
PASS Administration
Matt Trybus, M.Ed.
PASS Coordinator, Instructional Faculty
Matt Trybus is the Coordinator of PASS. Matt holds an M.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Administration from the University of Vermont, a teaching license from Saint Michael’s College, and a B.A. in History from the University of Montana. Prior to coordinating the PASS program, Matt served as Assistant Director of James Madison’s Office of Disability Services for 7 years. In addition to working with members of the JMU community to realize their potential, Matt is passionate about his family, friends, cycling, food, and balance.

Yang Liu, Ph.D.
PASS Coordinator, Instructional Faculty
Yang Liu is the Coordinator of Peer Assisted Study Sessions and an Assistant Professor in Psychology. She received her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Texas Tech University. Her research interests include risk and resilience factors on the academic success of college students, socioemotional development in childhood and adolescence, and the effectiveness of educational technology. She is passionate about supporting student success both academically and emotionally. Outside of work, she enjoys playing educational and psychological games with her husband and three children.

Laila Robinson
I am a junior Biology major with minors in pre-med, medical Spanish, and Honors. I love cooking and playing card games in my free time. After graduating, I hope to go to medical school to become a Pediatric Allergist.

Biology PASS Leaders
Isabella Law
BIO 140 - Vasconcellos
I am a junior Biology major. I grew up in the Bahamas. My hobbies include painting and snowboarding!
Gabriella Zydalis
BIO 140 - Doyle
I’m a junior Health Sciences major and Pre-PT minor. I’m from Sterling, Virginia. I love hiking and traveling with friends and family.
Rylee Strother
BIO 140 - Doyle
I’m a sophomore Biology major and a Pre-Med minor. My pronouns are she/her. I am from Chesapeake, VA. I am a FROG (First Year Orientation Guide) this year and enjoy hanging out with my friends, family, and my dog!
Sydney Bruns
BIO 150 - Gobetz
I’m a sophomore Health Science major and Pre-PA minor. I am from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I like to play tennis, hike, travel, and hang out with my friends!
Jacqueline Kossey
BIO 150 - Harsh
I am a junior Biology major with concentrations in microbiology and ecology and evolution! I’m from the suburbs of Philadelphia (but have never had a philly cheese steak). I love kayaking, traveling, reading, and hanging out with friends :)
Grace Taylor (she/her)
BIO 150 - Pesce
I am a Sophomore Biotechnology major. I am from Yorktown, Virginia. I love playing volleyball, reading, and hiking. I am always looking for new places to get coffee.
Grace Linthicum (she/her)
BIO 245 - Menon
Hi! I am a sophomore nursing major. I love having movie marathons with friends and getting coffee.
Chloe Babick (she/her)
BIO 145 - Herrick
Junior, Biology major with a minor in pre-dentistry. I love to read, play ukulele, and bake. I am in the ASL club at JMU. I was born in southern California, but raised in NOVA
Ashton Blackwell (he/him)
BIO 270 - Marquardt
Hey everybody! I’m a sophomore nursing major from Northern Virginia. In my spare time I love running, cooking, and listening to music.
Emily Watts (she/her)
BIO 270 - Brown
Hello everyone! I am a senior biology major with a pre-med minor. I hope to attend medical school and become an OBGYN. I love crafting and am obsessed with my kitty cat, Archie (and all of my other foster cats)!
KC Bennett (she/her/hers)
BIO 290 - Kilkenny
I’m a junior, Kinesiology major with a pre-PT minor. I’m from Ashburn, VA. You’ll almost never catch me without a book in my hands because I love reading!
Alexa Paredes Idiaquez (she/her/hers)
BIO 290 - Killkenny
I’m a senior, Biology major and pre-PA minor. I spend the majority of my free time reading and watching movies!
Piper Jones (she/her/hers)
BIO 290 - Gobetz
Hi! I’m a junior, Health Science major and pre-PA minor. I love cooking when I have the time and skiing.
Chemistry PASS Leaders
Michaela Daly
CHEM 120 - Wilson
I’m a junior Health Sciences major. I love to play softball and I am from Connecticut!
Hailey Draney
CHEM 120 - Cunningham
I am a freshman Nursing major with a minor in chronic illness. I like going to the gym, baking, and spending time with friends.
Hannah Anderson
CHEM 131 - Blumling
I am a junior Chemistry major with minors in biology and pre-pharmacy. I enjoy spending time with friends and family, hiking, and running.
Laila Robinson
CHEM 131 - Funck
I am a junior Biology major with minors in pre-med, medical Spanish, and Honors. I love cooking and playing card games in my free time. After graduating, I hope to go to medical school to become a Pediatric Allergist.
Lydia Carl
CHEM 131 - Baber
I am a sophomore Biology major with a minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies from Charlottesville, VA. In my free time, I like to read, cook meals with my family, and hike.
Raylen Jones
CHEM 132 - Tam
I am a junior Engineering major. I am from Northern VA, specifically Manassas, VA and I enjoy traveling, hanging out with friends and watching movies.
Zachary Ryan (He/Him)
CHEM 132 - Raston
I am a sophomore Biology major and in the Honors College. I enjoy cooking/baking, binge watching tv shows, and travelling with my friends and family. I also have a twin sister that goes to JMU!
Ashley Clements (She/They)
CHEM 132 - Liu
I am a sophomore Chemistry major and Secondary Education minor from Richmond, VA. I love to read, go hiking, and I recently started learning to crochet.
Sophia Gross
CHEM 132 - Kokhan
I am a junior Biology major from Cherry Hill, NJ. In my free time I love to run, read, bake and hangout with my friends.
Rachel Stegmeier
CHEM 242 - Mohler
I am from Northern Virginia and am a senior Chemistry major with minors in Spanish, Mathematics, and Honors Interdisciplinary studies. I enjoy participating in running, hemp research and hiking.
COB & ECON PASS Leaders
Hunter Huffman
COB 291 - Tchommo
I am a junior Computer Information Systems major with a minor in Business Analytics. I am from Richmond, Virginia and my favorite thing to do is to snowboard during the winters.
Anna McGrath
COB 291 - Palocsay
I am a senior Marketing major and love the business analytics course. I am from Fairfax, Virginia and my favorite thing in the world is my cat, Rooster. I am a big animal lover and vegetarian who loves art and the outdoors.
Charlotte Smith
COB 291 - Atef-Yetka
I am a sophomore Computer Information Systems major from Northern Virginia. I play on the Women’s Lacrosse team here and love to spend time outdoors.
Spencer Brooks (he/him)
COB 291 - Pal
I am a sophomore Accounting major from Fredericksburg, Virginia. I plan to get my masters degree in Accounting here at JMU. In my free time I like to play games, watch tv, play spikeball, and sleep.
MATH PASS Leaders
Emily Hosford (she/her)
MATH 110 - Busi
I am a sophomore Middle Grades Education major with a concentration in English and a minor in English. I am from the small town of Allendale, NJ and I have lived there my whole life. I have been playing volleyball for almost 10 years now and I am on the JMU club volleyball team.
Jessica Harris
MATH 110 - Siegfried
I’m a sophomore Elementary Education major from Fredericksburg, VA! I use she/her pronouns, and I enjoy singing and crafting! I also LOVE cows!
Julia Day
MATH 220 - Watson
I am a sophomore Social Work major with a minor in nonprofit studies. I’m from a small town in Southwest Virginia called Bluefield and I love doing anything outdoors, hanging out with friends, and listening to music!
Jerome Li
MATH 231 - Taalman
I am a junior Computer Science major. I was born and lived in various places in China for 10 years. I also lived in the U.S. for 10 years. I know Mandarin and am also learning Japanese. I try to leave things better than I found them.