Staff

Welcome!

We’re glad to have you visit our site and learn more about the Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center at UVA! We are here to develop strong women leaders and those who work beside them to bring social justice, especially gender and racial justice, to our world.

We at the Women’s Center are all stewards of something larger than any one of us: a sustained commitment to the well-being of all UVA students in all stages of their lives that supporters of the Women’s Center have fostered over the decades. Throughout its history, students’ voices have had a significant impact on the growth and development of the Women’s Center. We count our work with students among the most meaningful work we do. I am proud to say that in their time with us, our students develop their skills and passions, and they leave us prepared to put them to use in service of the public good.

I encourage you to get to know us better through the programs and events we offer in the Women’s Center and across Grounds. We look forward to meeting you!

Abby Palko,
Director

Director

Abby Palko

Director
apalko@virginia.edu
434-982-2934

What She Does:

As director, Abby leads a dedicated team of experts who provide counseling and wellness resources and educational opportunities on Grounds to help students make the most of their time at UVA. She develops and sustains collaborations across the University to fulfill the Women’s Center’s mission to work for a more just world by fostering leadership, building partnerships for social change, and celebrating the accomplishments of women across Grounds. Abby often serves as a panelist, moderator, or guest speaker on issues of equity and justice in faculty members’ classrooms and in meetings of student groups, colleagues, and community organizations.

Education:

Ph.D. Literature with Gender Studies Minor, University of Notre Dame
M.A. English, Rutgers University
B.A. English and French, Chestnut Hill College

Publications:

Counseling Staff

Margaret Edwards, LPC

Program Director for Counseling and Wellness Services

Cathy Erickson, LPC

Trauma Counselor

Poe Erickson, PSD

Therapy Dog / Good Boy

Aisha Saeed, LCSW

Trauma Counselor and Body Positive Coordinator

Uriel Santiago, NCC

Resident in Counseling

Amelia Walton, MA, EdS

Resident in Counseling

Janie Williams, LCSW

Trauma Counselor

Programs Faculty & Staff

Genevieve Brackins

Outreach Coordinator
gbrackins@virginia.edu
434-982-5324

Mary Esselman

Iris Editor
mdesselman@gmail.com

Sarah Jenkins

Young Women Leaders Program Mentoring Coordinator
stjenkins@virginia.edu
434-982-2648

What She Does:

Sarah coordinates the operations of YWLP in the Charlottesville area by serving as our liaison with staff members and parents in the four partnering middle schools. She manages the work of our YWLP interns and graduate assistants as well as supporting the many UVA students serving as YWLP Big Sisters and facilitators in the program each year.

Education:

M.Ed. Critical Studies in Educational Foundations, Ohio University
M.A. Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Florida Atlantic University
B.A. Women's and Gender Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Publications:

“Spicy. Exotic. Creature. Representations of Racial and Ethnic Minorities on RuPaul’s Drag Race.” In Brennan, N. and Gudelunas, D. (Eds.). RuPaul’s Drag Race and the Shifting Visibility of Drag Culture: The Boundaries of Reality TV. New York: Palgrave Macmillian.

Jaronda Miller-Bryant

Program Director of Engaged Scholarship & Global Outreach and Program Director of Operations, Young Women Leaders Program
jjm8ac@virginia.edu
434-924-9732

Taylor Nichols

GVSC & DEI Coordinator
tnichols@virginia.edu

Administration

Diadra Bendixen

Receptionist
db8ru@virginia.edu
434-982-2361

Leigh Ann Carver

Program Director of Communications & Advancement
lac4g@virginia.edu
434-924-3946

Carol Gilbert

Business Manager
ceg6a@virginia.edu
434-982-2902

Mitchell Mays

Communications Coordinator
mrm5ug@virginia.edu
434-982-2023

Graduate Assistant & Fellows

Ivana Brancaccio

Greer Fellow
iab8jp@virginia.edu

Alyssa Candelmo

Casscells Fellow
ac3et@virginia.edu
434-243-1199

Rachel Davies

Casscells Fellow
rsd2js@virginia.edu
434-982-3907

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