Invest In The Nest

In our new series titled "Invest In The Nest" we highlight former UNF students who applied their knowledge and skills in their return to UNF as faculty/staff.

Maria Atilano

For this month’s #InvestInTheNest, we celebrate #ReadABookDay by heading to Tommy G to “check-out” our friend Maria Atilano (’09), who has recently been promoted to University Librarian!

Maria spent three years working as a student assistant at the UNC Greensboro library while earning her bachelor’s degree in English. After graduating, she joined her boyfriend, now husband, who was studying health administration at the UNF Brooks College of Health. In October 2006, she landed a job as a staff member in special collections at the Thomas G. Carpenter Library.

Her ultimate goal was to become an academic librarian, which would require getting a Master of Library Science or Master of Library and Information Science degree. But with no rush on her personal timeline – and an unwillingness to commute to Tampa or Tallahassee for their programs – she still wanted to pursue a graduate degree. So, she enrolled at the UNF graduate school. Once she was able to settle down in Jacksonville and earn her master’s in English, she joined the FSU online program and completed her MLIS in 2012, which enabled her to become an academic, faculty-line librarian.

Eighteen years after her first job at UNF, Atilano has earned the title of University Librarian, the highest rank within the campus library. Atilano said, “What keeps me going is the need to keep improving.” The library constantly changes adapting to the needs of the new students, faculty/staff and community members. “We’ve got new spaces, new materials, new resources, new databases.”

Atilano has prioritized campus outreach at Market Days and as a liaison to the School of Communication, showing students all the resources available. She also curates special promotions to bring students into the library, such as “Random Acts of Snacks” and Campus Canines Visits during Finals Week to help the students destress while studying. She’s also pioneered “Blind Date with a Book,” proving to Ospreys that you can’t just judge a book by its cover.

The next step for her is offering more library programming aimed toward the local community. For instance, anyone can purchase a borrower card to use their resources and check out materials – available for UNF alumni at a discounted rate. She’s also looking to introduce new events like “Author Talks” in addition to staples like “Tommy G’s Haunted Open House.”

When she’s not working, she’s at home on the couch reading a book with her husband and her Old English Bulldog, whom they rescued from the Florida Bulldog Rescue.

(Written by Alex Achorn, Published 9/6/24)

Josh Baker

Continuing our #InvestInTheNest series, we’ve sat down with an all-star of our own who’s turned genuine passion for North Florida Ospreys athletics into a force of change that betters the University of North Florida experience for all student-athletes, coaches and associated staffers.

If there’s one thing that’s for certain, UNF College of Education and Human Services alumnus Joshua Baker ('10) bleeds blue and gray for the UNF Athletics department. His love and enthusiasm for the Ospreys is unmatched, advocating for student-athletes needs to major donors, and his development initiatives have brought substantial success to its growth efforts since he joined the fundraising team in 2020. However, his contributions to UNF Athletics go back to his time as an undergrad in the mid- to late-2000s, consistently embracing networking and instilling school spirit in his relationships and work every day.

As Assistant AD of Development, Baker raises money for the University to support scholarships, facility renovations and quality enhancements for both student-athletes and UNF Athletics fans alike. He does this by first building relationships with donors to find mutually beneficial ways to actualize gifts that benefit students and provide ample exposure to brands from all across Northeast Florida. His work aims to create transformational experiences for all student-athletes participating in the many sports teams the University offers.

Nowadays, UNF Athletics has become a fundraising powerhouse thanks to a coordinated effort by Athletic Director Nick Morrow, Senior Associate AD Matthew Lisiewski, and Baker himself. Baker handles anything from small contributions to scholarships to major gifts that can range from $25,000 gifts to multi-million-dollar pledges from major donors. He notes the relationship building is paramount to his position. Without those relationships, the University would not be able to keep with other universities in terms of facilities, which impacts the revenue the sports generate.

As someone who grew up in Orlando, he witnessed the rise of the University of Central Florida and how its own athletics department grew into a program that is now a member of a major college athletics conference. Baker envisions a similar fate for UNF. He said, "I believe truly that this place can be bigger than what it is right now,"

Since returning to UNF, Baker has been attached to several major accomplishments over the years. In 2022, Baker played an integral role in cultivating a relationship with CSI Companies to establish a multi-year partnership totaling $2.1 million toward renovating the UNF Arena court. With new designs, branding, and color palettes applied to the floor, basketball games garnered a deeper sense of character and school spirit. He also helped fundraise toward the new arena video board and the Bank of England Suite. Baker is proud of the growth of the University and the role he was able to play in these successes.

“Our athletic department had never raised a million dollars in a year from a development perspective before [the NCAA tournament run],” Baker said. “Now we've raised a lot more than that every year since. At the end of the day, I'm just proud of being a piece of the puzzle.”

(Written by Tyler White & Joshua Rodgers, Published 2/29/24)

Melissa Blankenship

For 2025, we’re starting the new year the same way we start every new semester – by placing our focus on the incoming students. Few people know about this better than Melissa Blankenship (’07), the director of enrollment services communications and today’s #InvestInTheNest.

Originally from Oklahoma, Blankenship didn't know what she wanted to do for a career, so she enrolled at the education program at the University of Central Oklahoma to become a teacher. However, shortly after, she sought a change of scenery. Her dad had recently moved to Jacksonville, so she decided to join him in Duval County. She had never visited UNF before, but knew it was affordable and had a comparable size to UCO, so her dad scoped it out for her. After riding his motorcycle around the UNF loop, he was blown away by the campus, and the nature preserve compared to the prairie-like campus she was coming from was a huge draw.

One day, she was talking with a coworker about how she chose teaching as a “default path” but it wasn’t really her passion. He saw her strengths and suggested communication as a possible study, which made a lot of sense to her. She credits professor Bobbi Doggett for setting her on track. “[B-Dogg’s] campaigns class was the culmination of everything that we’d been working on,” she said, as they functioned as a PR firm for the Wolfson’s Children Rehabilitation. “That class also indirectly helped me land my job here once I graduated.”

She and her coworker, now husband, managed Movie Gallery – a DVD/VHS rental store that predates Netflix for all you youths. They saw the future of the industry and were looking to get out. She hoped to immediately land a dream PR job after crossing that graduation stage, but after a few weeks, she started to look for some fallback opportunities. OneStop needed an OPS employee, and one of her friends from her campaigns class saw her resume come through and put in a good word. So, Blankenship got her foot in the door working at UNF, and once she did, she never let it close.

After eight months at OneStop, her campaigns friend who had transitioned to the admissions team told her about a scholarship coordinator vacancy they had, and she joined the team.

“I can’t believe that I got paid to not only convince students to come to the school that I love, but then I got to give them free money to do so,” Blankenship said. “That was the best job ever!”

She spent close to five years in that role before doing a small stint as assistant director of admissions. Shortly after, the Enrollment Services department reorganized and she had an opportunity to become the assistant director of the communication team. She finally felt like she was in a role related to her degree.

In 2013, she launched the creation of a Student Enrollment Communication Center, an outbound call center staffed by students with the goal of reaching out to prospective, admitted and current students to help guide them through their UNF journey. “That was the first time since I left recruitment that I was directly interacting with students again,” she said. In addition to managing their job duties, she provided help to students with everything from class project preparation to relationship advice. After a few years, she started her current role as director of enrollment services communications. Seventeen years after starting in OneStop, she just celebrated her eighth anniversary in this role.

Her goal is to make all the information as easily accessible as possible for the incoming students. One of the coolest things about her current team is that they are all UNF alumni. Igor Tavuzhnyanskiy (’20) serves as her assistant director, Benjamin Guthrie (’22) is her communication specialist, and Hunt Reagor (’18) and Ivy Wyman (’23) are her content coordinators. She thinks it’s a huge benefit because having gone through the same classes, she knows the quality of education they’ve received and knows they’ll be ready to hit the ground running. Plus, “I don’t have to convince and sell them on why they need to sell the institution,” she said. “The Osprey pride is naturally baked in.” They are also an approved internship site with the School of Communication to give students real-world marketing experience before graduation.

“I love working in Enrollment Services because I get to affect change in so many subtle ways,” she said. She still hears from many former students thanking her for scholarship help which allowed them to attend UNF. “Knowing that those impacts are happening all across campus with so many little interactions” is what fills her with Osprey pride.

Outside of work, she likes to support the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium or curl up on the couch with a book. She will also be running the Gate River Run later this semester.

Shannon Cullen-Brosonski

This month’s edition of #InvestInTheNest takes us from the classroom to the museum as we shine a light on the integral work of UNF alumna Shannon Cullen Brosonski (’13, ’17), assistant director of development for MOCA Jacksonville, a cultural institute of the University of North Florida.

Much of her work involves writing grant applications to national organizations and collaborating with corporate sponsors. She, along with director of development Gabrielle Dean-Rector, build relationships with current and prospective donors, procuring gifts to assist in funding the operating costs, growth and expansion of MOCA Jacksonville.

She developed excellent customer service skills prior to MOCA Jacksonville, where she started working in the shop about 15 hours a week. She later moved into a hybrid position at the front desk before she started overseeing the front desk and the ambassador program, which is a paid employment opportunity for UNF students. She then moved into the role of membership coordinator, where she worked with members and volunteers, building a program that keeps them engaged in the museum’s offerings.

She started this role in March 2020, just as UNF called a hiring freeze and sent everyone home to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said it was a difficult and odd journey learning a new job under remote circumstances, but it also launched her into success by testing her adaptability during difficult challenges. For a museum, not having people able to come into a public space was detrimental, with many museums across the country closing according to the American Alliance of Museums. But thankfully, MOCA Jacksonville was able to retain all staff members aside from the cafe during the pandemic. Since people could not come to the museums in person, the museum brought it to their members through virtual options and called all members to notify them of the opportunities to engage with MOCA while stuck in quarantine.

“Art has the power to heal and promote mental health, especially when you’re stuck,” she said. “We were able to do that and I was able to connect with our members that way.”

As she continued her own personal growth within MOCA Jacksonville, she started looking for more opportunities to learn about relationship building, corporate social responsibility, grant writing opportunities and other professional development opportunities under the guidance of leaders at MOCA.

Originally from New Jersey, Cullen-Brosonski moved to Jacksonville without knowing anyone, but ended up meeting a lot of people in the dorms and orientation at UNF. As an only child, she wanted to push herself into independent adult living by getting a job while pursuing her history degree. She worked in restaurants the majority of her time in undergrad, and ultimately met her husband, Justin, while working at Crispers in 2012. She’s been able to maintain wonderful friendships from her time in college thanks to the bonds formed then.

She received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in history from the College of Arts and Sciences, which she said has helped her become a more informed citizen. It also helps to have a good understanding of history when working in a museum.

“I feel that I am someone who understands our past and how we got to where we are, and that helps me to understand our current place in history and what is going to happen moving forward,” she said.

She also credits her writing skills to the work she did in the history programs. This has helped in her grant writing work, which typically involves research and finding facts or figures that weave into a narrative for funding. During her graduate studies, she delved heavily into the topic of Irish-Scottish-English relationships in the 1640s.

Cullen-Brosonski said she feels privileged to be a part of the museum’s centennial anniversary celebration, which has had numerous initiatives for fundraising and celebratory events to plan and execute all at once. She said her team is looking toward the next 100 years in planning MOCA Jacksonville’s future with exciting current and upcoming exhibitions, as well as the curation of a new one coming up. The museum’s project atrium, which is currently showcasing the recently passed Frank Stella’s work, provides exciting new opportunities to highlight innovators in the contemporary art world.

When Cullen-Brosonski isn’t raising money for MOCA, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter. She enjoys swimming, outdoor activities and reading books.

(Written by Tyler White, Published 5/29/24)

Jenna DuPilka

Deep within the heart of the University of North Florida’s College of Arts and Sciences, there are two major advocates for programs, scholarships, professorships and advancement opportunities for the university’s largest college. One of those advocates is UNF alumna (‘19) and Assistant Director of Development Jenna DuPilka, who alongside Director of Development Anne-Marie Campbell works to secure funding from donors and corporations by advocating for the incredible programs and needs for future success on campus.

But years before DuPilka took on this role in 2023, she wasn’t even sure if college was in her future.

Jenna DuPilka grew up in Jupiter, Florida, where she went to Jupiter High School and stayed active in a variety of extracurricular activities, including Debate Club and other student organizations revolving around politics. She represented her school as an orator in the National Debate Association, which tasked her with traveling to different high school and colleges for competitions. She also harnessed school spirit and teamwork as a cheerleader from the age of 5 through her sophomore year of high school.

DuPilka found an interest in politics at a young age. She participated in the Girl Scouts and engaged in a lot of advocacy and community outreach through that organization, and her Grandmother, Kaye Tenerelli, was in charge of a grant organization for local businesses and nonprofits in Superior, Wisconsin. She remembers going to meetings and paying attention to the election cycle during the 2004 Presidential Election and finding the process fascinating.

“My mom and (grandmother) really instilled that in me unknowingly,” she said. “I’ve always loved history, but I wanted to see how I could use my mind to talk about history and politics and convince people and learn how to speak honestly.”

She had dreams of becoming an attorney and working for an organization like the ACLU and do incredible things in that role, but life led her to new passions as she progressed in her school work.

About that uncertain college future … Well, DuPilka said she struggled with her math courses in high school didn’t perform as well on the ACT’s math portion.

When she started touring the Universities, that’s when she really started to want a college education. She researched a number of state schools and community colleges that feed into the bigger universities.

“I could see myself in a sorority and I could see myself earning a degree and being just as educated as my mom,” she said.

Jenna graduated from Jupiter High School in 2015 and initially didn’t get into UNF, and started her college journey at Palm Beach State in her hometown. But someone told her to apply to UNF again for the upcoming Spring semester. This time, she made it in.

DuPilka said she values her college experience as a transfer student because it allowed to her to be an advocate not only for herself, but for her fellow transfer students — both as an undergraduate and in her current role.

During her undergraduate years at UNF, Jenna rushed to join the Kappa Delta sorority and developed strong bonds with her Greek Life sisters.

“I could not have done anything on campus if it wasn’t for my sisters who supported me with everything that I did,” she said.

She established confidence, and during her tenure as an undergrad at UNF she ran for Student Senate and won to serve in her junior year. While working underneath the current SG president, DuPilka said the president encouraged her to run for SG president. DuPilka initially was unsure, but her Kappa Delta sisters and her classmates encouraged her and reaffirmed her self-confidence that she had what it takes to do the job.

“I never thought I would do it,” she said. “But it was the best decision of my life.”

She believes her dedication and experience as both as a student senator and a summer trip to Washington D.C. for an internship prepared her for the role. She worked with an enthusiastic club director who, like her, was established in Greek Life on campus. They prioritized outreach and establishing clubs and connections with cultural organizations that had historically not been as engaged in Student Government, and it brought a new round of excitement to the University. DuPilka credits hiring people “who were passionate about engaging all students,” which brought the campus community together. “I built university relationships that had previously been a little tarnished,” said DuPilka, mentioning that the turbulence of Student Government had previously brought conflicts that needed resolution.

DuPilka’s full-circle moment came when she took on her current role with COAS, and met current SG president John Grosso to wish him well and provide guidance if needed.

“That’s when he actually said, ‘I actually became a part of Student Government because of you,’” she said, recalling how his words meant a lot for her to hear.

She knew one of his brothers during her time as a undergrad and appreciated knowing that she made a positive impact on someone else.

Following her graduation, Jenna followed one of her passions to work as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines. She intended to pursue her master’s in public affairs while she worked for the airline, with the ultimate goal being to serve in a role in Delta’s philanthropic arm.

She said the job drew her in because she loves talking with people and making their experiences the best it can be through service.

“I love people and I love helping people when they’re in their happiest moments and traveling,” DuPilka said.

But when the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, she was sent home during her first week of training for the new job.

She decided to pivot and go after that master’s degree anyway and started at University of Indiana in 2021.

DuPilka is passionate about food security, and she researched organizations such as Feeding America and their work alongside major corporations such as Walmart, Kroger and Publix. She completed her master’s degree in public affairs — focusing on nonprofit management — in December 2022 and soon started a search, and back home at the Nest sounded like the best option, said.

While applying for jobs post-graduation in 2023, DuPilka stumbled across the role she knew she was destined for. She had applied to other university gigs but she said, “I just felt like I’m cheating on my alma mater.”

Thankfully, she received a response to her application and is coming up on her first anniversary in the role.

DuPilka describes work in philanthropy as generous and humbling. “I love connecting people with UNF and what makes them excited to support or engage with,” She said. “That’s what this position was going to give me.”

She said it’s been a rewarding experience to work alongside her peers and enact transformational change within COAS.

She’s enjoyed how working in this position has opened doors for new connections. One minute she’s coordinating a pledge payment to expand a major donor’s endowment, and the next minute she’s attending square dancing lessons with that same donor. DuPilka brings an energy of warmth and excitement in the room, which makes her an excellent representative of UNF’s commitment to excellence.

In her spare time, DuPilka enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, Tyler, and her 1-year-old pup, Leía, a soon-to-be student in obedience training. She’s a big fan of Star Wars and Harry Potter, noting that she’s represents the Gryffindor House through and through. Jenna’s enjoying the process of reestablishing her community on the First Coast.

(Written by Tyler White, Published 1/31/24)

Gabe Grass

Gabe Grass (‘04) leads by example as someone who knows how a college education and making the right choices for your future can flourish into a thriving career. As the University of North Florida director of corporate relations and major gifts, Grass establishes meaningful relationships with industry leaders and uses his expertise in development, entrepreneurship and interpersonal skills to drive fundraising efforts for UNF.

He graduated in 2000 from Flagler Palm Coast High School and had been applying to a few colleges across Florida. When Grass toured the UNF campus with a friend, he said it was a “concrete jungle” and held its commuter school status for many students at the time.

After applying to UCF and FSU, he ultimately chose UNF to pursue his Bachelor of Science in Psychology, with initial interests in pursuing a career as a child psychologist. With a natural ability to interact with children, Grass was also “fascinated by the different phases and different age ranges and how they progressed” in their cognitive development.

As that interest started to wane near the end of his undergraduate studies, his background in the field prepared his interpersonal skills and drive for community and understanding in his future career choices.

Grass regrets his lack of involvement in extracurricular activities and groups outside of class, but he made lasting friendships with members of fraternity Sigma Chi and a dormmate, Nick Freeman, who got paired with Grass based on their mutual love of surfing. The University’s proximity to Jacksonville Beach played a role in Grass’ choosing UNF for his undergraduate studies, as well.

In a way, one of his professors inadvertently played matchmaker by pairing students up into twos for a group project. Grass looked to his left and right and found empty seats, but when Saralyn Sapp walked in late to class and sat down beside him, their lab partnership soon blossomed into a budding romance. The two quickly fell in love and in 2004 earned two significant documents: their bachelor’s degrees in psychology and a marriage certificate as they exchanged vows later that same year.

Both Gabe and Saralyn knew opportunities for graduates with only bachelor’s degrees in psychology were limited. Therefore, they looked at universities together to pursue master’s degrees and applied to four different schools, including Virginia Tech, where they found a home on the campus in Blacksburg.

They drove up in the middle of the winter to visit Blacksburg and were blown away by the beautiful campus and impressive faculty members. They both secured assistantships, alleviating out-of-state expenses, making an enormous difference in their pursuit of higher education. Both Gabe and Saralyn pursued a Master of Science in Human Development within Virginia Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He said they found this degree program interesting due to its community engagement and outreach approach to nonprofits, inspiring him in ways that has led him into fundraising and development. Gabe and Saralyn Grass both earned their degrees after finishing their internships back in Jacksonville in 2005. They learned valuable knowledge on nonprofit development, grant writing, stewardship, cultivation and program management during their time at Virginia Tech.

While Gabe and Saralyn restarted their lives back in Jacksonville, she got recruited by a statewide nonprofit in Tallahassee and they made the move to the capital. Gabe secured a position at Florida State University in fundraising and they both became doctoral candidates for education policy evaluation studies in 2007.

Gabe and Saralyn reveled in their time in Tallahassee, and one night they went to a homebrew club meeting, which had a strong presence in the area at the time.

Grass describes himself as the more athletic and technically focused child in his family, while his younger brother and older sister were the creatives.

“I don't have that gene, I don’t know what happened,” Grass said. “I became my farmer father’s son.”

But Grass enjoyed the hobby of homebrewing, and once he made his first batch of beer, he said that he felt the “twinge” of creativity his siblings had been living with all their lives.

He embraced the chef’s flair for it and said, “Brewing beer is a blend of science and art at the same time.”

He continued making beer in 2008 and 2009 while fully embracing his role at FSU. In the middle of his doctoral program, he thought about the prospects of opening up a brewery, becoming a growing passion during his nonworking hours.

Fast-forward to 2010 … Grass has completed all of his coursework and started his dissertation on how private philanthropy shapes public policy, but he and his dissertation chair both realized that he was not fully invested in the project. After seeking advice from numerous mentors and his wife, he decided to make his dream a reality and pursued opening a brewery. The credits he completed earned him a professional degree in Education Policy and Evaluation that same year.

He leaned on connections he had made with the chamber of commerce, the Economic Development Council, and many other small business owners in his pursuit of opening his brewery. He said, “that really gave me a foot up and knowing what it is that I wanted to do, and how to accomplish it.”

After tireless work in planning, Gabe and Saralyn opened GrassLands Brewing Company in February 2015 and it flourished for the next five years. At its peak, they led a staff of 15 and the beers brewed there were distributed across 10 different counties. As Gabe said, any small business owner will tell you, “it wasn’t always rainbows and unicorns, but we were a team.”

In mid-2019, the challenges of entrepreneurship became more challenging as Saralyn’s family in Jacksonville dealt with poor health. After sitting down with their landlord, they decided to sell their assets and equipment in order to do a turnkey operation in the same location.

GrassLands Brewing Company closed its doors in 2019, saying goodbye to their loyal patrons, and the brewery community that they had grown to love in Tallahassee. In hindsight, Grass said the incredibly difficult decision was timely, as the COVID-19 pandemic led to numerous closures of retail-based businesses during the pandemic’s peak. Grass said the brewery would have struggled to stay open and many friends in the industry had to indefinitely close their businesses and many were unable to open back up.

“At least we were able to celebrate our friends and supporters in a fun way, and still be able to go out the way that we wanted to,” Grass said.

While Gabe and Saralyn had started their business, they also expanded their family with the adoption of their daughter, Cheyanne, who at 15 years old did not have any stability in her life due to being in the foster care system.

“The theme of her life was instability,“ Grass said. “[We said] let’s be a consistent presence in her life.”

They increased how much time they spent with Cheyanne and they fell in love with her, as she did with them. They wanted to help her have a better future and officially adopted her on June 28, 2016.

After Grass and his family moved back to Jacksonville, he secured a job at Flagler College as the director of corporate and foundation relations and worked there for over two years, including the early days of the pandemic. Saralyn, in turn, joined the leadership team at the Kids Hope Alliance, a funding agency for the City of Jacksonville that supports area nonprofits every year.

When UNF posted a job involving corporate relations and major gifts, Gabe’s connections with current faculty helped his excellent resume get in front of the right people to hire him for the job and has been serving in this role since 2021.

He is currently pursuing his doctorate in higher education administration and leadership. “Never finishing my dissertation was something I regret,” he said. “The opportunity to go back to school without incurring collegiate loans and being in a supportive environment is relevant to my career goals now.”

“I think it’s a unique and interesting time to be at UNF both as a student, and as a leader in development,” Grass said. “UNF's Strategic Plan is going to put us into unknown territory over the next five years, and getting there is going to be a wild ride. I am very excited about it.”

When Grass is not raising money and securing transformational gifts for UNF, he enjoys supporting small businesses and has fallen in love with Tiki culture. He enjoys spending time with family, friends, and their fur babies, which include three cats: CiCi, Sake', and Delilah; and their adorable dog, Pearl.

(Written by Tyler White, Published 12/20/23)

Heather Kite

We asked for some recs for this month’s #InvestInTheNest, and luckily for us, Ospreys rec well. Today we’re highlighting Heather Kite (’01, ’19) who serves as director of operations for the UNF Department of Recreation and Wellness.

As a high school student in Jacksonville, Kite had explored physical therapy as a possible career path, so she toured UNF’s program. She ended up earning her bachelor’s in community health with an exercise science minor. She loved how her professors related the topics to their students. She specifically remembers Dr. Chris Joyce’s lecture on running where he used the Gate River Run as an example. Kite said, “As the course ends crossing the Hart Bridge, you’d expect that after nine miles of racing, the uphill portion would be hardest, but he pointed out the downhill of the bridge was more prone to injury.”

She stayed active on campus as she got involved with Campus Crusades for Christ, played intramural volleyball and rushed Alpha Chi Omega. Through Greek Life, she and her future husband Tim Kite (’04, ’15) #MetInTheNest. Her sorority president was best friends with his sister, and they first happened to meet outside of Cinemark Tinseltown before a movie as he was headed out to deployment in the Navy. The next time they met, he returned to UNF and was rushing Chi Phi. Over the years, Kite said they had “Lots of fun date nights through different socials and other Greek activities.”

Additionally, she worked at the UNF Aquatic Center, having already acquired certifications as a lifeguard and swim instructor. Over time, she earned lifeguard instructor certification to help teach lifeguard classes. During her senior year, she took on leadership opportunities working under the assistant director, Audrey Gill. Not long after graduation, Gill encouraged her to apply for an open program coordinator role and has served as her mentor.

After Gill announced plans to leave, Kite took over her role managing the Aquatic Center until it closed in 2013. The facility hosted everything from the UNF Swim and Dive team to aqua aerobics and arthritis classes to swim lessons. She learned so many of the skills she used today in risk management, budget planning, programming and staff management and training.

As associate director, her workload and scope expanded significantly, so she enrolled in the UNF Graduate School for a master’s in athletic administration. “I was able to apply much from my courses each semester to my new role,” Kite said. “It was almost like a professional development track for two years.” When the pool closed and the Student Wellness Complex was opening, she had the opportunity to transition to a newly created operations position which allowed her to apply her aquatic-specific skill set to the full department. She credits her experience and education on helping her transition to director.

Across their seven units, UNF RecWell covers 230 acres of campus with over 120,000 square feet of facilities. Her role in operations relates to facilities, budget, risk management, policy and procedure. She has five employees under her, so leadership is also a major component. Even with all these additional duties, she’s still maintained her Red Cross certifications.

Additionally, she saw a call for contributing authors for Campus Rec Magazine and put herself out there. She has authored a few articles for the magazine over the years. Then, when the National Intramural Recreation and Sport Association planned an operations book, they saw her writing samples and selected her as one of four authors. The publication went to print in July. “Both of these writing opportunities have been rewarding ways to share out of my experience to others in the industry. “

As if that wasn’t enough, she also serves as an adjunct professor for Sport Facility Management in the UNF College of Education and Human Services. Early in her career, she taught one credit classes for beginning swimming and fitness swimming. After earning her master’s, she returned to the classroom. Kite said, “It’s been very rewarding and has been a new challenge.” While she needs to prioritize her time management skills to balance the increased workload, she enjoys the additional student interaction outside of RecWell.

Even with all the work she does on campus, family is her top priority. Her daughter, Christabel, grew up at UNF. At 6 months old, she served as the demonstration baby for some of her mom’s “babes and tots” swim lessons. When she was old enough, she attended UNF preschool. She’s currently a high school junior taking classes at FSCJ as part of her early college program. Before she goes off on her own journey, the Kites are trying to share as many family experiences as possible. Tim and Heather recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary and renewed their vows in South Africa. They also enjoy going to UNF alumni events and basketball games and participating in the Gate River Run. After having run it several times now, Kite said every time she runs down that bridge, she remembers Dr. Joyce’s lecture and makes sure to maintain good form.

(Written by Alex Achorn, Published 12/9/24)

Ruth Lopez

For this month’s #InvestInTheNest, we swear to tell the Ruth, the whole Ruth and nothing but the Ruth!

Over 25 years ago, UNF Admissions recruiter drove down to Ruth Lopez’s (’00, ’24) high school in South Florida to tell her graduating class about life as an Osprey. “After making the trip up to Jacksonville to visit campus, I fell in love with the surrounding natural beauty and knew I found my second home,” she said.

As an undergraduate student, she was heavily involved with UNF Student Life. She was a member of UNF Student Government and the International Student Association, in addition to being a founder of the Hispanic student club, HACE. She graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences with bachelor’s degrees in international studies and Spanish before returning to Miami to pursue her master’s at FIU. After spending a couple of years outside the industry, her former Student Government advisor called about an opening at the University for an international student coordinator, and she instantly jumped at the opportunity.

Her husband, Edgar S. Zamudio (’09, ’22), is a double Osprey, so the couple was excited to return to the University of North Florida. In this role, she was able to work with departments that had a positive impact on her college experience and oversee student groups she’d been part of as an undergraduate. “That first time I was able to help an international student as a part of the professional staff, I knew I was hooked,” she said.

“To me, being an Osprey is all about service and making a meaningful difference in our UNF community,” Lopez said. Over the years, she has worked her way up the UNF chain adding more and more responsibilities under her belt. In her current role as the associate vice president for student engagement and international affairs, her team prioritizes providing opportunities for students to become more connected and engaged with the UNF community through meaningful and dynamic campus life programming and support services.

Even when she’s not working, her family loves taking advantage of all the opportunities on campus. Lopez said, “My children have spent many years attending Homecoming, admiring the art sculptures and murals around campus, and cheering on our North Florida Ospreys at Athletic events.” As they prepare for their own college search, UNF is at the top of the list.

(Written by Alex Achorn, Published 7/29/24)

Jamie Marchio

With three Osprey degrees and local business ownership under his belt, this alumnus certainly has his Whit’s about him.

Originally from West Virginia, Jamie Marchio (’93, ’11, ’24) started his collegiate journey at West Virginia University, fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming a Mountaineer student-athlete competing in cross country and track & field. After a while, he was looking for a change from those long, cold winters that made training difficult.

Marchio’s mom was visiting relatives in St. Augustine, and he asked if she could swing by UF to see about transferring. She never quite made it to Gainesville but instead gave him an enthusiastic call: “I found the perfect place for you!” 

“As it turns out, she was absolutely right--as moms always are,” he said. Marchio connected with the UNF track coach and arranged his transfer to join the Ospreys in the fall of 1991. After earning his B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics from the Brooks College of Health, he returned for a Master of Science in Health and followed it up with a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition.

Currently, Marchio teaches undergraduate courses in nutrition and dietetics, including Human Nutrition, Food Fundamentals and Food Science, while also serving as director for the Center for Nutrition and Food Security where they focus on areas of poor access to quality food in our community. Their programs serve the needs of UNF students as well as local elderly and children. His program, Nourish to Flourish, provides children 8-13 an education curriculum that includes cooking demonstrations and food baskets, teaching them principles to make better food choices.

Marchio spent two decades in the medical device industry but reached a point where it evolved beyond his passion. He decided to look into business franchising and potentially opening a Cycle Bar, and while he and his wife were discussing the opportunity over a custard at Whit’s, another idea creeped into their head. They explored the Whit’s website, called corporate and started negotiations to become the franchisees of Whit’s Frozen Custard in World Golf Village starting in December 2022.

As a nutritionist, he practices what he preaches. “Food is to be enjoyed and appreciated” if it’s in moderation, and over the years he’s fallen in love with frozen custard. While he works his role at UNF during the week, his wife runs the daily operations at Whit’s with an amazing group of students. On Saturdays, they spend the day making desserts together and interacting with their customers. “There is so much fun in transitioning from the academic setting during the week to something totally laid back and fun during the weekend,” he said.

Outside of work, Marchio is a competitive triathlete. Not only was Whit’s a proud sponsor of this year’s Swoop the Loop 5K, but Jamie took the top prize as the fastest overall runner!

(Written by Alex Achorn, Published 3/13/25)

Michael McGuire

As UNF continues its transformational growth under President Limayem’s leadership, it’s important to have skilled advisors and experts joining in on this journey. In today’s edition of #InvestInTheNest, we are highlighting double alumnus Michael McGuire (’09, ’13), who guides executive leadership in the continued transformation of UNF’s campus!

McGuire serves as the Assistant Director of Planning and Reporting, a role that puts him in the same room with executive teams across campus. He helps them plan and strategize the University’s financial structure and needs, while also doing state reporting to the Board of Governors and the State Legislature. He also plays an integral role in financial training for the various campus units, and oversees capital project budgets, including building and infrastructure.

The Jacksonville Business Journal recognized McGuire as a Rising Star in Finance for showing “exceptional leadership and strategic analytic expertise, which helped him be an instrumental voice on the President’s Task Force for Strategic Growth,” said UNF Chief Budget Officer Devany Groves.

One of the main goals of UNF’s Strategic Plan is increasing enrollment to 25,000 students, and McGuire carried out data analytics that factored in retention rates, campus growth, University revenue streams, and faculty-to-student ratios among other important metrics. McGuire said these varied details all play significant roles in how the University of North Florida approaches growth opportunities, because it is possible to grow and lose money or sacrifice quality at the same time. His job is to prevent that from happening with a keen Osprey eye on budgets.

Prior to starting at UNF, McGuire had pursued a career as a pilot in Jacksonville University’s aviation program and decided that was not the career path for him. He later transferred to UNF, where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration. He said he had always been into finance and numbers, making the UNF Coggin College of Business an easy fit for his career goals.

McGuire kept up multiple jobs throughout his academic career, but notably joined the Sigma Chi - University of North Florida fraternity and participated in clubs for rock climbing and ultimate frisbee.

His first job with UNF goes back to 2007 when he started as a part-time financial systems assistant. By 2010, McGuire became an accounting associate with UNF Student Government before becoming SG’s business manager, and eventually SG’s director. He would later pivot back to the world of finance at UNF by becoming an investment coordinator for the UNF Foundation Investment Committee and a financial analyst for the Vice President of Administration and Finance. He began his current role with UNF in August 2021.

McGuire said he loves UNF because of the connection he’s built with his colleagues.

“The people really do make an organization,” McGuire said. “An organization is just the name or a structure, but the people at UNF truly care for the student and each other, faculty and staff alike.”

He said it’s important to take changes in your career with stride because success is rarely linear. He made pivots and changes in his career that helped get him to where he is today.

“Getting from point A to point B is seldom a straight line and that’s perfectly fine,” McGuire said.

When McGuire isn’t crunching numbers and data reports, he’s celebrating becoming a father and spends time with his wife and baby. He loves anything outdoors such as hiking, kayaking and beach time.

(Written by Tyler White, Published 10/3/24)

Meghan Niemczyk

As we head into Thanksgiving weekend, this month’s #InvestInTheNest highlights a UNF alumna and staff member who has harnessed her culinary background and passion for public health to feed those across Northeast Florida struggling with food insecurity.

Meghan Niemczyk, MPH (’13), is the associate director of the UNF Center for Nutrition and Food Security, director of the Northeast Florida Hunger Network and chef advisor for the Meals on Wings Program. She helps guide students and volunteers in creating packaged meals using leftover food from regional hospitals to feed senior citizens on the waitlist for Meals on Wheels. This highly praised program demonstrates UNF’s commitment to bettering the community and ensuring vulnerable populations don’t go without food.

A Culinary Journey

Niemczyk graduated from the University of Florida in 1994 with a B.S. in public relations, advertising and applied communication, but at 22 years old, she wasn’t ready to settle into office work. While at UF, she met her future husband, Todd, and decided to move to New York to attend the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). When she told him about her plan, he said, “give me ‘til December, I’ll go with you.”

They moved to New York with no place to live, no nearby family and without Niemczyk having been accepted into CIA. She walked into the school on a Friday with big dreams and an eager attitude to start the program. An advisor told her, “Go to the bookstore. Get your knives. You start on Monday,” Niemczyk said. They quickly found a cabin on the side of a mountain to call home during this season of their lives. Niemczyk graduated from CIA in 1996 with an A.A. in culinary arts/chef training, and she has fond memories of her time there and still keeps in touch with friends she made during her training.

After spending a few years in New York, Meghan and Todd moved back to Jacksonville, where they got married. She worked in the local cooking scene, holding high-end restaurant and hotel positions until starting a family. To avoid the demanding hours of culinary work, she took a break but catered on the side while raising their two children. She later opened a catering business to control her schedule but found that “when you own your own business, all the hours belong to the business.”

Back to the Nest

The need for a transition led her to a research position at the Brooks College of Health, where she managed grants and conducted research before moving to the School of Nursing. During this phase, she honed her grant writing, budget management and administrative skills.

When Dr. Lauri Wright announced plans to create the Center for Nutrition and Food Security (CNFS) in 2017, Niemczyk said her purpose and breadth of experience finally clicked. Having earned her Master of Public Health from UNF in 2013, she felt called to join this initiative.

The CNFS serves as a launchpad for nonprofit agencies, government programs, professional organizations and industry personnel exploring solutions to food insecurity and malnutrition. Food insecurity affects 15.8% of Americans, including 17% of adults and 26.7% of children in Florida. Duval County has one of the highest rates in the state, with 20.1% of adults experiencing this public health issue.

“My joy is helping larger communities figure out public health,” Niemczyk said. “I knew public health was good for me because dietitians really focus on an individual and an individual’s specific dietary needs.”

Dr. Wright secured a grant to fund a new position and Niemczyk joined the Nutrition and Dietetics team. She teaches in the food and kitchen labs and launched a cooking elective for freshmen and sophomores last fall. “I adore that class,” she said. “These kids need to learn how to cook. It’s a lost art.”

Meals on Wings Takes Flight

When Dr. Wright learned that 1,000 senior citizens were on the waitlist for Meals on Wheels in Jacksonville, she found it unacceptable. Students had already been recovering food from Osprey Café and repackaging it for the Northeast Florida AIDS Network, but Niemczyk said Wright wanted to expand the effort.

Wright started the Meals on Wings (MoW) program as supplemental assistance for food-insecure seniors, initially without partnerships. Local news coverage soon attracted Baptist Health to partner with the program. Now, most regional hospitals participate and provide leftover food.

The program began in 2018 serving 20 seniors weekly. Since then, MoW has recovered 150,000 pounds of food and delivered 172,000 meals to the community, Niemczyk said. She joined the program in 2019, and when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, demand surged. By January 2021, MoW served 250 seniors weekly, its current capacity due to staffing, volunteers, and funding constraints.

Despite these efforts, food insecurity remains a challenge, with 40% of UNF students affected.. The program continuously seeks funding to sustain its work and overcome obstacles.

Niemczyk actively promotes MoW in the community, appearing on local news to share updates or do cooking segments. Her efforts earned her the Community Champion Award at a Jacksonville Jaguars game.

In her spare time, Meghan is working on her doctorate in public health at the University of South Florida. She also enjoys visiting her college-aged children, taking beach walks with her dog, and, of course, cooking! She loves sharing and discovering new recipe if any of you have any suggestions.

(Written by Tyler White, Published 11/27/24)

Miranda O'Brien

If you haven't seen her at one of our alumni events, you've definitely seen her here on the socials! Miranda O'Brien ('18), the Web and Social Media Coordinator for the Brooks College of Health, was selected as this month's University of North Florida A&P Staff Spotlight!

For the past nine years, O'Brien has played an integral role in UNF's digital media success. Social marketing, digital marketing and graphic design are just a few of her areas of expertise, but she initially earned her degree in Public Health from the University of South Florida (in addition to serving as their Men's Bowling Coach!) After graduating, she became the Director of Web and Social Media for TDBowling, and a few frames later, she held additional communications roles in addition to managing a presidential-elect campaign.

In 2016, she joined the UNF Brooks College of Health as the assistant coordinator for the Nutrition and Dietetics, where she assisted with all tasks related to the Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway. She earned a degree in Dietitics and Clinical Nutrition Services, but stuck around to serve as a graduate academic support services coordinator. In 2019, she was promoted to her current role, overseeing the Web and Social Media presence of Brooks, and just last month, she also became the Executive Administrator for UNF MedNexus, leading their web strategy, digital communications and content management to enhance the visibility and impact of this innovative healthcare initiative.

"Throughout my time at the Brooks College of Health, I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with many incredible teams and help enhance our marketing, communications, and digital strategies," she said. "I believe strongly in the power of teamwork and community, and I’m always inspired by the passion and dedication of the people I work with."

Outside of work, Miranda has been a frequent attendee of alumni events, connecting with Ospreys at sporting events and Alumni Day at Eco Adventure. She is joined by her husband Matthew and newborn daughter Addie. Outside of work, you can catch her participating in or leading fitness classes.

"Whether it’s my coworkers, the departments I collaborate with, or the community at Funkytown Fitness, I’m grateful for the connections I’ve made and the chance to contribute in meaningful ways," O'Brien said.

(Written by Alex Achorn, Published 4/11/25)

Leigh Palmer

Our latest edition of #InvestInTheNest highlights the incredible work of one of our newest team members, Leigh Palmer (’05, ’09), who rejoined the UDAE staff in March as the director of planned giving.

Palmer works with donors who are focused on leaving a legacy to the University, and that comes through gifts left in their will.

“These are folks who really believe in the mission of the organization,” Palmer said. “They really believe that their gifts can make a difference in the long term and in perpetuity.”

There are lot of good reasons to be a planned giver including potential tax benefits, but she prioritizes helping donors understand their why in giving and who and what do they want to represent with their legacy gifts. She partners with tax professionals and attorneys as part of an overall plan in creating a donor’s legacy at the University.

One of the biggest misconceptions that people have about Palmer’s line of work is that many people believe you have to be a millionaire to be a planned giver. That’s not the case.

“There are ways that you can make a gift that costs you nothing in your lifetime and then there are ways that you can give a gift that provides income for life,” Palmer said.

Palmer has enjoyed seeing the growth on campus and connecting with different generations of Osprey alumni and reliving their shared experiences. She said that under President Limayem’s leadership, the university is sure to be successful in growing UNF into a more prominent presence in the State University System.

“It’s really nice to see people feel as though our compass is still pointing in the right direction,” Palmer said. “It’s nice to see that people still believe we are on the right track.”

Palmer lived and grew up in Jacksonville, moving from the Westside to campus as she started her journey at UNF as an undergrad. She said it felt like a whole new town and really didn’t want to live on campus, but “kids who live on campus have better grades,” is what her mom told her. As she was gently pushed out of the nest at home, Palmer soon found herself studying political science and history, carving out a path to success in undergrad. She had the opportunity to work alongside a professor during her studies for research on a book, and was noted as a contributor to the final product early on in her career.

After finishing her political science degree, she took a break and wasn’t fully sure what her next step was going to be. But two faculty members she connected with during her bachelor’s program encouraged her to pursue graduate school through the Madison-Mullis-Deming Fellowship, providing a gateway for her to continue her education. Having previously received the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, Palmer knew firsthand the impact that financial support can have on ensuring students have the resources to succeed and acquire an education. This ultimately led her to a master’s degree in public administration focused on nonprofit management.

While completing her master’s degree and working as the assistant director of development for the Episcopal School of Jacksonville (formerly Beaches Episcopal School), Palmer knew she wanted to do something bigger and more impactful. She’d previously volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House and she was working major events for fundraising, knowing how this line of work could change the lives of others. When the opportunity to apply for the assistant director of development position within UNF’s College of Arts and Sciences opened up, she quickly applied and came back to UNF prepared for further excellence.

When working with major donors, many of them are in their retirement years and lean into their personal passions. She has always enjoyed working through defining those passions with donors and to “take that experience and put it into action for them and really pursue that passion for them.”

While raising money for COAS, Palmer said she met and solicited a gift from longtime UNF donor James Van Vleck, one of her first major gift donors. She developed a strong connection with Van Vleck during her tenure and embraced his circle of joy mentality in regard to giving. That mindset helped inform her ability to better serve future donors throughout the giving process.

“It brough him joy to identify a need, to support and give and to see his gift in action, ultimately wanting to repeat the ask with other needs,” Palmer said.

After working as a frontline fundraiser for UNF for over six years, Palmer left the Nest to pursue other endeavors in 2016. She worked for Amelia Island as the director of strategic initiatives before going into business with her husband to create Coastal Current Electric, LLC. Palmer used her experience and education to create a thriving business before rejoining the UDAE team in March 2024.

When she’s not helping build legacies through giving at UNF, Leigh loves to listen to audiobooks during her long commutes to and from work. She also enjoys baking sourdough bread, cycling, fishing with her husband, and playing board games with her two kids. This summer, the Palmers are looking forward to a house swap trip to Spain.

(Written by Tyler White, Published 6/30/24)

Ashley Peterson & Jean Lipsky

Our latest edition of #InvestInTheNest follows not one, but TWO Ospreys whose friendship goes back nearly a decade from their days as undergrads and members of UNF Fraternity & Sorority Life. Now, they are paving the way for new fundraising milestones that transform all aspects of University of North Florida life.

UNF alumnae Ashley (Chivalette) Peterson (‘16, ‘19) & Jean Ann Lipsky (‘15) are two of the integral pieces of UDAE Annual Giving team.

As AG’s assistant director of annual giving, Peterson focuses on data management and analytics, with a special focus on coordinating direct mail and email correspondence with UNF’s donor base. She also provides general support for Director of Annual Giving Kristy Herrington and manages creating crowdfunding pages, as well.

Meanwhile, Lipsky serves as assistant director of student philanthropy and engagement, working on numerous initiatives that promote student engagement in philanthropic endeavors for the University. She manages a small staff of students, plans special student donor events across campus, and instills a sense of philanthropy and giving in the student population. She also manages the Ozzie’s Ambassadors giving society, a new endeavor to highlight student donors and build a sense of community.

Peterson and Lipsky went to the same high school but ultimately became friends as sorority sisters for Delta Gamma at University of North Florida. They both found ways to stay active on campus. Peterson got involved with UNF Spinnaker as a business manager and worked as an RA in addition to studying abroad in Scotland. She also worked as a graduate assistant for the Small Business Development Center at UNF.

Lipsky served in leadership roles as a Rho Gamma for Panhellenic and as a judicial board member and director of rituals for DG. She also served as a senator for student government.

Both Delta Gamma sisters found their ways back to UNF on the Annual Giving team, where they have collectively helped the UDAE team reach larger donor bases and instilling a passion for philanthropy within our alumni, students and community. The AG team has won recent accolades and successfully led a best-ever fundraising effort with Giving Day 2024.

(Written by Tyler White, Published 4/30/24)

Adam Polansky

He’s been warming up waiting to be featured in our #InvestInTheNest series, but it’s finally time to call to the bullpen. For this month’s edition, let’s bring in former Osprey pitcher and current assistant athletic director of marketing and ticketing for the Ospreys, Adam Polansky (’18, ’20).

Originally from Orlando, Polansky got an offer from UNF to join the baseball team during the fall semester of his senior year. He visited the Ospreys fresh off a 40-19 season, loved the campus and community, and enjoyed being close to home yet far enough that he could be independent.

As an Osprey pitcher, he recorded 65 strikeouts over 46 appearances and induced a groundout from 4-time MLB All Star Pete Alonso. He was also named to the ASUN Academic Honor Roll and served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). During his senior year, he started an internship with the Ospreys marketing team for his COEHS practicum. “I did it, really liked it, and never looked back,” Polansky said. After earning his bachelor’s degree in sport management, he stayed on as a marketing assistant for the Ospreys while completing his MBA.

Once he earned his MBA, he joined the marketing staff for the Campbell Camels in Buies Creek, N.C. in the fall of 2020. Shortly after, his boss left Campbell University and Polansky became a one-man department running all the sports during the Winter/Spring crossover season, with the help of his student workers. His hard work paid off as he was named director of marketing, and he held onto that role until he returned to UNF as the assistant director of ticketing development and strategic revenue in 2022. This past fall, he was promoted to his current role overseeing both the marketing and ticketing departments.

Polansky credits his success to both his education and his experience. “As a student-athlete, you go to other places and see what other people have and start blending everything together.” By combining his knowledge from the classroom with real-life examples of marketing and promotions he’s witnessed traveling with the team, he can incorporate some new and fun things into Ospreys athletics that can entertain the North Florida demographic.

Polansky says the excitement surrounding the games is what drives him to continue. “Even in the most stressful of games ... I default to having fun,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’m sitting courtside playing with lights and music. There are a lot worse things I could do. The downside, however, is now that he has seen all the work that goes on behind the scenes to make these games happen, he finds it hard to sit back and relax during a sporting event. “I went to a [Jumbo] Shrimp game over the summer, and I noticed everything.”

For UNF students looking to follow in his footsteps, Polansky said, “No matter what you do, make sure you have fun.” He said there are great people in this industry you can learn from, and he has been fortunate to have worked with so many. The athletics schedule fills up many nights and weekends, but he decompresses by completely unplugging at a certain point each night to just sit on the couch with his dog. On the rare day off, you can catch him golfing or on the beach.

(Written by Alex Achorn, Published 2/17/25)

Jill Snyder

As we wrap up National Nutrition Month, we highlight a triple alumna who has dedicated her life and career to improving the lives of others through nutrition and fitness.

Dr. Jill Snyder DCN, RDN, LDN (’99, ’03, ’23) is an assistant professor with UNF’s Department of Nutrition and Dietetics in the UNF Brooks College of Health, having served in a full-time capacity since 2013. She also serves as program director for the master’s in nutrition and dietetics internship program and works with North Florida Ospreys to provide nutrition education and individual counseling to student-athletes.

Snyder earned her bachelor’s degree in health science and her master’s in health science and nutrition, which prepared her for a successful career as a registered dietitian. She worked in that role at St. Vincent Healthcare, The HIT Center of Jacksonville, Wekiva Springs Center and Preferred Nutrition Services. She also previously served as director of the Beaded Star Eating Disorder Recovery Center in Jacksonville Beach.

Snyder said the most rewarding aspect of her job is helping students achieve their goals through experiential learning opportunities through the master’s program. “I really like getting to work with the interns and helping them in that step to become a registered dietitian,” Snyder said.

Another fulfilling part of returning to her alma mater is working alongside the professors she once saw as mentors. Many of the women in the department inspired her to pursue nutrition and dietetics and helped shape her career. One of her biggest mentors was the director of her master’s program — a role she now holds for the next generation of students. “I feel like it came full circle a bit,” Snyder said with a smile.

Snyder has long held ties to fitness and nutrition. Her father and uncle were both football coaches. “I grew up on a football field, so nutrition was always just part of our life,” she said. Her mother’s cancer diagnosis when she was young also prompted the family to view nutrition through a preventative lens. Over the course of her career, Snyder developed specialties in sports nutrition and eating disorders. After moving back to the First Coast from Orlando, she took a role at a behavioral health center in Jacksonville where she led the center’s eating disorder program and counseled patients with mental health and substance use disorders. Snyder quickly learned how to adapt her nutritional background to the psychological aspects of care, finding a way to positively impact patients seeking help during their most vulnerable moments.

Working with athletes to enhance performance through nutrition, Snyder said it’s crucial for individuals to fuel their bodies properly. That includes prioritizing carbohydrate intake for energy, consuming high-protein meals before and after exercise, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated. Electrolytes may be helpful as needed, and supplements can support overall fitness, but she emphasizes that whole foods and their nutrients are the best path to optimal performance. Snyder values the opportunity to teach in an era where social media, influencers and misinformation often distort public understanding of nutrition. “For us in the nutrition world, it’s a daily battle with misinformation and everything out there,” she said.

When she’s not shaping minds through nutrition and dietetics, Snyder is happiest at the beach, swimming or sailing the British Virgin Islands.

(Written by Tyler White, Published 3/28/25)

Tara Sunquist

This month’s edition of #InvestInTheNest features a University of North Florida alumna with a history spanning more than 20 years!

Tara Sunquist (‘06) has Blue and Gray running in her veins, having made a name for herself as a student-athlete at UNF before ultimately coming back to coach and shape the minds and college experiences for generations of student-athletes here at the Nest.

“I love working at UNF because I feel like I’m part of helping something that is bigger than I am,” she said. “[I’m] paying it forward.”

Sunquist is the assistant athletic director for the Student-Athlete Center for Excellence, which she said is a fancy name for academic support for the student-athletes. This support for student-athletes can include assistance in registering for classes to even connecting them with future employers, she said.

“We help them from enrollment to employment, just being their support system along the way,” Sunquist said.

They have weekly meetings with all freshmen and transfer students, and work to know the athletes individually.

Sunquist said the most rewarding part of her job is being a part of the student-athlete experience. As a former student-athlete, she knows the impact that UNF can have and wants to provide that same experience to the current students.

“If I can help them in even just one little way, it’s really rewarding,” she said.

Before Sunquist became a leader within North Florida Ospreys, she spent countless days on campus once she started her undergraduate program in 2002.

During Sunquist’s time at UNF, she made a name for herself during her stint on the volleyball team, becoming a strong defensive player. For those unfamiliar with volleyball terminology, a dig is when a defensive player successfully passes a ball that’s an attack by the opponent team. Sunquist finished her volleyball career at UNF with 1,647 digs, a benchmark that stood until Nicole Baran broke that record in 2012. She holds two of the top three single season digs records for the school by acquiring 508 digs in 2004.

Originally from Fort Myers, she recollects that at the time, UNF was a Division II school and ranked in the Top 10 in the country as a “powerhouse” in athletics, ultimately seeing the school transition to Division I status, which she said was a very cool experience. She also got to experience the introduction of the “Swoop” into the UNF culture, forever changing how Ospreys show their school spirit.

Sunquist unfortunately tore her ACL near the end of time at UNF and had to set out for a year in 2005. She was majoring in business administration with a marketing focus, but during her recovery she realized she could complete the transportation and logistics program with only five more classes. So, she became a double major and found the T&L program a transformational experience with amazing professors.

She recovered in time to play her final semester and season in fall 2006, graduating with two degrees and leaving her own legacy as a student-athlete at UNF.

She respects her time as a student-athlete because “you have to learn how to have time management,” she said.

“I played for a really tough coach, so you have to learn how to receive tough feedback,” Sunquist said.

She said she values the importance of teamwork and learning how to collaborate with the people around you, as well.

As Sunquist figured out her next steps after graduation, one of her T&L professors, Robert Frankel, now a professor emeritus, asked her “What makes you excited to wake up every day?” Said. That question guided her decision as she debated between a T&L job with Winn-Dixie or a volleyball coaching job. She chose the latter, and soon found her way up to the University of North Carolina in Charlotte as her first job out of college.

While working and living in Charlotte, she met Charlotte track and field stand and her future husband, Eli Sunquist. After they married, they both moved to Johnson City, Tennessee, where she worked at East Tennessee State University while working on her master’s degree in sport management. She worked there as a graduate assistant, before working as a compliance coordinator from May 2011 until September 2012. She served as a point-of-contact for student-athletes regarding compliance, scholarships, housing and other general concerns. She also contributed to the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and planned and implemented student-athlete functions, life skill program and fundraising efforts at ETSU.

The Sunquists decided to move back to Jacksonville, with Tara returning to the Nest for about nine months, working as the compliance coordinator in UNF’s Records and Registration office.

In summer 2013, Tara left briefly for a short stint working at Jacksonville University but came back in August that year to accept an assistant coach position for the volleyball team, creating a full-circle moment in her volleyball career.

It was surreal for her to see the development of the Athletics department since she played as an undergrad, and “it was cool to be a part of a team that I helped start from the roots,” she said.

She moved into athletic administration as a compliance coordinator and academic specialist in February 2016 before being promoted to her current role in summer 2022.

Sunquist said she is excited for the future of UNF will be under the impactful leadership of both President Moez Limayem and Athletic Director Nick Morrow.

“UNF is still young and we’re still going places,” she said. “We keep being called a hidden gem. The more that UNF is put out to the public and people know about it the better we’re going to get.”

When she isn’t shaping the lives of Ospreys, Sunquist enjoys spending time with her husband and her two children, Rooney and Vance.

“I love being a mom,” Sunquist said.

(Written by Tyler White, Published 3/21/24)

Robby Weber

Today’s story also doubles as our #InvestInTheNest as we highlight a UNF alumnus and current staff member who has built a successful public relations career while also launching a thriving anthology of YA novels.

Robby Weber (’16) is the director of creative content strategy for UNF’s Marketing and Communications team, where he uses innovative storytelling techniques to showcase UNF’s transformational impact on students and industries. He also drives the university’s recent marketing rebrand through creative and visual strategies, leveraging social media, photography and video.

Previously the assistant director of social media, Weber implemented an enterprise social media tool to organize UNF’s accounts and he managed social content, including the annual holiday video.

But before soaring like an Osprey, let’s take you back to where it all began—high school!

‘It’s Not Just Blue, It’s Cerulean’

Weber grew up in Florida, where he dreamed of a career in New York fashion. He was excited to study public relations at UNF, recognizing it as a place where he could gain real-world skills and experiential internships.

At UNF, Weber served as PRSSA’s social media officer and later president, gaining experience in event planning, outreach and budgeting before working as a PR/social associate at Sweet Pete’s while finishing his degree. At the same time, he secured his first social media internship with the Dalton Agency.

He fondly remembered communication professor Bobbi Doggett’s mentorship playing an integral role in his growth.

“As soon as I had her as a professor, we just clicked,” Weber said. “She could see that I was driven and that I had goals. I think she really believed in me and helped me to achieve them.”

Weber credits his Campaigns and Cases courses for teaching him how PR agencies operate, helping him and his classmates refine their presentation and networking skills.

His dedication in and out of the classroom led to internships in New York with Marie Claire and Ralph Lauren, where he worked as a fashion market intern/assistant and PR assistant, respectively. His “fever dream” experience in NYC felt straight out of “The Devil Wears Prada” with early mornings, late nights, cover shoots and trekking across the city with clothes and beauty products in tow. He learned to stand out through hard work, leveraging connections for career growth in a “very good old-fashioned lesson in PR.”

Since graduating in 2016 with a communication degree, Weber has built an impressive career. He spent two years at the Dalton Agency as a social content creator, followed by roles in social media and communications at Adjective & Co. and Mayo Clinic. Before SWOOPing back to UNF in 2022, he managed major IP initiatives for Lucasfilm, Marvel, Disney Princesses and Disney Parks at The Walt Disney Company. His diverse experiences helped him refine his career interests, leading him to focus on organic brand and communication strategy.

“I get to bring everything from all the different jobs that I’ve had and really apply them, and it makes my job fun,” he said.

From Big Dreams to Bookstore Shelves

Weber developed a love for reading early on, recalling how his mother taught him with “Bob Books” and read him “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” at 5 years old.

“It feels as natural to me as breathing,” Weber said.

This formative chapter led to his passion for writing, starting with a book he wrote about his dog in fifth grade. By seventh grade, he had written his first novel, a 60,000-word manuscript.

“I was having my friends read it, and then just kept doing that,” he said. “Every year I would write a new book.”

Years later, while juggling internships in New York, Weber began pitching his work to publishers. Though he faced rejections, he refined his writing and pitches, eventually landing an agent.

Growing up as an avid reader, Weber struggled to see himself reflected in the characters of his favorite books. This absence inspired him to create YA novels celebrating queer joy rather than centering on trauma or othering.

“I grew up loving romantic comedies and just wanted to write one where I felt like it resonated with me or another teen might see themselves in it and not feel like it was just about their identity,” he said.

This vision became the basis for his debut novel, “If You Change Your Mind” (2022), which follows Harry, an aspiring screenwriter navigating love, heartbreak, and his dreams of college. Weber has since expanded his literary universe with “I Like Me Better” (2023), “What Is This Feeling?” (2024), and his upcoming novel, “Everything About You,” set for release in September 2025.

Weber enjoys connecting with readers who’ve shared how his books have impacted their lives—whether by leaving toxic relationships, joining a sports team, or discovering their career path

“I think that’s always the most rewarding part,” he said.

For those looking to get back into reading, Weber suggests treating books like a taste test—sampling different ones until you find what you enjoy. He emphasizes that there’s no obligation to finish a book if it doesn’t resonate and encourages readers to explore different formats, whether physical books, Kindles or phone apps.

His books are available wherever books are sold, but he encourages readers to support The Bookmark in Neptune Beach, where he frequently holds book signings and events. With a fashion-focused book in the works, Weber will continue promoting his upcoming novel throughout the year.

(Written by Tyler White, Published 3/5/25)