Professional Staff

Maggie provides administrative support for Student Transitions & Family Programs. You will find her answering the questions of new students and their families via phone and email. Maggie also coordinates many of the logistics for Student Transitions & Family Programs events.  Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Maggie holds a B.A. in Psychology from University of Missouri- St. Louis.  She and her husband are parents to seven children, and have two beautiful granddaughters!

Rachel serves as the assistant director of Student Transitions. She provides leadership and strategy development for transitions programs for first-year, sophomore, transfer, exchange and gap-year students, which includes identifying and implements interventions for students who may need additional support . Rachel oversees the curriculum development for high-impact initiatives, programs, and events for families of undergraduate students, as well as the office's student leader curriculum for over 100 student employees. Additionally, Rachel oversees the recruitment, selection, onboarding, and evaluation process of undergraduate student employees in the department. Originally from Mankato, Minnesota, Rachel holds a M.A. in International Affairs from Washington University in St. Louis, and a B.A. in International Relations from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Lauren serves as the instructional specialist for Bearprints for Success, a first-year course supporting incoming students as they transition into the WashU community. Lauren attended undergrad at Smith College and the University of St. Andrews.  She received a PhD in English and American Literature from WashU.

Joe coordinates first-year programming and gap year programming. He co-supervises the student executive board of Student Transitions & Family Programs, and the Washington University Student Associates. He also contributes to orientation and transition programming. Originally from southeast Missouri, Joe holds a B.S. in mass media and a M.A. in communication from Missouri State University.

Mimi serves as the assistant director for Parent & Family Programs. She provides leadership and strategy development for parent and family engagement, as well as departmental communications to new students and families of undergraduate students. Mimi oversees the planning and implementation of parent and family programs including Parent & Family Orientation, Parent & Family Weekend, and the Family Webinar series. She also serves as a centralized point of contact for parent and family inquiries. Mimi is from St. Louis, and holds a M.S.Ed in higher education administration and policy from Northwestern University, and a B.A. in leadership studies from University of Richmond.

Katharine serves as director of Student Transitions & Family Programs supporting the orientation, transition, and retention of new students and their families as they join the WashU community. Katharine provides strategic vision for the department and coordinates Bear Beginnings: Fall Welcome. In addition, she serves as a four-year academic adviser for students in the College of Arts & Sciences. Katharine serves as the lead faculty member for the Directors and Managers Institute for NODA, the Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education.  She previously served on the NODA board of directors and as the network chair for highly selective institutions. Originally from Southern Illinois, Katharine holds an M.Ed. from the University of South Carolina in higher education & student affairs and a B.S.B.A. from Saint Louis University. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Saint Louis University. Her research interests include first-year experience, students’ sense of belonging, student employment, and student identity and leadership development, primarily focusing on the experiences of students who hold minoritized identities.