Office of Professional Development and Outreach Staff
Outreach Program Director
Mandy Cenker is the Outreach Program Director for the College of Education, Health and Human Services’ Office of Professional Development and Outreach. She earned a Ph.D. in Educational Administration at Kent State University in 2016. She received her master’s degree in special education from Malone University and bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Kent State. Mandy’s experience is in special education, curriculum development, assessment, and teacher/administrator professional development. As a former intervention specialist, she is interested in the transitioning of students with disabilities to higher education, in addition to assessment in higher education, P-20 curriculum development and professional development implementation.
Outreach Program Coordinator
Jaelithe (Jae) Russ joined the Office of Professional Development & Outreach in June 2022. She spent the prior decade working as a marketing copywriter and co-owner of a boutique marketing and branding agency. Prior to that, she was a teacher, manager, and ultimately regional academics director for a national test preparation company. She enjoys helping teachers and other professionals take advantage of professional development opportunities through this office.
Jaelithe earned both of her degrees from Kent State University, including an MBA with a concentration in Human Resources, and a BA in Psychology and Anthropology with a Sociology minor.
Grace Morris
Graduate Assistant, KEEP Partnership
Grace Morris is a PhD candidate in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Educational Technology in the School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies at Kent State University. Her research interests include examining the use of digital-based video games in a variety of learning contexts and equity in gaming. Her experience teaching throughout the COVID-19 pandemic inspired her interests in practical applications of technology in the classroom and how that impacts students’ connectedness and learning.
Grace earned her BA in English from Purdue University with a dance minor, and MA in Communication Studies from Kent State University. She enjoys providing support to pre-service and in-service educators engaged in programs at Kent State University. Her hometown is South Bend, Indiana, and she currently resides in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
Dana Bejger
Graduate Assistant, Power of the Pen
Dana is currently a graduate student at Kent State University in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program with the aim of earning her LPC licensure. Born and raised in Streetsboro, OH, Dana attended Kent State University for her undergraduate education and recently graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Psychology, as well as a Certificate in Addictions Counseling. Helping persons struggling with substance use is a passion that Dana holds close to her heart, and she enjoys learning something new wherever she goes.