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Sonya Williams 
Executive Director
Upward Bound & Office of University Outreach and Engagement

Sonya provides leadership, coordination and supervision for departmental-level projects and initiatives to support university outreach and engagement for the Kent State campus-system and surrounding community. Program collaboration and oversight includes Akron Public Schools College and Career Academies, TRIO Upward Bound & Education Opportunity Center programs, TEAGLE Knowledge of Freedom, Kent State Prison Reentry Program just to name a few. Sonya previously served as Executive Director for the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a member of the Executive Leadership Team. Prior to coming to KSU, she worked in both the corporate and non-profit sectors in top-tier management positions. Sonya is a proud alumna of Â鶹´«Ã½ and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Daniel Diaz Nilsson
Assistant Dean for Access and Engagement
College of Education, Health and Human Services

As a first-generation Latine college student, Daniel understands the difficulty of navigating the college process. He knows how overwhelming it can be and the power additional support and resources can have on moving a person from a struggling student to becoming a star and mentor to others. In his role as assistant dean, he manages the day-to-day academic operations of offices and initiatives related to student access and engagement and advises the dean on academic and other related matters. Nilsson previously served as director of the Office of Diversity Outreach & Development, where he provided transformational leadership to the college and university through strategic and tactical planning and implementation of DEI initiatives, programs, policy creation, and change management. Daniel is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education. 

Jacquelyn Bleak
Associate Lecturer
School of Peace and Conflict Studies

Jacquelyn found her way into peace and conflict studies, earning a BA in Applied Conflict Management and Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations from Â鶹´«Ã½.  Jacquelyn earned an MS in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University and focused much of her research on gender and disability conflicts in the workplace.  Jacquelyn worked for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mediation program at the Keybridge Center for Mediation in Washington, D.C., before returning to Kent State to develop a mediation service for students on campus.  Jacquelyn began her Ph.D. with an emphasis in Cultural Foundations in the College of Education, Health and Human Services at Kent State in Spring of 2021. 

Dominique Hill, Ed.D.
Assistant Dean of Students
Recreation and Wellness Services

Dr. Dominique Hill is a seasoned professional in the field of recreation and wellness within higher education, currently serving as the Assistant Dean of Students for Recreation and Wellness Services at Â鶹´«Ã½ since June 2023. Dr. Hill brings over sixteen years of experience to his role, emphasizing the importance of addressing the mental, emotional, and physical health needs of the student body. His strategic approach focuses on students' interpersonal growth, education, and overall development. Dr. Hill is the inaugural recipient of the Staff Champion of Change Award and the Diversity Enhancement Award at Baylor University. Dr. Hill earned his Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education, Exercise, and Sport Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his Master of Science in degree in Management and Leadership, and his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, both from Tarleton State University.

Elizabeth Smith-Pryor, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of History

Dr. Smith's research interests include the tumultuous history of race in this country, along with its intersections with gender, class, and power.  At Kent State, Dr. Pryor teaches undergraduate survey courses in American history, as well as undergraduate and graduate courses in African-American History, The History of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, The History of Whiteness, and American Women's History. She earned an AB in Government from Harvard in 1984, a JD from Stanford Law School in 1987, and a PhD in American History from Rutgers University in 2001.  She is currently working on her second monograph, tentatively titled Equality Will Become a Reality: The Urban League’s New Thrust and America’s Unfinished Second Reconstruction, 1968-1978.