Simmons named new interim director

Effective August 1^st, Dr. Naomi Norman will step down as interim director of the Division of Academic Enhancement. Dr. Norman has graciously led the DAE for the past year and will now transition the role to Dr. Cara Simmons who will oversee DAE’s multifaceted work including peer education, UNIV courses, TRIO programs, and support for scholars.

“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Cara Simmons to the Division,” states Dr. Norman. “She is a creative and energetic leader whose dedication to student success is deep-seated and pervasive. She, alongside the dedicated faculty and staff in DAE, will find new and exciting ways to enhance the academic experience of all UGA students.”

Prior to assuming her position as the interim director of DAE, Dr. Simmons served as the director of the Student Success and Advising Center, assistant to the dean for leadership development and diversity, and an adjunct faculty member in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS). She also serves as graduate faculty in the Mary Frances Early College of Education. In her role within FACS, she was responsible for leading the center’s activities around prospective student recruitment, new student orientation, academic advising, internships, fellowships, retention, budgeting, career development, teaching, course design, student involvement and leadership, experiential learning, student programming, and support services initiatives such as Bulldog Basics.

In addition to her responsibilities as director, Dr. Simmons served as the course coordinator for FACS 2000, Introduction to Family and Consumer Sciences and taught FACS 2001, Leadership in Family and Consumer Sciences. In all of her roles, Dr. Simmons works closely with organizations, departments, units, and individuals within the college, across campus, and in the state.

With an A.B. in History, a M.Ed. in College Student Affairs Administration, and a Ph.D. in Counseling and Student Personnel Services, Cara is a Triple Dawg. She is known across campus as someone who is dedicated to student success and developing the whole student. She is also an active community member and serves on the Athens Area Diaper Bank Board of Directors.

Dr. Simmons hopes to continue DAE’s mission to empower all students to Learn Differently. “In my short time with the division, the energy around supporting students to be their best self is palpable,” states Dr. Simmons. “I look forward to supporting the work of dedicated faculty and staff who are committed to holistic student success.”