Faculty/Staff Accomplishments January 2026

In this issue, we celebrate the accomplishments of faculty and staff in admissions, art, counseling, English, marketing, psychology, and student health services.

Social Media Strategist and Content Producer Anna Blount attended the NC Independent Colleges & Universities (NCICU) Communications Officers Conference at Gardner-Webb on January 7. She co-presented a session on social media strategies, tips, and shared success stories with marketing and communication professionals from around the state. During the session, she shared the work that keeps the Meredith brand visible in a digital world.

Assistant Director of Student Health Services Hannah Boston recently passed her ANCC Ambulatory Care Nursing Certification. This nationally recognized board certification reflects Boston’s clinical expertise, commitment to evidence-based practice, and dedication to high-quality patient care. Her achievement strengthens the care provided by the Student Health Center and supports our campus commitment to excellence in health and wellness.

Marketing team members Graphic Designer Marissa de la Cruz and Assistant Director of Visual Communication-Multimedia Charlotte McKinney had photos of their pets selected for inclusion in the Telepathic Graphics 2026 calendar. Telepathic Graphics is one of Meredith’s print partners.

Counseling Center staff members Jeremy Dela Paz and Cassidi Long will be presenting at this year’s conference for the American College Counseling Association (ACCA) in Myrtle Beach on March 8, 2026. The topic of their presentation is “Beyond the Screen: Counselors Responding to Campus Polarization on Anonymous Platforms.”  They will address the impact of anonymous social media platforms on college students and explore how counselors can promote resilience, community, and inclusion.

Heather Frese‘s book The Saddest Girl on the Beach was named to Our State Magazine‘s book club as their June read. Frese has a short story in the anthology The Devil’s Done Come Back, and the anthology was chosen as April’s selection for the N.C. Humanities North Carolina Reads program. Frese is an adjunct instructor in the English Department.

Professor of Art Shannon Johnstone’s project “Picturing Pigs” was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Karuna Foundation to install more billboards this year. “Picturing Pigs” is a grassroots art activist project in collaboration with Jane Casteline, Teri Saylor, and Meredith alumna Camden Watts, ’03.

Dr. Joseph Mazzola, Professor of Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology, was recently elected President-Elect of the Society of Occupational Health Psychology for the term of 2026-27, to be followed by a term as President for 2028-29. He also had a poster accepted to the national conference for I-O Psychology in New Orleans, “Economic Stress and Health: Comparing Self-Employed and Organizational Employees”, which also includes I-O Psychology program alumnae Vanessa Snedicker and Madissen Keys.

Videographer & Multimedia Designer Zorah Olivia is a finalist for two major photography competitions, the World Sports Photography Awards and the International Artistic Photography Awards. She will also be a panelist for Residential Urbanity: A Modern Showcase of Triangle Skate Photographers, on February 6 at the City of Raleigh Museum.

Associate Professor of Psychology Betty-Shannon Prevatt and Associate Professor of Psychology Candalyn Rade presented “Mentoring Emerging Scientists: Using Research Methods and Statistics Courses as the Launchpad for Applied Research Experiences” at the national psychology conference, PsychTERMS, in December 2025. PsychTERMS (Teaching to Enhance Research Methods & Statistics in Psychology) is an annual conference hosted by the APA to bring together faculty’s unique pedagogical approaches, activities, and policies that meet students’ needs and foster equity and inclusion across research methods and statistics courses.

Director of Traditional Admissions & Recruitment Activities Vanessa Zóa earned National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching Certification (NBHWC) in December 2025. The NBHWC board certification is recognized throughout the health and wellness industry as the highest level of professional achievement for coaches. Since its collaboration with the National Board of Medical Examiners in 2016, the NBHWC has set evidence-based standards that align coaching practice with healthcare integration.