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Nicole Henderson has served as Director of the First-Year Experience (FYE) since 2007 and has been at Southern as a professor of English since 1999, when her love for working with first-year students began. Nicole graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a BA in English and also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. In 2008, Nicole won Southern’s CSCU Outstanding Teaching Award, and in 2012, received not only Southern’s Student Advocate Award but was one of only 20 educators in the United States that year who received the Student Advocate Award from the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. She received this award for the strength of Southern’s First-Year Experience Program, which she leads, but which she always reminds us is the result of a true collaboration of the entire campus.

Dyan Robinson serves as the Associate Director of the First-Year Experience and has been at Southern since 1999 as both a faculty member and staff member. She began her professional career working in Admissions and teaching in the Communication Department. In 2013, Dyan began teaching Inquiry 101, and shortly thereafter, she joined the First-Year Experience team as the Assistant Director.

Dyan holds a BS in Corporate Communication, an MA in Psychology, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Southern Connecticut State University. As a proud alum, Dyan is excited to support our new and future Owls as they begin their collegiate journey. She is deeply committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where students feel a true sense of belonging, and she is passionate about supporting student success both inside and outside the classroom.

Dr. Andrew Parzyck is a faculty member in the Department of Communication, Media, & Screen Studies and the First-Year Experience Program at Southern Connecticut State University. He earned a B.S. in Interpersonal Communication from Southern Connecticut State University, an M.S. in Counseling: Student Development in Higher Education, and a Professional Counseling Certificate from Central Connecticut State University. He holds a Ph.D. in Adult Learning and Leadership and a Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Research Methods from Kansas State University, where he also serves as a part-time graduate faculty member. His research focuses on instructional, developmental, and educational communication, particularly in higher education, faculty development, and workforce training. Dr. Parzyck is active in the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) and the National Communication Association (NCA). He serves on the AAACE Conference Proceedings Editorial Board, is Vice Chair of NCA’s Undergraduate College and University Section and is an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Adult Learning.

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Dr. David J Hornsby – is a Professor in the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and the Vice-Provost (Academic and Global Learning) Carleton University, Ottawa. Prior, David was the Associate Vice-President (Teaching and Learning) and held faculty positions at University College London and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Johannesburg South Africa. David’s research interests pertain to the politics of science and risk in international governance, Canadian foreign policy in Sub-Saharan Africa, South African foreign policy, middle power cooperation, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. David has published in both the biological and social sciences, and is a recognized academic leader having recently been awarded a Principal Fellowship in the Higher Education Academy.

Manuel João Costa is an Associate Professor at the School of Medicine. He is Vice‑President of the National Council for Pedagogical Innovations in Higher Education of Portugal and coordinator of the interinstitutional EPIC consortium (Excellence in Pedagogy and Innovation in Co‑creation), focused on developing pedagogical excellence across six institutions. He served as Vice‑Rector for Educational Innovation and Student Affairs at the University of Minho and as coordinator of the University of Minho’s Centre for Innovation and Development in Teaching and Learning (IDEA‑UMinho) (September 2018–December 2025). He was the Institutional Lead at the University of Minho for the Arqus European University Alliance (January 2022–December 2025). Member of AMEE committee on Faculty Development and former member of the Learning and Teaching Steering Committee of the European University Association, FEBS Education Committee (2020–2024), AMEE research in medical education Committee and of the IUBMB education committee. Main interests relate to institutional enhancement of teaching and learning in higher education. His research focuses on student development in higher education, with an emphasis on medical and biomolecular sciences. Manuel’s teaching areas include biochemistry and molecular biology, as well as health sciences education.

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Stay in touch on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and our website.