Meet our mentors
Review the mentors featured below, read their profiles and then click on the apply button above.
If you have other questions about the program or need more information, email mentorme@vcu.edu.
Inta “Maggie” Tolan, Ed.D.
IExcel at helping students figure out their "spark" in life. Identities I affiliate with: adopted, first generation, daughter of an immigrant parent and WW II vet, and two mom family raising 2 awesome high school boys. I tell students to consider me like their own personal roll of "duct tape" – my role is to make sure I am connected to people and resources to ensure each student can envision their desired path to greatness and self-defined destiny. Talk to me about traveling, foreign languages, family, history, sports of any kind, entrepreneurship, nonprofit/community service, passions, and vision.
Elizabeth A. Lim, J.D., Ed.M.
As a child of immigrants, I was inspired and encouraged to try new things. I am the first attorney in my family, and I took an indirect path to this position. I was a kindergarten teacher, administrative assistant, and international student advisor before attending law school. I am interested in helping students who may not yet know where their path is leading them, and are willing to explore new experiences that may open new pathways for them.
Christopher Brooks, Ph.D.
I am committed to seeing Excellence especially among African American and Latino young men and to get them to think about graduate and professional school early.
Brian Brown, Ph.D.
I’m a late bloomer. I moved to the US when I was eight years old and felt lost. I adapted eventually with the help of my family, new friends, and a few teachers that took a chance on me. They encouraged me to take smart risks and believe in myself.
Andrew Daire, Ph.D.
Combining an academic and clinical background in counseling and psychology with expertise in research, Daire's style of transformative leadership emphasizes personal and professional development, and motivating faculty, staff and students towards excellence, innovation and impact in their work every day.
Karol Gray
As VCU’s senior vice president and chief financial officer, Karol has a wide range of responsibilities including oversight of operating and capital budgets, treasury services, cash and debt management, financial records, financial controls, financial reporting, procurement and payroll services, and grants and contracts accounting. Karol also oversees administration, governmental relations, equity and access, board relations and management of the President’s office.
Kevin Harris, Ph.D.
"He cares about people and issues that others may not care as much about" - I'd want this "felt" about me. I came to higher ed because I love contributing in some small way to the success of students, particularly students who don't yet appreciate the greatness within them!
Kathy Ingram, Ph.D.
IExcel at listening well and helping to open pathways of opportunity for others. As the first person in my family to earn a 4-year degree and as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I am deeply committed to “drawing the circle wider.” I believe authentic inclusion requires *both* reducing structural barriers to access and participation, *and* helping people to feel welcomed, listened to, and valued.
Tomikia LeGrande, Ed.D.
Tomikia LeGrande’s experience as a woman of color and low-income, first-generation college student has led her to dedicate much of her career to helping universities enrich college access, affordability, and student success. She enjoys building personal relationships with students and others to help them accomplish their goals.
Maghboeba Mosavel, Ph.D.
IExcel at being a people connector. I grew up in Cape Town, South Africa – a child of the apartheid era. Based on this extraordinary background, which includes being Muslim, an activist against racial injustice and gender inequality; and now a scholar-activist, I am always eager to support others in navigating the many different spaces within the halls of academia. I am interested in supporting mentees to unlock that which is already present within them and to further cultivate their unique perspectives so that their voice is grounded and reverberant.
Karen D. Hendricks-Muñoz, M.D.
IExcel at working in my dream job. As a daughter of Latino and Caribbean parents in NYC I was a first generation student who supported my families health access needs. I’m passionate about health equity and working with first generation students to help them realize their dreams. I am a nationally recognized pediatric leader and educator in clinical care, neonatal training program development, clinical care quality standard development and translational research. I believe in health equity for all individuals and that medical improvements are driven by research that can translate into advanced clinical care.
Aashir Nasim, Ph.D.
IExcel at being a better person than I was yesterday. My father always would say that I needed to be twice as good to go only half as far as some others. So, I resolved that my own children would need only to be as good to go just as far. Obviously, there’s still work to be done on my part.
Tiffany Williams, D.D.S.
IExcel at connecting my passion and purpose to my everyday work. My grandmother was amazing - she was strong, hard-working, and balanced her desire to serve others with responsibility to her family. I am interested in mentoring students because as a faculty member who is also a clinician, I recognize what an honor and opportunity it will be to interact with students whose backgrounds may not have allowed them the same experiences as me. I’d love to share what I’ve learned with students who desire to incorporate their passion in their everyday life.
Faika Zanjani, Ph.D.
IExcel at helping students find their passions, and to help place them in a mental space that supersedes any fictional personal characteristic restraints to live fulfilled professional and personal lives.
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Gerontology. I have a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Gerontology. I have worked on geriatric public health research, particularly within the areas of health behavior change and health promotion; mental health and substance abuse/use; and community-level health interventions, to ultimately reduce lifespan health disparities.