Candidates

The NAPLA Nomination Committee 2022-2023 is honored to present the following slate of Executive Board and At-Large Board positions.

Executive Committee Positions – 2023

1st Vice President: Scott Boddery (Gettysburg College)
2nd Vice President: Jaime Dunn (St. John's College)
Treasurer: Heather Frederick (Slippery Rock University)
Secretary: Tianna Ransom (Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT))
Communication Coordinator: Marcus Thomas (University of Hartford)

At-Large Board Positions – 2023 - 2-Year Position (Sept. ‘23 - Aug. ‘25) – 5 candidates, 4 positions

Diane Curtis (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
Kathy Garren (Pennsylvania State University)
Steven Lichtman (Shippensburg University)
Claude Mayo (Quinnipiac University)
Paul Patterson (Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia)

Law School Representative 2023 - 2-Year Position (Sept. ‘23 - Aug. ‘25)

Lauren Jordan (University of Richmond School of Law

Candidate Bios - Executive Committee

1st Vice President: Scott Boddery (Gettysburg College)

Scott Boddery is an associate professor of political science and public law. He has advised pre-law students for the past twelve years at both research universities and liberal arts colleges, including Binghamton University, Davidson College, and Gettysburg College. Before entering higher education, Scott worked at the Center for the Advancement of Human Rights and the appeals and post-conviction division of the Ohio State Public Defender. Scott has previously served on the board of Law School Transparency, and he was a member of NAPLA’s board from 2019-2021. As a pre-law advisor and professor, his overarching goal is to prepare students for a lifetime of active citizenship and to help them achieve careers in law, public policy, and government service.

2nd Vice President: Jaime Dunn (St. John's College)

Jaime is the Director of Career Services and Pre-law advisor at St. John’s College in Annapolis, MD. Known for its study of the “Great Books”, and without majors, departments, or a formal pre-law program, she enjoys the challenge of preparing students for a career in law and the academic program is excellent preparation for it! She joined St. John’s after positions at the College of William & Mary’s DC office and as an Assistant Dean for law school admissions at the college. She has worked in higher education since graduating with a B.A. in Psychology and Spanish from Randolph-Macon College. After working as a ”roadrunner” in Admissions for R-MC, she completed an M.A.Ed. and Ph.D. in higher education from the College of William & Mary and The Ohio State University.

Treasurer: Heather Frederick (Slippery Rock University)

Dr. Heather Frederick is a full, tenured professor of Political Science at Slippery Rock University in Western Pennsylvania. She received her PhD in political science from West Virginia University and her BA from Hollins University. She regularly teaches courses in American Government, including The Presidency, Congress, Campaign Management and Strategy, Civil Discourse and Democracy, and American National Government. Dr. Frederick also serves as the Prelaw Program Coordinator for the University and offers courses in Law and Courts, Civil Liberties and Civil Rights, and Constitutional Law. She has taught at Slippery Rock University since 2005. Dr. Frederick also advises the Debate Society and Law Society and enjoys working with prelaw students and spending time with her daughter and her two dogs, pit bull Landry and Rottweiler Willow. She has served on the executive board of the Northeast Association of Prelaw Advisors for many years and is completing her second term as the current treasurer.

Secretary: Tianna Ransom (Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT))

Tianna Ransom is the Assistant Director of Career Exploration at MIT and serves as the liaison for the Social Impact,

Policy, and Law Career Pathway for First-Year Undergraduate through PhD students and recent alumni. She is the staff advisor for the MIT Pre-Law Society and manages career exploration initiatives for the Institute. Tianna has led and collaborated on DEI efforts at MIT and has presented on DEI at four regional and national conferences. She has been involved in NAPLA events since beginning her role as a Pre-Law Advisor in 2018 and joined the NAPLA Board as Secretary in 2021.

Communications Coordinator: Marcus Thomas (University of Hartford)

Marcus Thomas is an educator and entertainment attorney. He has maintained an entertainment law practice and held in-house positions with a major record label, major-affiliated music publisher and the nation's largest education music print publisher. Thomas serves as Associate Professor, Chair of Music and Performing Arts Management at the University of Hartford. He’s the pre-law advisor for The Hartt School and The Hartford Art School. Thomas teaches Pre-Law I and II, Entertainment Law, Artist Management, and Music Publishing. Thomas was a Governor for the Recording Academy’s Atlanta chapter and on Atlantis Music Conference’s Urban Advisory Board. He’s been a participating member of the Georgia Music Industry Association, MusiCares, the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association, and NAMM Generation Next. Marcus joined the NAPLA Board in 2021 and has served as Communications Coordinator since September 2022.

Candidate Bios - At-Large Board Members

2-Year Position (Sept. ‘23-Aug. ‘25) – 5 candidates, 4 positions

Diane Curtis (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)

Diane Curtis is the Director of Pre-Law Advising at UMass Amherst, and has worked in pre-law advising since 2004. Prior to entering higher education, she practiced law for 10 years in New York City and Springfield, Massachusetts. She has served as a non-board member on the NAPLA Bylaws Committee, Nominations Committee, and Advocacy Committee, and has served in an interim capacity as the 2d VP of the Board since October 2022. Diane was previously on the National Advisory Council for Law School Transparency. She has presented several times at the annual NAPLA conference. Diane is also a Senior Lecturer in Legal Studies at UMass.

Kathy Garren (Pennsylvania State University)

Kathy Garren has served as Pre-Law Advisor at The Pennsylvania State University since 2013. She works in an academic advising unit where she also advises lower division exploratory students. Kathy earned her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and practiced law for over eight years before transitioning into pre-law advising. Upon graduation from law school, she worked for three years as the supervising attorney in the Domestic Violence Clinic at Northeastern Law and as director of the Domestic Violence Institute at Boston Medical Center. Kathy then spent 5 years practicing family law at firms in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

Steven Lichtman (Shippensburg University)

Steven Lichtman is Associate Professor of Political Science and Pre-Law Advisor at Shippensburg University, with teaching and research interests in American politics, the judicial process, and constitutional law. He received his J.D. from New York University in 1993, and his Ph.D. from Brandeis University in 2004. Steven has been a member of NAPLA since 2007, and served as NAPLA Treasurer from 2012 to 2013. Since 2015, he has been the Executive Director of the New England Political Science Association, and would thus bring a decade of extensive conference planning experience to the NAPLA Board.

Claude Mayo (Quinnipiac University)

Claude E. P. Mayo, is the Director of Academic Integrity and Pre-Law Adviser at Quinnipiac University (CT). Though relatively new to the adventures of pre-law advising (1 year), he has quickly begun to enjoy the rewards of collaborating with and supporting students along their law school & legal career journeys. Now, and at all times in the past, Claude remains committed to helping students succeed through their own individual CHAOS (Campus – Health – Academics – Opportunities – Service). Claude’s prior roles have served both academic and student affairs sides of several higher education institutions. He has held full and part time faculty appointments in Communications, Counseling, and First-Year Experience programs while also performing as an Academic Adviser and Coordinator of Early College Programs. And with a supreme dedication to improving the student experience, Claude has also acted in residential life (e.g. housing and programming) and student conduct roles. Critical to Claude’s success in pre-law advising thus far has been NAPLA. He has attended NAPLA events, built relationships within the network, and most importantly implemented knowledge and skills that improve pre-law advising. Recognizing this large contribution to his practice, Claude now wishes to serve others working with similar ideals throughout the NAPLA network.

Paul Patterson (Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia)

Paul Patterson is an award-winning educator and professor of English at Saint Joseph’s University. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, and the Lily Foundation. In his role as pre-law adviser, Paul has expanded opportunities for students of color through the Law Exploration Advancing Diversity (LEAD program) and has overseen an eighteen percent increase in law school application acceptances across the university. Paul has also worked with a number of non-profit organizations including, most recently, as Board Secretary (2017-2020) and Board Chair (2020-2022) for the Monkey & The Elephant, a non-profit coffee shop in Philadelphia that offers employment and training opportunities for former foster youth.

Candidate Bio - Law School Representative

Lauren Jordan (University of Richmond School of Law)

Lauren Jordan is the Associate Director of Admissions at the University of Richmond School of Law. She is responsible for the oversight of recruitment and outreach to prospective students, and the coordination of the student ambassador team. Lauren started her career in law admissions as Senior Assistant Dean of Admission at William & Mary Law School, where she oversaw the recruitment and transition of new students, as well as admissions marketing and communication. She holds a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from William & Mary, where she specialized in new student transition.