Meet the Student Activities Staff

Eddie Howard
Director of Student Activities

"Leading the Path to Campus Involvement" is the motto for programming for Student Activities. As director, Mr. Howard feels it is his responsibility to ensure that every student finds their path at ASU.  He began his journey during his undergraduate days, while attending Valdosta State University. He participated in a variety of activities from working as the Testing Office assistant, Orientation Insight Leader, Campus Activities Board Officer, Resident Assistant and SGA Senator.   GO Blazers!   In 1993, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree and continued in his journey to the University of Georgia where he was one of eighteen students across the nation selected to participate in the Higher Education Graduate program. Although the schools changed, his desire to remain involved in campus life stayed constant. As a GA in housing he was responsible for over 200 residents at UGA’s Creswell Hall. There he developed and implemented programs which directly impacted the educational and personal aspects of the residents’ lives.  GO Dawgs!  

After graduating with a Master’s degree in Student Personnel in Higher Education his path was set.  He accepted a position at the University of Louisville as a Coordinator of Leadership and Services. Finding his way was rewarding, however, “Getting paid for something he truly loved” was the icing on the cake for him. After two years of service, he was promoted to Assistant Director. GO CARDS!

Howard eventually moved back to Georgia in 1998 and accepted a position with Georgia College & State University as the Director of Student Activities.  He was able to hone his skills as an administrator by creating new programs, establishing a mission and strategic plan for the department and assisting the university with developing plans and a funding source to renovate a historic church into a Student Center. GO Bobcats! 

Those skills and a desire to relocate to another city led him to Augusta State University.  Here as Director of Student Activities, he is responsible for overseeing the Student Activity Budget, program implementation, supervising the office staff, and serving a building manager for the 50,000 square foot Jaguar Student Activities Center.  As you know ASU is mostly a commuter campus, so getting students involved in events outside of class is an extremely difficult job, but as the campus grows, things are changing and he and his staff are beginning to create a culture of participation that is truly Leading the Path to Campus Involvement.  GO Jaguars!!

Elizabeth Shorts
Coordinator of Leadership and Greek Life

Betsy is from Philadelphia and received her M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from the College of William & Mary and her B.A. in Journalism from American University in Washington, D.C.  She is a member of Alpha Chi Omega, the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors, and ACPA.  As the Coordinator of Greek Life and Leadership, Betsy is responsible for advising fraternities and sororities, coordinating leadership programs and community service, and working with student clubs and organizations.  This is her first full-time position in Student Affairs, but she spent two years as a sorority consultant and two years as a graduate assistant in leadership programs. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and catching up with her friends and family.  Her favorite thing about working in Student Activities is the students she gets to work with every day. 

Laverne Felix
Senior Administrative Secretary

Laverne McCain-Felix is from Edgefield County, SC. She has been with Augusta State for four years. She came to Augusta State from Medical College of Georgia where she worked for Health Center Credit Union (HCCU). Laverne received her Associates degree in Business Management from Aiken Technical College and her Bachelor’s of Science in Management from Southern Wesleyan University.  As the Senior Administrative Specialist, her job duties include supervising the front office of Student Activities, processing and payroll for student employees of the Student Center, and outside purchasing for other funded departments on campus. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, shopping and hanging out with her son. The thing she likes most about ASU is meeting and getting to know the students and assisting them in their transition in adulthood. 

Nancy Karlberg
Business Manager

Nancy is originally from upstate New York.  She relocated to North Augusta in late 2008 and has been in the Office of Student Activities for a little over two years. As Business Manager she is responsible for all financial activities related to student activities including accounting, purchasing and budget management. She has a BS in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Her favorite pastime is reading. Her favorite thing about working in Student Activities is being part of the team that provides so many different opportunities for students.

Jessica Haskins
Assistant Director for Programs

Jessica was born and raised in a small community in Northwestern, Pennsylvania. She recently obtained her Master’s in Education with an emphasis in Student Affairs and a Certificate in Social Justice from Iowa State University. Directly prior to her M.Ed., Jessica received her Bachelor’s of Science in Political Science and Sociology from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. She is a member of the NASPA and ACPA, the two national organizations for student affairs professionals in the field of higher education. Jessica is also a proud alumnus member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Women’s Fraternity and Omicron Delta Kappa, The National Leadership Honor Society.

As the Assistant Director for Programs, Jessica is responsible for coordinating Augusta State’s Orientation Program, advising the Jaguar Activities Board (JAB), serving as the committee chair for Homecoming, and facilitating the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) Grant. This is Jessica’s first full-time position in the profession, but she spent two years working as an Undergraduate Academic Advisor in the College of Business while attending graduate school full-time. Her favorite thing about working in the Office of Student Activities is the interaction she gets to have with so many students, faculty, and staff from across campus every day.

In Jessica’s free time, she enjoys meeting new people and staying in touch with close family and friends. She also likes to take advantage of the many opportunities that the Augusta Area offers for entertainment, as well as doing anything outdoors.

Dean Smedley
Assistant Director for Student Center Operations

Dean was born in North Carolina and raised in a military family. In addition to North Carolina, he lived in Hawaii and Florida during his childhood. Dean attended Samford University where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Human Relations. While attending Samford, he became a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and was involved in several organizations including Residence Life where he worked as a Resident Assistant. After graduation, he was hired as an Admission Counselor at Samford where his desire to serve college students originated. This desire increased while helping high school seniors prepare for college at the Alabama Governor’s School where he worked for several summers.

After receiving his Masters of Divinity from Beeson Divinity School, Dean found a new opportunity to serve students as the Coordinator of Campus Visit Programs at Samford. A year later, he returned to Residence Life where he worked as a Residence Life Coordinator for five years: four years with freshmen and one year with upperclassmen. Dean joined the Student Activities Staff at ASU in July 2011. Dean is excited about the opportunity to serve the students at ASU and everyone who uses the JSAC.

In his spare time, Dean enjoys spending time with friends, hiking, camping, running, tennis, racquetball, and discovering new music.