Campus Life

Texas A&M Welcomes Student Affairs Leaders

New hires, shifts in leadership bring decades of higher education administration experience in serving students.
By Veronica Gonzalez Hoff, Texas A&M University Division of Student Affairs August 13, 2021

a graphic featuring the photos of Joe Ramirez, Tom Reber, Anne Reber, Vicki Dobiyanski, Kristin Harrell and Justin Jeffery
Top row (l-r): Brig. Gen. Joe E. Ramirez ’79 (Ret.), Tom Reber, Anne Reber ’91; Bottom row (l-r) Vicki Dobiyanski ’03, Kristen Harrell ’17 and Justin Jeffery

Texas A&M Division of Student Affairs

 

The Division of Student Affairs at Texas A&M University welcomes several new staff to its senior leadership team. As of June 3, Brig. Gen. Joe E. Ramirez, Jr.’79 (Ret.) assumed his role as interim vice president for student affairs.

The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs (OVPSA) serves and supports 17 departments within the Division of Student Affairs that are engaged in all aspects of students’ lives and the delivery of key services and support. Ramirez will oversee administration of the division after serving as commandant of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets since 2010.

Ramirez replaces outgoing former Vice President Daniel J. Pugh Sr., who joined the College of Education & Human Development as ​professor of practice, a position in which he will conduct student affairs research and assist graduate and doctoral students in their studies.

Stepping in as interim commandant for the Corps of Cadets is Col. Byron Stebbins ’78 (Ret.) Previously, Stebbins served as deputy commandant and chief of staff.

 Anne Reber, dean of students and associate vice president for student affairs, now works full time for the OVPSA. Previously, Reber divided her time between the OVPSA and the Offices of the Dean of Student Life (ODSL). Stefanie Baker has assumed the role of interim director for ODSL. Reber, who has served the division for 25 years, will oversee ODSL, Counseling & Psychological Services, Student Health Services and Recreational Sports.

Tom Reber, who has served the division for 39 years, is now executive associate vice president and chief of staff. As such, he will ensure that Division of Student Affairs staff carry out their responsibilities and directives. He also will oversee the Department of Residence Life and the division’s business services unit.

Vicki Dobiyanski, who joined the DSA leadership team in December 2019 from Florida State University, serves as associate vice president for student affairs. She will advise the Yell Leaders, oversee Memorial Student Center programs, University Center & Special Events, Student Activities, and the division’s development efforts.

The division welcomes two new assistant vice presidents: Kristen Harrell, former associate director for ODSL, and Justin Jeffery, former director of international student life at the University of Georgia.

Harrell will oversee the Department of Multicultural Services, University Art Galleries, Disability Resources and the Knauss Veteran Resource & Support Center. She will report to Ramirez and James Hallmark, vice chancellor for academic Affairs for The Texas A&M University System, to enhance collaboration on student initiatives and services across the system.

“We are looking forward to Dr. Harrell’s leadership in working with our student affairs vice presidents throughout The Texas A&M University System,” said Hallmark. “All students at our 11 universities will benefit from her experience and wisdom.”

Along with nearly two decades of experience with student conduct work, Harrell also has served as the interim chair for the University Disciplinary Appeals Panel, and campus administrator for sexual assault prevention training. Early in her career, she worked as a resident director at the University of Washington and hall director at Colorado State University.

Jeffery will oversee the division’s information technology and assessment groups, Music Activities and the Becky Gates Children’s Center. His education career has spanned more than a decade building, implementing and assessing learning opportunities for diverse student populations. He has worked both domestically and internationally at a variety of institutional types, including public and private colleges, in various functional areas such as residence life, student union programming, and student leadership and service initiatives.

Along with over a decade of experience in student affairs, Jeffery’s professional involvement includes volunteer appointments on National Association of Student Personnel Administrator’s (NASPA) Region III Advisory Board, in which he has served as a NASPA foundation ambassador, the state director for NASPA Georgia, and currently as the communications chair/IT coordinator. He also serves with Global Alliance for International Student Advancement as an advisory council member and member of the board of directors.

Harrell and Jeffery replace Cynthia Hernandez, who left the division in December to become vice president for student affairs at Texas State University, and Alyssa Leffall, who is now assistant dean of student affairs at Mercer Law School in Macon, Georgia.

Media contact: Sondra White, 979-458-3296, sondra@tamu.edu

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