Wayne H. Bowen, Ph.D.
Interim Dean
Professor of History
Email: wayne.bowen@ucf.edu
Dr. Bowen’s Faculty Profile
Dr. Wayne H. Bowen is Professor of History and Interim Dean for the College of Undergraduate Studies (CUGS) at the University of Central Florida (UCF). He is responsible for developing and implementing policies and practices for undergraduate students at UCF and CUGS. Additionally, he provides oversight for the university’s General Education Program. Dr. Bowen is also a retired Colonel in the US Army Reserve and served in Iraq and with NATO in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Read more about Dr. Bowen’s professional journey.
Robin M. Back, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean for Academic Policy
Associate Professor
Email: robin.back@ucf.edu
Dr. Back’s Faculty Profile
Dr. Robin M. Back is Assistant Dean for Academic Policy for the College of Undergraduate Studies and a tenured Associate Professor at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management. In his role as Assistant Dean, Dr. Back is responsible for undergraduate academic policy, grade appeals, and dual enrollment at the University of Central Florida. Having earned his Ph.D. in Management from the University of Massachusetts, Dr. Back’s professional experience includes more than 25 years in the travel, tourism, and beverage industries. Read more about Dr. Back’s professional journey.
Faculty
Danielle Maya Pratt, Ph.D.
Interim Director, Interdisciplinary Studies
Associate Lecturer
Email: danielle.pratt@ucf.edu
Dr. Danielle Maya Pratt is a faculty member in Interdisciplinary Studies where she teaches and designs courses for the Integrative General and Interdisciplinary Studies program, including a new course entitled Embracing Disability Diversity. She has taught in Higher Education since 2005. At UCF, she serves as the Interim Director and an Associate Lecturer and the Assistant Director for Interdisciplinary Studies. She holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Education (foci: Criminology, Special Education, & Mass Communications) from the University of South Florida (USF). Her other graduate work includes two master’s degrees, one in Educational Technology from Northern Arizona University (NAU) and one in Special Education from USF. She holds a bachelor’s in Mass Communications from USF. After working in public schools as a special education teacher, she served as a Professor of Special Education and the Coordinator of a dual major (Special & Elementary Education) program at NAU and in a similar role at St. Petersburg College. Dr. Pratt is an international speaker, published author, former foster parent, and currently researches changing paradigms within education, particularly around the role of relationships, artificial intelligence, and disability within in higher education.
Devon Cadwell Bazata, Ed.D.
Associate Lecturer
Email: devon.cadwellbazata@ucf.edu
Dr. Cadwell Bazata joined UCF in 2008 and Interdisciplinary Studies in 2013. She has a Doctorate in Education (Curriculum & Instruction with a specialization in College Teaching & Leadership) from UCF, a Master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from UCF, a Master’s in Journalism-News/Editorial from the University of Nebraska, and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism with a minor in math from the University of Kansas. Her work at UCF includes the development of the Integrative General Studies (BGS) degree program, Institutional Effectiveness assessment plans for the IDS and BGS degree programs, and a strategic communication plan based on the university’s dimensions of organizational culture. Dr. Cadwell Bazata’s research interests include the intersection of organizational culture and strategic communication as it relates to equity in opportunity in higher education; and interdisciplinary/integrative teaching, learning, and assessment.
Sharon Woodill, Ph.D.
Associate Lecturer
Email: sharon.woodill@ucf.edu
Dr. Woodill’s Faculty Profile
Dr. Woodill joined the University of Central Florida as a lecturer in Interdisciplinary Studies in Fall 2016. She holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Philosophy and Religious Studies from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She holds an M.A. in Gender and Women’s Studies and a B.A. (honors) in Music (jazz piano). Her academic interests involve developing and facilitating opportunities to promote civil pedagogy through publications, workshops, and presentations. Her research focuses on educational technology for interdisciplinary studies, complexity theory, interdisciplinary methodology, and diversity and the environment.
Richard Plate, Ph.D.
Associate Lecturer
Email: richard.plate@ucf.edu
Dr. Plate’s Faculty Profile
Dr. Plate joined the University of Central Florida in August 2016 as a lecturer in Environmental Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies. A central Florida native, Dr. Plate holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Ecology from the University of Florida and degrees in English and Chemical Engineering from Clemson University. He has taught courses in environmental science, environmental ethics and politics, marine resource management, and writing. He has authored numerous articles on the human dimensions of natural resource management and co-authored a textbook on sustainability. Dr. Plate’s research focuses on how people learn and make decisions about complex social-ecological systems.
Michael Gilbrook, Ph.D.
Lecturer
Email: michael.gilbrook@ucf.edu
Dr. Gilbrook’s Faculty Profile
Dr. Gilbrook joined the faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies in August 2003 to teach two courses in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for the Environmental Studies program. He has 30 years of experience using GIS for a variety of environmental planning, facility siting, and environmental impact analyses for both the public and private sector. He holds a Ph.D. in Conservation Biology from the University of Central Florida and is both an AICP-certified planner and a GISCI-certified GIS Professional. Since Fall 2019, Dr. Gilbrook is also teaching an online section of the IDS 3150 “Foundations in Environmental Studies” developed by Dr. Richard Plate. Dr. Gilbrook says he gets tremendous satisfaction from the many former students who have found success in their academic or professional careers using the GIS skills they learned in the UCF Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies program.
Leah Gaines, Ph.D.
Lecturer
Email: leah.gaines@ucf.edu
Dr. Gaines’ Faculty Profile
Dr. Leah Tonnette Gaines joined the University of Central Florida in Fall 2021. Dr. Gaines holds a Ph.D. in African American and African Studies, with a concentration in Urban Education, from Michigan State University. She received a Master’s from Morgan State University, where she studied History and African American Studies. She completed her undergraduate studies at Towson University, where she majored in Psychology and minored in African American Studies. Her research interests are in structural inequities, urban education, student experiences, African American Language, Black women and beauty, race, and identity. She currently leads the study away initiatives for the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies, and is proud to have taken UCF students to study diverse communities and cultures in New Orleans (2022) and Puerto Rico (2023). Some of Dr. Gaines’ recent published works include In the Midst of the Water Crisis: Language and Resistance in Flint, and “This Ain’t Just a Rap Song”: 2Pac, Sociopolitical Realities, and Hip Hop Nation Language. She is currently working on a book proposal that centers the ways in which one Baltimore City elementary school resists structural inequities such as lead contaminated water.
Karen Haslett, Ph.D.
Lecturer
Email: karen.haslett@ucf.edu
Dr. Haslett’s Faculty Profile
Dr. Haslett joined the University of Central Florida in Spring 2022 as a lecturer in Interdisciplinary Studies. Dr. Haslett brings an interdisciplinary background to the program with a Ph.D. in Anthropology and an M.A. in Special Education, both from the University of Iowa. Her dissertation focused on linguistic ideologies and their impact on the education of Latinx students in Iowa. Dr. Haslett has been in the education field for almost 30 years. She has taught a variety of courses in educational, cultural, and linguistic anthropology at the University of Iowa and the University of Houston-Clear Lake. In addition, Dr. Haslett has 13 years of experience as a special education teacher at a high school in Iowa City, Iowa.
Amanda Pacheco, Ed.D.
Instructional Specialist, General Education Program
Adjunct Instructor, Interdisciplinary Studies / Integrative General Studies
Email: amanda.pacheco@ucf.edu
Dr. Pacheco’s Faculty Profile
Dr. Pacheco joined the IDS faculty in 2012 and has taught at the university level since 1999. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Delaware, an M.Ed. in Counselor Education from the University of Virginia, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Central Florida. Prior to her role with Interdisciplinary Studies, she served as the Interim Associate Director and Instructor for UCF’s Experiential Learning department, as the Assistant Director of Career Services at Stetson University, as the coordinator of a National Science Foundation grant focusing on work-learning initiatives, and as a corporate recruiter. She enjoys nonprofit work, having founded and led an interdisciplinary healthcare organization for young families, and currently sits on several boards. She consults on career and educational issues and has a special interest in helping individuals discover and use their unique strengths to build a satisfying life.
Sara Komenda, Ph.D.
Lecturer
Email: sara.komenda@ucf.edu
Dr. Komenda’s Faculty Profile
Dr. Komenda joined the Interdisciplinary Studies faculty in 2021, teaching an online section of “Foundations in Environmental Studies.” She has a Bachelor’s in Biology from TCU, a Master’s in Public Administration from Northern Illinois University, and a Ph.D. in Forest Resources and Conservation emphasizing Conservation Behavior from the University of Florida. Her research interests include the human dimensions of environmental conservation and technology’s influence on conservation behaviors. She has a broad, interdisciplinary background in environmental studies which includes experience in environmental education, nonprofit fundraising and marketing, conservation land trusts, and as a zookeeper.
Debaleena Majumdar, Ph.D.
Lecturer
Email: Debaleena.Majumdar@ucf.edu
Jane Vaughan, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer
Email: Jane.Vaughan@ucf.edu
Claudine McLaren, Ph.D.
Visiting Lecturer
Email: Claudine.Mclaren@ucf.edu
Academic Success Coaches
Pete Wallace
Director, Academic Success Coach
Email: peter.wallace@ucf.edu
Mr. Wallace joined Interdisciplinary Studies in June 2008. Immediately prior to joining the office, he worked on curriculum development and program enhancement projects for the Interdisciplinary Studies undergraduate program while serving in the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. Mr. Wallace earned a B.S. in Psychology and an M.A. in Counselor Education before starting work full-time at UCF in 1999. He has served in Judicial Programs, Campus Life, Student Conduct, Dispute Resolution Services, and The Burnett Honors College before joining Undergraduate Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies.
Luisa Cintron
Senior Academic Success Coach
Email: luisa.cintron@ucf.edu
Ms. Cintron joined Interdisciplinary Studies in October 2013. Prior to joining the office, she worked as an Academic Advisor in the College of Education and Human Performance, where she provided advising to both undergraduate and graduate students in the College. She also coordinated the degree certification process of graduate students completing their master’s degree. Luisa earned a B.S. degree in Geography from Salem State University and a M.A. degree in Instructional Design and Technology from the University of Central Florida.
James Smith
Senior Academic Success Coach
Email: james.smith3@ucf.edu
Mr. Smith joined Interdisciplinary Studies in May of 2017. He was previously employed at Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri, as Director of Recruitment. In addition, he worked at the Georgia State University Academic Advisement Center as an Academic Advisor III. James served in the US Navy for 23 years. He earned a B.S. degree in Workforce Education and Curriculum Development from Southern Illinois University and an MBA from Columbia College. He is from Atlanta, Georgia.
Amy Van Epps
Senior Academic Success Coach
Email: amy.vanepps@ucf.edu
Ms. Van Epps joined Interdisciplinary Studies in May 2015. In 2009, she earned an Associate of Science in Photographic Technology from Daytona State College. While pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, she worked in the office as a transition advisor assisting prospective students. Her areas of study were Behavioral and Social Sciences, Arts, and minor in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication. Amy graduated with a Master of Arts in Higher Education and Policy Studies from the University of Central Florida in May 2015. Prior to joining the office, Amy worked as a Student Services Advisor for Valencia College.
Helen Haynes
Academic Success Coach
Email: helen.haynes@ucf.edu
Ms. Haynes joined interdisciplinary Studies in June of 2023. In 2012, she received a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Music from UCF; her areas of focus were education and Spanish. She went on to work with the U.S. Air Force while also working at various elementary schools, high schools, and colleges. She later went on to become a program assessment specialist for the Early Learning Coalition of Brevard County. Helen also taught English through music and games to high school students in Spain, and, while she assisted students with their financial aid and enrollment at Full Sail University, she created procedures implemented in training staff.
College and Interdisciplinary Studies Office Administrative Staff
Jacob Isaacs
Academic Program Coordinator
Email: jacob.isaacs@ucf.edu
Stefani Francisco
Academic Program Coordinator
Email: stefani.francisco@ucf.edu
Anne Thomas
Administrative Assistant
Email: anne.thomas@ucf.edu
Jenna Rembaum
OPS Student
Adeline Agnew
OPS Student
Catalina Miranda
OPS Student
Christopher Poulios
OPS Student
Dean’s Office Administrative Staff
Darryl D. Gordon, Ph.D.
Program Manager
Email: darryl.gordon@ucf.edu
Dr. Gordon joined the College of Undergraduate Studies in October of 2023. Prior to joining the college, he served as the Coordinator of Student Academic Services and Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for UCF’s College of Health Professions and Sciences. Dr. Gordon also was a Career Program Advisor for Seminole State College’s EMERGE program and Coordinator of Special Populations at Daytona State College. Dr. Gordon earned his Ph.D. in Education from UCF, a Master of Education in Higher Education from Georgia Southern University, and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Florida A&M University. He currently serves as the president of UCF’s Black Faculty and Staff Association.
Carolina Cabrera Lopez
Academic Program Coordinator
Email: carolina.cabrera-lopez@ucf.edu
Ms. Cabrera Lopez joined the Interdisciplinary Studies team in March of 2022. Prior to joining the office, she worked as a student assistant in the Dean’s Office for the College of Undergraduate Studies for 2 years. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Central Florida in 2021. Carolina will soon be pursuing a Master’s Degree in the field of education or social sciences here at UCF.
Brittany Nsouli
Executive Assistant
Email: brittany.nsouli@ucf.edu
Communications
Barbara Smith
Senior Communications Director
Email: barbara.smith@ucf.edu
Brian Pate
Web Content Specialist
Email: brian.pate@ucf.edu
Ava Ingle
Multimedia Specialist
Email: av140213@ucf.edu