High Impact Program Directors

Dr. Brenda Kowalewski

Coming soon!

Olga Antonio

Hola! I was born in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, grew up in Texas, spent some time in the state of Washington, and have been in Utah for the last several years. I got my Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in chemistry as well as a Master's in Higher Education Student Affairs Administration from Baylor University. I am currently pursuing a doctoral degree in higher education so I can continue to positively influence college students' lives. I believe mentoring is a meaningful way to make a difference in people's lives.

Dr. Alexis Bucknam

As the Executive Director of Community Engagement, Alexis Bucknam leads a team of community engaged professionals from the Center for Community Engaged Learning, Office of Community Research & Evaluation, and Office of Community Development. Bucknam has worked in higher education and non-profit contexts for over two decades, with a particular focus on community engagement. She began her tenure at Weber State University in Summer 2023 after completing her Doctoral studies in Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Utah in 2002. Her research focused on Instructor Practice in Critical Service-Learning. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Management at the University of Utah and her M.A. in Counseling in Student Affairs at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dr. Therese Cavlovic

Therese Cavlovic is the director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and a professor of economics in the Goddard School of Business & Economics.

In 1993, she earned an MBA from Cleveland State University, and then worked in Chicago as a consultant for the HayGroup before returning to graduate school. In 2000, she earned her PhD in environmental economics from the University of New Mexico.

Over her tenure at Weber State University, Professor Cavlovic has forged a path of mentoring and conducting research. She has collaborated closely with economics students on a multitude of undergraduate research projects, which have not only yielded publications but also national and international conference presentations. Her commitment to fostering a research-centric educational environment was instrumental in the establishment of a four-year scholarship program in the Office of Undergraduate Research, designed to immerse incoming students in undergraduate research under the guidance of experienced faculty members.

With a career spanning over two decades at Weber State, Professor Cavlovic humbly acknowledges the reciprocal nature of teaching, often stating that the insights gained from course discussions and student interactions have enriched her own understanding and perspective as much as they have benefited her students.

She has been recognized through several prestigious awards, including the Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor award in 2018, the Hinckley Fellows award in 2013, and the distinction of being an Eccles Fellow since 2006 in the Goddard School. Therese Cavlovic's career is a testament to her unwavering commitment to the advancement of knowledge, the mentorship of future leaders in economics, and the importance of fostering an environment where research and inquiry flourish.

Dr. Nicola Corbin

Nicola A. Corbin is a professor of communication at Weber State University who mentors and supports Wildcats on their quest to achieve their educational dreams. She teaches public relations and mass media courses, and directs the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Corbin was named Weber State University’s Crystal Crest Master Teacher in 2019 and the 2018 Educator of the Year award by the Iota Iota Iota chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. She was also awarded the Presidential Teaching Excellence Award in 2024. Her research interests encompass exploring the impact of race-gendered representations in mass media and popular culture, critical approaches to public relations pedagogy, and scholarship of teaching and learning. Prior to academia, Corbin practiced journalism and public relations for a decade, winning awards from the New Jersey Press Association and the New Jersey chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communication from Seton Hall University, her Master of Arts in Graphic Communication Management and Technology from New York University, and her doctoral degree in Mass Communication from the University of Georgia.

Jenny Frame

Coming soon!

Dr. Mary Machira

Coming soon!

Dr. Alice Mulder

Coming soon!

Dr. Melissa Neville

Dr. Melissa Neville is a Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor and a full-time faculty member in the Annie Taylor Dee School of Nursing since 2010. Dr. Melissa NeVille currently serves as director of the Office of Graduate Studies and chair of the Graduate Council, leading the university's graduate studies initiatives. Melissa’s previous leadership positions included two services as director of the MSN program, during which the program gained national recognition, being ranked in FORTUNE’s Best Online Master’s in Nursing Programs and receiving Princeton Review’s 2022 Best Online Nursing School Master’s Programs. Additionally, Melissa served as Program Director for Weber State’s first doctoral program, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Together with experienced graduate faculty, they established two regionally accredited DNP program options, gaining regional and national attention for their efforts. Melissa also has experience in programmatic and national accreditation leadership, having served as a peer evaluator for the Accreditation Commission for Nursing Education (ACEN) and evaluation chair of the Annie Taylor Dee School of Nursing. Melissa’s leadership in nursing accreditation spans over a decade of service coordinating and leading nursing accreditation efforts at the Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral levels.

As the former two-term chair of the Appointment, Promotion, Academic Freedom, and Tenure (APAFT) committee, Melissa coordinated the implementation of a university-wide adoption of the end-of-course evaluation process and streamlined tenure document, earning her Weber State’s Faculty Governance Award. As a certified pediatric nurse practitioner (CPNP), Melissa is passionate about improving health access and outcomes, and her current clinical practice focuses on providing care to vulnerable and underserved populations in urgent and primary care since 2001. In her academic role, Melissa helped advance graduate-level nursing education through leadership and participation in developing graduate courses and programs. She has extensive experience coordinating the development of nursing graduate programs, distance learning, and curriculum design, including systems leadership, evidence-based practice, scholarly foundations for graduate students, and curriculum design for nurse educators. Her efforts included co-creating the MSN educator residency and the MSN and DNP quality improvement projects that incorporated distance learning and high-impact student learning experiences. Melissa received the Weber State Presidential Teaching Excellence Award for these efforts to advance graduate nursing education.

Additionally, Melissa has co-authored peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on leadership, curriculum mapping, faculty peer review, DNP-PhD collaboration, and quality improvement in higher education. She has presented her research and translational efforts regionally, nationally, and internationally. Current research and translational interests focus on graduate accelerated degree pathways, graduate simulation experiences, early development of graduate student scholarship competencies, graduate simulation, enhancing faculty academic experiences, and faculty belonging. She also enjoys many activities, including hiking, cycling, scuba diving, yoga, and meditative practice. She is a lifelong learner, believing learning new things is the best adventure.