Staff

Meet the Honors College Staff

Dr. Minh Nguyen, Interim Dean
Reed Hall, 153
239-745-4569 | atnguyen@fgcu.edu

Born and raised in Vietnam, I began my teaching career as a part-time lecturer in philosophy in 1993 at Columbia University, where as a first-generation college student I earned a BA in mathematics, an MA in philosophy, and a PhD in philosophy. Joining the Florida Gulf Coast University faculty in 2019, I am currently serving as Interim Dean of the Honors College, Professor of Philosophy, and Faculty Affiliate of the Center for the Study of Race, Gender, Ethnicity, and Culture. In 2021, I was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Collegiate Honors Council, an association of undergraduate honors programs, colleges, directors, deans, faculty, staff, and students. A specialist in the philosophy of mind and theory of knowledge, I also work in aesthetics while maintaining an abiding interest in ethics, political philosophy, and creative writing. My work has appeared in a number of philosophical, literary, and interdisciplinary journals, including Comparative Philosophy, The Journal of Philosophical Research, The Journal of Value Inquiry, The Kenyon Review, Evolution and Cognition, Dialogue, and Think, as well as newspapers in the Gannett | USA TODAY Network. I am the editor of New Essays in Japanese Aesthetics (Lexington Books, 2017) and, with Yarran Hominh, an editor of Contemporary Philosophical Perspectives on Japanese Aesthetics (Lexington Books, 2024). With Hominh, I have been editing APA Studies on Asian and Asian American Philosophers and Philosophies, a journal published by the American Philosophical Association, since 2019. In 2002, I received a Rockefeller Essay Prize and, two decades later in 2022, a Public Philosophy Op-Ed Prize both from the American Philosophical Association. I was twice selected to participate in a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute: one on self-knowledge in Eastern and Western philosophies in 2018 and the other on the Vietnam War and its legacy in 2023. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, watching and playing tennis and soccer, and visiting the beach.

Dr. Jamie MacDonald, Interim Associate Dean
Whitaker Hall, 208
239-590-7429 | jmacdona@fgcu.edu

Hello! I am a Professor of Geology and Interim Associate Dean of the Honors College. I have worked at Florida Gulf Coast University since 2007. I teach upper division classes in the Environmental Geology B.S. program, as well as general education geology. I am a native of Hyde Park, New York. I began my college experience at the Community College level earning an A.A. in Social Sciences. I then graduated from SUNY New Paltz in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Geology. I finally went on to the University at Albany and earned a Ph.D. in Geology in 2006. I have had a number of externally funded projects that have engaged a large number of under graduate students in meaningful research experiences. These have included course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURES), as well as independent and group research for undergraduates. I am very excited to help Honors students achieve their goals and help continue the excellence of the FGCU Honors College while I function in the role of Interim Associate Dean.

Courtney Dwyer Satkoski, Interim Program Coordinator
Reed Hall, 207A
239-590-1466 | csatkoski@fgcu.edu

Greetings Eagle family! I’m HONORed to have the opportunity to teach, lead, serve, and learn alongside of our growing Honors College campus and community! Over the past 15 years at FGCU, I’ve taught more than a dozen different courses that center on community engagement, servant leadership, and humanities and social issues. In addition to being a Faculty Fellow, Professor, House Leader (Go Manatees!), and past Director of the Leadership through Service (LTS) Living Learning Community (LLC), I’ve had the opportunity to develop and lead numerous Honors College events and large-scale “days of service,” including bone and marrow drives, off campus 3-day immersion trips to Immokalee, Florida, and multiple, week-long medical brigades to Las Casillas, Honduras and El Penon, Nueva Arenosa, and Santa Rosa, Panama. I have founded The FGCU Malaria Project, Hunting for a Cure (IG: huntingforacure.inc), and co-founded Unlocked Memories (IG: unlockedmemories.swfl) with an Honors College student. As an advocate for community engagement, I’m passionate about connecting students to enriching service-learning opportunities that lead to necessary community (and student) growth and betterment. If you are interested in becoming more active on campus and in the community through volunteer, service, and leadership opportunities, please do not hesitate to contact me. WE ARE HONORS! GO EAGLES!

Read Courtney Dwyer Satkoski's full bio.
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Greetings Eagle family! I’m HONORed to have the opportunity to teach, lead, serve, and learn alongside of our growing Honors College campus and community!

Over the past fifteen years at FGCU, I’ve taught more than a dozen different courses that center on community engagement, servant leadership, and humanities and social issues. In addition to being a Faculty Fellow, Professor, House Leader (Go Manatees!), and past Director of the Leadership through Service (LTS) Living Learning Community (LLC), I’ve had the opportunity to develop and lead numerous Honors College events and large-scale “days of service,” including bone and marrow drives, off campus 3-day immersion trips to Immokalee, Florida, and multiple, week-long medical brigades to Las Casillas, Honduras and El Penon, Nueva Arenosa, and Santa Rosa, Panama. Moreover, I’ve served as a panelist and speaker for special events and trainings, stoled numerous Honor Grads, served as an interviewer for prospective Honors students and employees, developed and advised “Project Ciclovia,” and, alongside of Dean Motley, got pied as part of the “Pie A Professor,” Honors College fundraiser!

In 2009, I founded The FGCU Malaria Project in partnership with the Jimmy Carter Center and The Clarke Cares Foundation to provide resources and health education to villagers in Kanke, Africa, in an effort to reduce the spread of malaria, a preventable, but often fatal, disease with 250 million new cases annually. Through community events, grants, fundraisers, and matching funds and partnerships, we advocated for greater investment in disease education and access to affordable repellents, medications, and tools used to prevent, diagnose, and treat malaria. Our work resulted in the purchase and immediate distribution of 50,000 bed-nets to a region of Nigeria that continues to shoulder nearly 93% of all malaria deaths globally.

In 2016, I founded Hunting For A Cure (https://www.huntingforacureinc.org I IG: huntingforacure.inc), a non-profit organization designed to provide the Hunter Syndrome community with medical, advocacy, and fundraising opportunities. In partnership with Project Alive, we’re fundraising a 2.5 million dollar clinical trial that scientists believe will lead to the cure of Hunter Syndrome, a rare and fatal genetic disease that affects 2,500 boys worldwide. From hosting one-of-a-kind event weekends specifically designed for patients with Hunter Syndrome and their families to premiering the documentary, “Boys with Bigger Hearts,” to designing social media advocacy and fundraising campaigns to hosting renowned researchers, physicians, investors, and disease stakeholders on campus, our collective efforts have led to significant public awareness about Hunter Syndrome and the need for early diagnosis, affordable treatments, and clinical trials.

In 2022, I co-founded Unlocked Memories (IG: unlockedmemories.swfl) with an Honors College student to provide the Alzheimer’s and dementia community with volunteer and fundraising opportunities through advocacy and direct and indirect service. As part of our dual-impact design, we hosted a Golf Scramble and Silent Auction fundraiser in 2022 to purchase iPads and interactive technology to be gifted to hospitals, end-of-life, and assisted living facilities, so that patients with dementia can connect with loved ones and benefit from stimulating and interactive apps and programs. Moreover, we created opportunities for students and community members to volunteer weekly with patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia, a program that gathered three dozen volunteers in its first term. Our volunteer and fundraising efforts allowed us to develop deeply meaningful experiences and gift tens of thousands of dollars and service-learning hours to our local Alzheimer’s and dementia community.

In addition to teaching and running two non-profits, I also co-led the Honors College Immokalee Immersion weekend and serve as the Faculty Advisor for some of the largest student organizations on campus: Global Medical Brigades, THE Big C, MedLife, Project Ciclovia, and Alpha Epsilon Pi. I also host blood and bone marrow donation drives in partnership with OneBlood and Be The Match, in honor of my son and mother, who received lifesaving transfusions and medication as part of their treatment for Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) and Leukemia. I also travel with students on international medical brigades each summer to work alongside of physicians and community leaders to implement sustainable healthcare systems to communities that would otherwise have limited to no access.

As an advocate for community engagement, I’m passionate about connecting students to enriching service-learning opportunities that lead to necessary community (and student) growth and betterment. If you are interested in becoming more active on campus and in the community through volunteer, service, and leadership opportunities, please do not hesitate to contact me. WE ARE HONORS! GO EAGLES!

Sarah Stauring, Outreach Coordinator
Reed Hall, 163
239-745-4567 | sstauring@fgcu.edu

A proud Eagle alum, I graduated from FGCU in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, and in 2019 with a Master’s degree in Engineering. Throughout my time at FGCU, I have been involved in many sustainability initiatives, served as an Honors Mentor, and was inducted into the 2017 Hall of Fame. As Coordinator of Outreach, I work with the admissions and recruiting process for the Honors College, as well as engagement with the community and Honors alumni. I have academic interests in sustainability, and bioremediation. I currently serve on the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and enjoy cooking, snorkeling, reading, and exploring.

Anneliese Bayer, Coordinator of Social Media & Events
Reed Hall, 163
239-745-4429 | abayer@fgcu.edu

Hello Eagles! My name is Anneliese Bayer and I am excited to be joining the Honors College community this fall. I am originally from Doylestown, PA but moved to Fort Myers to attend FGCU, earning my Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and Communication in 2020 and later my Master’s in Educational Leadership in 2022. I loved my time in the Honors College, serving as an Honors Mentor and an Honors Ambassador during my time as an undergraduate. Outside of my time at work, I stay active through my involvement in CrossFit as well as teaching group fitness classes at the University Recreation and Wellness Center. I also love spending time with my family and friends including my two fur children, Daisy and Ella.

Janice Nevarez, Administrative Assistant
Reed Hall, 163
239-745-4267 | jnevarez@fgcu.edu

Originally from Maryland, I started my career as an Administrative Assistant working for the Department of Defense and later I worked in the Financial Aid Office at the Community College of Baltimore County. I moved to Florida in 2010 with my family and in 2011 began working at FGCU in the Graduate Studies Office, followed by eight years working in the Office of Adaptive Services as an Administrative Specialist. I am excited to join the Honors College as the Administrative Assistant. In this role, my responsibilities include budget management and providing administrative support. When I’m not working, I enjoy tennis, drawing and painting, yoga, reading, travel, and spending time with family and friends.

Ruxy Apostol, Administrative Specialist
Reed Hall, 155
239-745-4263 | mapostol@fgcu.edu

My FGCU professional journey began in April 2019 as an Administrative Specialist for the Office of Research & Graduate Studies. I am honored to join the Honors College team this year and to bring a different perspective as a former high school French language & literature teacher. I live in the present moment and I am grateful for all the beautiful things that surround us. My life purpose is to connect people and help them see the brighter side of life. I adore traveling and spending quality time with the people I love.

Meet the Honors College Staff

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