{"id":145,"date":"2018-05-24T16:49:17","date_gmt":"2018-05-24T16:49:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cahcms.smca.ucf.edu\/fpep\/?page_id=145"},"modified":"2025-08-25T16:19:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T20:19:28","slug":"people","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cah.ucf.edu\/fpep\/people\/","title":{"rendered":"People"},"content":{"rendered":"

FPEP is housed in the College of Arts and Humanities<\/a> at the University of Central Florida<\/a> in Orlando, Florida.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

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Meet our Current Leadership<\/h2>\n\t\t\t
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\"Keri<\/div>\n
Keri Watson, Ph.D.<\/span>, is the founder and Executive Director<\/strong> of the Florida Prison Education Project (FPEP) and Professor of Art History at the University of Central Florida. Dr. Watson’s research on art and activism has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and the Terra-Fulbright Foundation. Inspired by her experiences teaching for the Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project, she started FPEP to bring educational opportunities to incarcerated people in her home state.<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
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\"Heather<\/div>\n
Heather Vazquez, MFA, MA<\/span>, is the Education Coordinator<\/strong> for FPEP and a faculty member in the Department of Writing and Rhetoric at UCF. Her teaching and interests include first-year composition, multilingual writing, language diversity, translingualism, and World Englishes. As the Education Coordinator, she works with current and prospective FPEP teachers in the planning and implementation of courses.<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
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\"Tanya<\/div>\n
Tanya Armstrong, Ed.D.<\/span> is the Director of Partnerships<\/strong> for FPEP and the Regional Director for UCF Connect in the Division of Student Learning and Academic Success at the University of Central Florida. Dr. Armstrong has over 20 years of experience at UCF and more than 30 years in higher education. Her experience with students transitioning to university encompasses all areas of the student experience from prospect to graduate. With experience in admissions, student services, and advising as well as developing key pathways with various education partners in Central Florida, Dr. Armstrong sees FPEP as an opportunity to grow and diversify the region\u2019s economy while keeping the accent on the individual.<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
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\"Tanya<\/div>\n
Cassandra Philippon, Ph.D.<\/span> is a Research Associate<\/strong> for FPEP. Dr. Philippon is a faculty member in the Department of Sociology in UCF\u2019s College of Sciences. Her teaching experience includes criminological theory, social science research methods and data analysis. Her research interests focus on lived experiences in carceral facilities and among justice-involved and justice-impacted persons.<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
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\"Jalonta<\/div>\n
Jalonta Jackson-Glasco, Ph.D., MSW, LSW<\/span>, serves as a Research Associate<\/strong> for FPEP and a faculty member in the Social Work department at UCF. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Public Policy from Auburn University, where her dissertation examined internal and external factors influencing the spread of prison menstrual equity laws. A licensed social worker with over 11 years of teaching experience in higher education and a background as a probation officer and substance abuse counselor, Dr. Jackson-Glasco brings both scholarly expertise and practical insight to her role. Her research and teaching focus on correctional rehabilitation and social work policy with a particular emphasis on the experiences of incarcerated and justice-involved populations.<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
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\"Iradly<\/div>\n
Iradly Roche, MSW<\/span>, is a Research Associate <\/strong>for FPEP. An alumnus of UCF, he has fifteen years of work experience within Alternative School settings such as OCPS B.E.T.A. School, Silver Star School, and GATEWAY School. At these schools, he provided case management and mental health services to teen parents and exceptional student education populations. He collaborated with local agencies to promote a healthy learning environment for all students, and he worked with students transitioning out of juvenile detention programs to help them re-establish working relationships with student caregivers, schoolteachers, and administrators.<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
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\"Rohan<\/div>\n
Rohan Jowallah, Ed.D.<\/span>, is the Coordinator of Online Education<\/strong> for FPEP. Dr. Jowallah has worked in education for over 20 years and has international experience, having taught in the Caribbean, England, and the USA. His teaching experience includes teaching online, face-to-face, and blended modes of course delivery, and he has taught at various levels: elementary school; middle school; high school and university. Dr. Jowallah brings experience and a passion for addressing issues of social justice, inclusion, and diversity to the FPEP team, where he works to ensure quality and consistency in FPEP’s online course offerings.<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
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\"Steffen<\/div>\n
Steffen Guenzel, Ph.D.<\/span>, is the Advocacy Coordinator<\/strong> for FPEP. Dr. Guenzel is a faculty member in the Department of Writing and Rhetoric in UCF\u2019s College of Arts and Humanities where he researches writing in digital environments, writing in the disciplines and professional writing\/project management. As the FPEP Advocacy Coordinator, he collaborates with others to raise awareness and garner support for FPEP. A past Fulbright scholar, Dr. Guenzel has worked previously with graduate students at the University of Alabama who taught for the Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project.<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
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Aiya Messina<\/span> is the Student Program Coordinator<\/strong> for FPEP. She is a first-year graduate student in the dual M.P.A. Public Administration and Nonprofit Management program. She is a passionate advocate for prison reform, working as the Editor in Chief of the FPEP Post<\/em> to educate the public about mass incarceration in America.<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
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Yaseen El Ghandour<\/span> is the Graphic Designer<\/strong> and Webmaster<\/strong> for the Florida Prison Education Project, the Designer of the FPEP Post, <\/em>and a graphic designer for the College of Arts and Humanities. He is a sophomore earning his Animation and Visualization – Emerging Media BFA degree in the School of Visual Arts and Design.<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t
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Former Leadership Board Members<\/h2>\n

Alexander Alvarez <\/strong>served as the FCHEP Coordinator 2024-2025<\/p>\n

Ream Al-Ghamdi <\/strong>served as Digital Marketing Coordinator 2020-2023<\/p>\n

Jason Fronczek<\/strong> served as Program Coordinator 2020-2023<\/p>\n

Nicholas DeArmas<\/strong> served as Director of Partnerships 2018-2022<\/p>\n

Meghan Mitchell<\/strong> served as Research Coordinator 2020-2022<\/p>\n

Terry Ann Thaxton<\/strong> served as Education Coordinator 2017-2020<\/p>\n

Tameca Harris-Jackson<\/strong> served as Research Coordinator 2017-2019<\/p>\n

Sean Armstrong<\/strong> served as the Partnership Coordinator 2017-2021<\/p>\n

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Meet our Advocacy Board<\/h2>\n

In June 2021, FPEP formed an Advocacy Board to advance FPEP’s advocacy work and mission, Together, the board makes public policy recommendations based on research that centers on the tenets of law and policy,<\/p>\n

Sydney Alexander (UCF ’15; Emory Law ’17)\u00a0<\/strong>is a litigation attorney specializing in complex commercial litigation in Holland & Knight’s Miami office. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Alexander served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Mary S. Scriven in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. (2021-present)<\/p>\n

Arielle Bardzell (UCF ’13; Georgetown Law ’16)\u00a0<\/strong>is a corporate associate at Latham & Watkins, London.(2021-present)<\/p>\n

Norynne Caleja (UCF ’22) <\/strong>is an undergraduate student at UCF in the Department of Legal Studies.(2021-2022)<\/p>\n

Jean-Pierre Gilbert (UCF ’11; Stetson Law ’14)<\/strong> is Assistant Public Defender for Florida’s Eighteenth Judicial Circuit. Currently assigned to the Felony Trial Court division. (2021-present)<\/p>\n

Steffen Guenzel <\/strong>is an associate lecturer at UCF in the Department of Writing and Rhetoric and FPEP’s Advocacy Coordinator. (2021-present)<\/p>\n

Victoria Manglardi\u00a0(UCF ’08; Florida A&M Law ’11) <\/strong>is a personal injury lawyer at Martinez Manglardi and a former public defender in both Orange and Osceola Counties, where she handled juvenile, county, and felony cases. (2021-present)<\/p>\n

Angel Sanchez (UCF 2017; Miami Law ’21)\u00a0<\/strong>is a policy coordinator for the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. (2021-2022)<\/p>\n

Cortez Whatley (UCF ’13; Washington University Law ’17)\u00a0<\/strong>is the Chief of Staff and Senior Aide to Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe, District 3. (2021-present)<\/p>\n

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