July 1, 2022

I am pleased to share some updates on the faculty and professional staff in the Graduate College. 

First, we’d like to thank Alonzo M. Flowers, III, PhD, for his service and guidance as inaugural Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Graduate College this past year. Dr. Flowers has accepted a position as the Department Chair for the Educational Leadership and Policy Program at the University of Texas at San Antonio and will be returning to his home state. Dr. Flowers also served as inaugural chair of the Graduate College’s Diversity Advisory Council. The Graduate College wishes him much success in his new role!

With the departure of Dr. Flowers, I am pleased to announce that Tsz Kwok, EdD ’16 will take on some of Dr. Flower’s former role as the newly established Director of Graduate Multicultural and Equity Affairs in the Graduate College, effective July 1. In this role, Dr. Kwok will liaise with the newly appointed Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Leslie Ashburn-Nardo, PhD, chair of the Diversity Advisory Council, Ebony White, PhD, and other individuals and committees devoted to fulfilling the University’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

In addition, Dr. Kwok has also been promoted to Director of Academic Administration in the Graduate College, effective July 1. Dr. Kwok has demonstrated unwavering support and advocacy for graduate students, including international students, during his many years in the Graduate College. Dr. Kwok has continued to take on more responsibility around student success and retention, demonstrated through weekly data analysis, outreach, and reporting, the excellent work on continuing to implement the streamlined E-forms system for tracking doctoral student progress, as well as taking the lead on supporting and training our graduate faculty and professional staff academic advisors. Dr. Kwok also received a Provost Award for Teaching Excellence in his adjunct faculty role in the Westphal College of Media Arts and Design.

Further, Anne Converse Willkomm, MFA, has been promoted to Associate Dean, effective July 1, and will continue to oversee the Academic Administrative team. Since Anne joined the Graduate College, she has instituted a student case tracking system, streamlined the student case processes, led the college’s strategic planning efforts ensuring DEI work is fully embedded in our goals and implementation efforts, and she has also built strong relationships with our academic and student service units and developed resources to support our graduate students, including building the Road to Success doctoral student online resource, partnering with the Online Learning Council and Teaching and Learning Center to develop and launch a non-credit certificate in college teaching, and she continues to provide sage advice around careers, leadership, and communication to students via her blog - Professional Buzz. I am also pleased to announce that in her faculty role, beginning in September, Anne will be joining the College of Arts and Sciences as an Associate Teaching Professor in the department of Communications.

And finally, Reina Lopez, MS ’22, will be joining the Graduate College team full-time as Manager of Events and Conferences, effective July 1. Reina had been supporting both Drexel University Online and the Graduate College this past year. Reina recently earned her master’s degree in project management from the Goodwin College of Professional Studies and a certificate in global health. She has been an integral part of the Communications and Events team, including bringing back the annual Festival of Nations event.

Michelle Layone, who had also been supporting both Drexel University Online and the Graduate College this past year as Coordinator of Events and Conference will continue supporting the Strategic Partnerships team and events full-time.

Please join me in congratulating Tsz and Anne on these well-deserved promotions and welcoming Reina to our team full-time.

Sincerely,

Elisabeth J. Van Bockstaele, Ph.D.
Chief Strategy Officer
Senior Vice President for Graduate and Online Education
Dean, Graduate College and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies
Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology
College of Medicine