Meet the Staff

Program Staff

The Emory College Woodruff Scholars Program full-time staff supports the growth and development of our student scholars and helps create exceptional experiences through community events, advising, and managing the operations and logistics of the scholarships, programming, and opportunities.

Amy E. Lebo, Ph.D.

Director

amy.eloise.lebo@emory.edu
(404) 712-8406

Amy E. Lebo holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Oregon and is an undergraduate alum of Emory University. Prior to her return to Emory to direct the Scholars Program, Amy was a philosophy professor and associate dean at a liberal arts college in Ohio. She is active in national organizations related to honors and scholars programs and serves as a program reviewer for the National Collegiate Honors Council. In the Emory College Scholars Program, Amy is focused on programming related to student learning and assessment as well as the selection of new scholars. She also oversees the distribution of many Emory College endowed scholarships outside of the scope of the Scholars Program and supports the faculty leadership of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious honor society in the country. For 2025-26, she is also serving as the interim director of the Emory College Honors Program.

Janet Gonzales

Associate Director

janet.gonzales@emory.edu
(404) 712-8296

Janet Gonzales holds an M.A. in Occupational Studies and a B.S. in Management and Marketing from California State University, Long Beach. Before joining Emory, she served as a Senior Associate for the Milken Scholars, an initiative of the Milken Institute and Milken Family Foundation in Santa Monica, CA, following eight years in alumni relations at Cal State Long Beach. At Emory, Janet oversees the operational needs of the Emory Scholars Program, including recruitment events, major programmatic initiatives, and the annual scholars’ retreat, while also managing the program budget and serving as the financial aid liaison for scholars. She remains active in the campus community as chair of the Community Building Committee and in the broader higher education community as a board member of the Undergraduate Scholars Program Administrators Association.

Steven Blalock

Assistant Director

steven.blalock@emory.edu
(404) 727-2408

Steven holds a M.A. in Public Policy and Management from The Ohio State University, a M.A. in Political Science from Ohio University-Athens, and a B.A. in International Studies from Old Dominion University. Prior to Emory, he worked as a program manager in the College of Arts and Sciences and the University Center for Honors and Scholars, and as a program coordinator at the Mershon Center for International Security Studies, both at The Ohio State University. In the Emory Scholars Program, he is responsible for Scholar advising and support, including Emory policies, processes and procedures, general education requirements, and Scholar-specific opportunities. He also oversees Scholar co-curricular development and supports Scholar-wide programming; assists in the administration of Scholar supplemental funding opportunities; and liaises with Emory academic departments, campus resources, and faculty. Steven also facilitates the ECS 101: The Emory Edge for first-year Scholars every year.

Lauren Cowan

Senior Program Coordinator (Bobby Jones Program)

lauren.cowan@emory.edu
(404) 727-2567

Lauren Cowan holds a M.Ed. in College Student Affairs and Administration from the University of Georgia and a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In the Emory College Scholars Program, Lauren is the Senior Program Coordinator for the Robert T. Jones, Jr. Scholarship, a post-baccalaureate exchange between Emory University and the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Lauren coordinates the selection process for the Scholars from Emory and organizes all aspects of the exchange by completing onboarding tasks for each group of Scholars including planning and implementing a weeklong orientation prior to the start of fall classes. Lauren also aids the Emory Scholars Program by supervising the Scholar Fellows, supporting Program-led Events, and administering Endowed Scholarships.

Lhana Ormenyi

Program Coordinator

lhana.ormenyi@emory.edu
(404) 727-1480

Lhana Ormenyi holds a B.A. in Urban Studies from Barnard College of Columbia University. Prior to Emory, Lhana held a progression of program management and facilitator roles at the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy and, more recently, was the Technical Supervisor for the Glicker-Milstein Theatre at Barnard College. In addition, Lhana has worked as a freelance theatre carpenter & electrician, beekeeper, sustainability program manager, and, briefly, an assistant florist. Within the Scholars Program, Lhana oversees internal and external communications and marketing, manages assessment and program data, and supports development and implementation of program events. They also administer operations for Emory's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious honor society in the US.

Student Staff

Scholar Fellows work closely with the Emory College Woodruff Scholars Program full-time staff and each other to contribute to the achievement of program priorities. Scholar Fellows help with current operations, play a critical role in helping to set the culture and expectations of the Emory College Woodruff Scholars Program with current scholars, and serve as a role model of what it means to be a scholar.