Center for Freshman Year -Staff Directory

150 Allen Hall | O 225-578-6822 | F 225-578-5762 | ucfy@lsu.edu

Academic Counselors

Staff Picture	Contact Information	Staff Bio
	Jennifer Picard Director jpicard@lsu.edu	Jennifer Williams Picard joined the Center for Freshman Year (UCFY) as the Director in September of 2022 after serving two years as the Associate Director of Retention and Student Success. Prior to joining LSU, Jennifer served as the Executive Director of Advising and Career Services at the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology- Indianapolis, Director of Postdoctoral Affairs at Indiana University School of Medicine, and various leadership roles at Columbia University, Teacher’s College – Columbia University, and Tulane University. Jennifer earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts from Otterbein University, a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from Emporia State University, and is a Ph.D. candidate in Higher Educational Leadership at Indiana State University.
	Abby Adams Academic Counselor aada185@lsu.edu	Abby Adams joined the University College Center for Freshman year in September 2023. She received her bachelor’s degree in Marketing in 2021 from Nicholls State University. She then received her master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from Louisiana State University in August of 2023. Abby is dedicated to helping students navigate their academic careers in order for them to reach their full potential.
	Colby Alexander Academic Counselor calex52@lsu.edu	Colby Alexander joined the University College Center for Freshman Year in 2023. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 2022 from LSU. During his undergraduate career, Colby worked as a Program Assistant in the Campus Life office and as a student worker at the University Lab School Foundation. He also served as a member of the LSU Homecoming Committee and Student Activities Board. He is passionate about helping students be successful in meeting their academic and professional goals as well as connecting with the LSU community.
	Erin Anthony Academic Counselor eanthony@lsu.edu	Erin Anthony is a licensed professional counselor. She joined LSU in 2007. As a counselor with University College’s Center for Freshman Year, she has worked with first year students in a number of capacities through various programs, activities, and daily advising sessions. Anthony earned her Master of Science in Community Counseling.
	Allyson Barker Academic Counselor abark17@lsu.edu	Allyson Barker is an experienced Academic Advisor III at Louisiana State University. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Foreign Languages from Southern University and two Master degrees in Educational Studies and Educational Technology from the University of Phoenix and Louisiana State University, respectively. Currently, she is pursuing her doctoral degree at Massachusetts School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. With a total of 14 years of experience in education, Allyson has worked at all levels of education. Before her role as Academic Advisor III, Allyson worked as an Assistant Director of Retention and Student Success at Louisiana State University. Prior to that, she worked as an English as a Second Language (E.S.L.) Specialist, where she directed and led the E.S.L. programs in four schools. Allyson also developed professional developments that focused on technology tools for communication, behavior intervention plans, and the SIOP Method for Instruction to E.S.L. Students, among others. These professional developments helped teachers to meaningfully instruct E.S.L. students virtually which assisted them to become more adaptable to their students needs. Moreover, Allyson has created many websites to assist teachers with ESL technological tools. Allyson is also an Apple Certified Teacher and has gained credentials in Quality Matters Rubric Design and Standards. Her interests lie in technological tools for online instruction and assessment, quality assurance, effective learning management systems, social media as a learning platform, and curriculum and design for medical simulations and case studies.
	Maisie Baudier Academic Counselor mbaudi1@lsu.edu	Maisie Baudier joined UCFY in 2023. She is a Certified Social Worker and is currently working towards her Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). Maisie earned her Bachelor of Social Work in Fall of 2022 from LSU, and continued her education at LSU, completing her Master of Social Work in Spring of 2023. In her undergraduate career, Maisie completed a medical social work internship with Lane Regional Medical Center in Zachary, LA and served as vice president in the Bachelor of Social Work Student Association (BSWSA). During graduate school, Maisie was awarded a fellowship from the Louisiana Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (LA-GWEP) and interned at Ochsner Medical Center Main Campus in the Neuropsychology Clinic. She is passionate about helping LSU students cultivate an environment where they can thrive.
	Amy Cave Academic Counselor acave3@lsu.edu	Amy Cave joined LSU University College Center for Freshman Year in 2021. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications , Master of Library and Information Science, and Master of Social Work from LSU. Cave is a Certified Social Worker and is working towards her Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers.
	Kylie Conroy Academic Counselor kconroy@lsu.edu	Kylie Conroy joined University College Center for Freshman Year in November of 2023. She received her bachelor's degree in Psychology with an enhancement in Human Resource Management from Illinois State University May of 2023. Kylie loves to build relationships with her students while assisting them with their academic careers and transition to LSU.
	Aysa Edwards Academic Counselor aedwa51@lsu.edu	Aysa Edwards earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology from LSU in 2022. She is currently working towards her Master of Public Administration. During her time as an LSU undergraduate student, Aysa served as a student worker for both the Tiger Athletic Foundation and the Parking and Transportation office. As a first-generation college student and first-gen Tiger, she also serves as a fist-gen mentor. Aysa is excited to work with the freshman class to connect them with resources and provide assistance with academics.
	Cierra Gaines Academic Counselor cgain14@lsu.edu	Cierra Gaines joined LSU University College Center for Freshman Year in 2022. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies with a minor in Psychology at LSUA in 2018 and has earned a Master of Social Work from LSU in 2021. She is a proud first-generation college student. Gaines is a Certified Social Worker and is working towards her Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW).
	Kelly Hinote Academic Counselor kellyhinote@lsu.edu	Kelly Bezdek Hinote earned her Bachelor of Art in Anthropology in 2008 and her Master of Education in School Counseling in 2012. Kelly has been a dedicated civil servant, working for the Zachary Community School District in a variety of roles, including Human Resources, School Counseling, and College and Career Coaching. Kelly is a third generation LSU Tiger.
	Elizabeth Hymel Academic Counselor ehymel6@lsu.edu	Elizabeth Hymel is a two-time alumna of LSU; she earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with minor in Communication Studies in 2018 and her Master of Education in Mental Health Counseling in May 2021. During her graduate program, she interned at LSU’s Mental Health Services and was a graduate assistant at LSU’s Disability Services; she truly has a passion for working with LSU students. Elizabeth is currently a Provisionally Licensed Professional Counselor (PLPC) and member of the Louisiana Counseling Association (LCA).
	Russelle Landry Academic Counselor rland75@lsu.edu	Russelle Landry joined LSU University College Center for Freshman Year in July 2023. She earned both her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and her Master of Social Work degree at LSU. During her graduate program, she interned at the nonprofit organization Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response (STAR), as well as Baton Rouge General Medical Center. Russelle is currently a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW).
	Grace Lanier Academic Counselor glanie5@lsu.edu	Grace Lanier joined UCFY in July 2023. She is a fall 2022 graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the university in English Literature and Language. During her time at Southeastern, she was a 2021 Orientation Leader, a student worker for enrollment services, and a member of the national theater honor society, Alpha Psi Omega. She found her passion for helping students in the positions she held and is looking forward to her time at LSU.
	Dana Lewis Academic Counselor dlewi56@lsu.edu	Dana Lewis earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Linguistics from LSU in 2017. She also earned her Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from LSU in May 2020. Dana interned at Youth Oasis, a youth shelter in Baton Rouge, as well as LSU Mental Health Services during her time in her graduate program. She is a member of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the Louisiana Counseling Association (LCA).
	Luke Lowery Academic Counselor llower5@lsu.edu	Luke Lowery earned his Bachelor of Social Work at LSU and will finish his Master of Social Work degree in August of 2023; he will be testing for his licensure in the fall. Prior to joining LSU, Luke worked in substance misuse and mental health treatment from 2018 to 2023. Luke is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and support; he was one of the students that helped bring a collegiate recovery program to LSU in 2023 and served at the Vice President of the LSU collegiate recovery community. Luke believes in empowering individuals of all ages, races, abilities, and orientations to pursue education as a means of bettering our community.
	April Moore Academic Counselor amoore11@lsu.edu	April Moore earned her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with a minor in Biological Sciences from Southern University. She earned her Masters of Arts in Education from the University of Phoenix in 2016. Before starting her UCFY career, April worked as an educator for 7 years. She is passionate about helping LSU students be successful in meeting all of their professional and personal goals. April is currently a member of Louisiana's Association of Educators and the National Education Association (NEA).
	Anthony Oster Academic Counselor aoster@lsu.edu	Anthony served as the Louisiana representative of the NACADA (National Academic Advising Association) Region 7 Executive committee from 2015 - 2019, co-chaired the 2015 NACADA Region 7 regional conference, and was awarded the NACADA Region 7 Excellence in Advising award in 2015. He currently serves as a member of LSU's staff senate. Anthony Oster joined LSU and University College as a member of the Center for Advising & Counseling in 2006. Mr. Oster earned both a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from The University of Southern Mississippi and currently holds a Licensed Professional Counselor certification in the State of Louisiana as well as a data analytics certification from Coursera. Mr. Oster oversees recruitment and advising for all Pre-Allied Health, Pre-Public Health & Pre-Pharmacy students at LSU. In addition to his advising duties, Mr. Oster served as the Louisiana representative of the NACADA (National Academic Advising Association) Region 7 Executive committee from 2015 - 2019, co-chaired the 2015 NACADA Region 7 regional conference, and was awarded the NACADA Region 7 Excellence in Advising award in 2015. He currently serves as a member of LSU's staff senate.
	Rochelle Smith Academic Counselor rochellesmith@lsu.edu	Rochelle Smith earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and Master of Science in Exercise Science in Human Performance both from Texas Southern University. After graduating with her master’s, she started working at Texas Southern University as an Academic Advisor for 6yrs in the College of Education. Once she left TSU, she got a job as a Special Education Teacher where she worked there for 6yrs in which she knew something was missing. Rochelle wanted to get back into what she loved which was helping student find their path to success; she got hired at Northland Pioneer College and worked there until she got hired at Louisiana State University in February of 2022 to follow her passion to help college students be successful and excellence in their academic careers.
	Valori Washington Academic Counselor 150-B Allen Hall vwashington@lsu.edu	Valori Washington joined LSU University College Center for Freshman Year in 2022.Valori has a background in College Access and Student Success. As a Higher Education professional, her purpose is to educate, empower, and inspire. Her goals are to serve as an advocate for those who are often forgotten and silenced. She is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and alumnae of Xavier University of Louisiana (Bachelor of Art in Systematic Theology with a minor in Biology, 15') and Louisiana State University (Master of Arts in Education with a specialization in Higher Education Administration and a certificate in Urban and Community Education. Valori focuses her efforts on the effective service of students at LSU, campus involvement, and the Baton Rouge community.
	Emily Wayne Academic Counselor ewayne1@lsu.edu	Emily earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Health Science from LSU in 2022. She was a piccolo player in The Golden Band from Tigerland all 4 years and was a research assistant in the Adult Development and Aging Laboratory for 2 years. She also worked at the Student Health Center, where she discovered a love for working with students one-on-one. An internship at Ochsner Health expanded this passion by introducing her to creating educational programing for students.
	Ayannah Williams Academic Counselor ayannahwilliams@lsu.edu	Ayannah Williams earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Economics with an emphasis in Business from Tougaloo College in 2006. She then obtained her Master of Business Administration degree from Millsaps College in 2008. She is a four time published author and public speaker. Ayannah joined LSU’s University College Center for Freshman Year as an Academic Advisor in October 2021 and continues to promote academic excellence amongst students as they pursue their academic careers.