Meet the Team
Program Staff
The Honors & Scholars Programs’ full-time staff support the growth and development of outstanding Emory College students by creating exceptional experiences and opportunities for highly motivated students. We oversee competitive merit scholarships and other endowed scholarships, the Research Honors Program, college-wide academic honors societies, and honors in course.
Steven Blalock
Assistant Director
Ask me about: Scholar academic advising, experiential opportunities and programming, and campus resources
Steven Blalock 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. Before joining Emory in 2022, he spent several years at The Ohio State University as a Program Manager and Program Coordinator in the College of Arts and Sciences and the University Center for Honors and Scholars. Before transitioning to higher education, he served as a Legislative Aide and Legislative Fellow in the Ohio Senate, and spent a year teaching English abroad.
Lauren Cowan
Senior Program Coordinator (Bobby Jones Program)
Ask me about: Bobby Jones Program, Woodruff Scholar fellows, and endowed scholarships
Lauren Cowan holds an M.Ed. in College Student Affairs Administration from the University of Georgia and a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her passion for higher education began during her undergraduate years, where roles in campus housing and new student orientation inspired her to pursue a master’s and a full-time career in the field. She joined Emory in 2019 in the School of Medicine and transitioned to the Bobby Jones Program in 2021, following earlier work at UGA in University Housing and Financial Aid.
Janet Gonzales
Associate Director
Ask me about: Financial aid, required Woodruff Scholar events, and Woodruff Scholar selection
Janet Gonzales holds an M.A. in Occupational Studies and a B.S. in Management and Marketing from California State University, Long Beach. She previously served as a Senior Associate with the Milken Scholars in Santa Monica, after eight years in alumni relations at CSU Long Beach. At Emory, she oversees operations for the Emory Scholars Program, including Scholar Selection, major initiatives, the annual retreat, and budget. She also chairs the Community Building Committee on campus, and in the broader higher ed community she serves on the Undergraduate Scholars Program Administrators Association board.
Amy E. Lebo, Ph.D.
Director
Ask me about: Woodruff Scholar selection, endowed scholarships, scholar alumni engagement, and strategic direction across the Honors and Scholars Programs
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 in 2022, Amy was a philosophy professor and associate dean at a liberal arts college in Ohio, where she oversaw their honors program, Fulbright advising, undergraduate research programs, and honor societies. She is active in national organizations related to honors and scholars programs and serves as a program reviewer for the National Collegiate Honors Council.
Alex Mathis-Porter
Academic Program Associate
Ask me about: Honors Program and ECAS Faculty Senate
Alex Mathis-Porter M.P. is an Atlanta native and graduate of Kennesaw State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication. She is currently pursuing a Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management degree at Arizona State University. As a dedicated volunteer, Alex has served in numerous leadership and service roles through Gamma Phi Beta, including positions on international committees and with local collegiate and alumnae chapters. Her passion for volunteerism and nonprofit work has inspired her continued studies in nonprofit leadership and management.
Lhana Ormenyi
Program Coordinator
Ask me about: Phi Beta Kappa, communications and marketing, and program assessment
Lhana Ormenyi holds a B.A. in Urban Studies concentrating in Environmental Science and Sustainability from Barnard College of Columbia University. Before joining Emory in 2023, Lhana was the Technical Supervisor for the Glicker-Milstein Theatre at their alma mater, following several years managing public and environmental education programs at the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy. In addition, Lhana was a beekeeper at a community farm in the South Bronx and has over ten years of experience as a freelance theatrical carpenter and electrician.
Robert Torre, Ph.D.
Assistant Director
Ask me about: Honors Program, Honors in Course, and Emory College class orator selection
Robert Torre holds a Ph.D. in Historical Musicology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a B.A. in Music (voice and violin) from the University of South Carolina-Columbia. He was a Fulbright student in musicology at the University of Tübingen in Germany. Before joining Emory, Robert held various faculty roles at the University of South Carolina, Agnes Scott College, and the College of Charleston. He joined Emory as an Instructor of Music History and later moved to Faculty Affairs in the Emory School of Medicine.
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.
Ramlah Amer 27C
Robert W. Woodruff Scholar
Alumni Engagement
Hunter Buchheit 28B
Robert W. Woodruff Scholar
Community Belonging
Talya Castell 27C
Robert W. Woodruff Scholar
Mentoring
Sophia Driskell 25Ox 27C
Robert W. Woodruff Scholar
Oxford Liaison
Ava Havidic 28C
Robert W. Woodruff Scholar
Communications
Disha Kumar 27C
Robert W. Woodruff Scholar
Mentoring
Kushal Maganti 28C
Robert W. Woodruff Music Scholar
Lounge Operations
Esther Oyetunji 28C
Robert W. Woodruff Scholar
Community Belonging
Carys Peden 29B
Robert W. Woodruff Scholar
Alumni Engagement
Delaney Reese 28C
Robert W. Woodruff Scholar
Communications
Jenny Tham 27N
George W. Jenkins Scholar
Mentoring
Thomas Winning 28B
Robert W. Woodruff Scholar
International Liaison
Epherata Zeleke 28C
Robert W. Woodruff - MLK, Jr. Scholar
Alumni Engagement
