, planning and implementation of programs to help new students acclimate to the JMU community; engender support and collaboration from campus constituents to facilitate successful orientation programs; and empower the departmental professional and student staff to serve incoming students and their families.

Sarah Barnes

Assistant Director - Programming

Hometown: Harrisonburg , Virginia

Schools Attended:

James Madison University, Communication Studies

Bowling Green State University , College Student Personnel

Favorite Quote: "I am only one but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do." ~Helen Keller

Email: barnesse@jmu.edu

As the Assistant Director of Programming I have the opportunity to collaborate with key stakeholders in the JMU community to create the Transfer and First Year Summer Springboard programs and the Transfer and First Year 1787 August Orientation experience. I also coordinate Madison Transfer, a resource area dedicated to serving the needs of prospective, incoming, and currently enrolled transfer students.

Dan Murphy

Interim Assistant Director

Hometown: Kalamazoo, Michigan

Schools Attended:

Western Michigan University, Music/Organizational Communication

James Madison University, Counseling Psychology (CSPA)

Favorite Quote: "I swore never to be silent whenever human beings endure suffering and humiliation.  We must always take sides.  Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.  Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." ~Elie Wiessel

Email: murph2dw@jmu.edu

I provide vision and direction to the student staff experience through collaboration with the Coordinator of Student Staff, the Graduate Assistant for Programming & Student Staff and various campus partners.  I also serve as the office liaison on campus-wide projects including the AlcoholEDU implementation team and Student Affairs diversity initiatives. 

Debbie Pine

Assistant Director - Operations

Hometown: Mt. Crawford , Virginia

School Attended:

Madison College (JMU), Sociology

Favorite Quote: "A friend is one before whom I may think aloud." ~R.W. Emerson

Email: pinedf@jmu.edu

I oversee the Operations branch of the Orientation Office through coordination, staff supervision and delegation with a focus on customer service, orientation reservations, technical functions, clerical support, fiscal accountability, and essential logistics of the day-to-day and long term functioning of our office. 

Denise Cooper

Administrative & Operations Specialist

Hometown: Dryfork, West Virginia

Schools Attended:

Randolph County Vocational/Technical Center, Distributed Cooperative Training (DCT)

Davis & Elkins College, Computer Science/Business Administration

Favorite Quote: "Reach for the moon and you will land among the stars!"

Email: cooperdm@jmu.edu

I specialize in coordinating all Orientation reservations for Summer Springboard Orientation, 1787 Orientation and December Transfer Orientation.  This includes all change of major request, change of date request and fielding a variety of questions from students and their families concerning their JMU Admissions and Orientation.  I also supervise the operations student staff: Orientation Operations Assistants (OOAs) and the Operations Assistant Coordinator (OAC), while maintaining a high-functioning, well-organized, efficient, service-oriented office system.

Kevin Gibson

Interim Coordinator - Student Staff

Hometown: Virginia Beach, Virginia

Schools Attended:

James Madison University, Public Policy & Administration

Miami University - Ohio, College Student Personnel

Favorite Quote: "If someone asks you to walk with them for one mile, go with them for two."

Email: gibsonkc@jmu.edu

I have the privilege of working as the Coordinator of Student Staff!  That means my role on our team is to recruit, select, supervise, and train the Student Orientation Coordinators (SOCs), Assisting New Transfer Students (ANTs), Orientation Peer Advisers (OPAs), and First yeaR Orientation Guides (FROGs).  Go DUKES!

Kristen Egan

Graduate Assistant Web & Publications

Hometown: Perkasie, Pennsylvania

Schools attended: 

James Madison University, Media Arts & Design

James Madison University. College Student Personnel Administration

Favorite Quote: "The most wasted of all days is one without laughter" - E.E. Cummings

Email: egankk@jmu.edu

As the Graduate Assistant for Web and Publications, I am primarily responsible for maintaining, creating, coordinating and collaborating with others on all of Orientation's Web sites and publications, which include the One Book, the Transfer One Book, and other departmental publications. I also assist with any Orientation programming as needed. 

Andy Felton

Graduate Assistant - Student Staff & Programming

Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin

Schools Attended:

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Psychology

James Madison University, Counseling Psychology

Favorite Quotes: "And remember, no matter where you go, there you are." ~Confucius and "There's no where you can be that isn't where you're meant to be." ~Beatles

Email: feltonad@jmu.edu

My primary responsibilities are to coordinate the student staff retreat that takes place in February, and to assist with recruiting, selecting and training the Orientation Student Staff.  I also coordinate the student volunteers for the Admission's Open House programs and work with others in putting together the Orientation Team Survival Guide.

Jonathan Schuett

Graduate Assistant - Assessment

Hometown: Fort Mill, South Carolina

Schools Attended:

University of South Carolina Upstate, Psychology

James Madison University, Psychological Sciences

Favorite Quote: "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius, and a lot of courage, to move in the opposite direction." - Albert Einstein

Email: schuetjh@jmu.edu

For my graduate assistantship I handle any statistical analysis or data assessment associated with the surveys and evaluations that the Orientation Office distributes throughout the year. I also work closely with the Center for Assessment and Research Studies to review data for incoming students that assesses how well they transition into the James Madison community.