Meet the Admission Team

Alex Mise, Associate Director of Admission

901-843-3706
text: 901-403-8822

Territories: Florida, New England (ME, NH, VT, RI, MA, CT), Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington

Originally from Seattle, Alex Mise spent his college years in the Northeast, first at Syracuse University, then at Penn State University for law school. After working as a lawyer in New York City for many years, he felt drawn to the world of college admission by the opportunity to work with students and help them realize their higher education goals. At è��, he hopes to help foster a talented, engaged, and diverse student community.

Baylee Champion, a young woman with dark hair in a yellow dress

Baylee Champion, Assistant Director of Admission

901-843-3060
text: 901-437-0014

Territories: Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, North Texas (Dallas, Fort Worth area), West Tennessee Public Schools

Baylee Champion’s journey from Chicago was fueled by her dedication to making higher education accessible to all. Her love for culture, history, and food is what drew her to make Memphis home. The commitment that è�� has to diversity and inclusion proved that the environment would be warm and welcoming. She attended and graduated from Rust College in 2020, having majored in Sociology.

Brock Netherland, a young man with dark hair and a beard

Brock Netherland, Assistant Director of Admission

901-843-3710
Territories: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas (Austin, Houston, San Antonio)

Originally from Lake Charles, LA, Brock Netherland ’24 has always expressed a “cultural connection to music, food, and fun.” Finding that è��, and Memphis, offered these opportunities in spades, he joined the è�� community as a student in 2020. During his education, Brock worked closely with the Alumni Relations, Development, and Admission offices as a student employee and as part of several volunteer organizations. After earning his B.A. in Psychology, Brock sought to continue his work at è��, joining the Admission team shortly after graduation.

Brooke Mangione, a young woman with long dark hair smiles at the camera

Brooke Mangione, Senior Assistant Director of Admission

901-843-3703
text: 901-403-8122

Territories: Alabama, Indiana, Ohio, North Texas (Dallas, Fort Worth area)

A Birmingham native, Brooke Mangione joins the admissions team after a decade teaching middle school and high school English, both in Alabama and overseas. After graduating with a degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Alabama, Brooke knew she wanted to give life abroad a try, resulting in years spent in Asia, Latin America, and Europe. While teaching in international schools, Brooke prepared students from around the world for university in North America, eventually leading to the decision to work with students from the admissions side.

Gil Villanueva, Vice President for Enrollment

901-843-3700
Territories: California, Colorado

Gil oversees Admission, Financial Aid, and Enrollment Services at è��. For three decades, he has served highly selective colleges and universities across the nation. Prior to his appointment at è��, Gil was the Associate Vice President and Dean of Admission at the University of Richmond and Dean of Admission at Brandeis University. He also worked at Bucknell University and Harvey Mudd College. Gil earned a B.A. in Psychology at Pitzer College and an M.Ed. degree in Higher Education at Bucknell University.

Lakayla Johnson, Assistant Director of Admission

Territories: Memphis Public Schools, Mississippi, South Carolina

Originally from Clarksdale, MS, Lakayla spent her college years at Jackson State University and the University of Mississippi, where she received her master's degree in Higher Education. While working as a Graduate Assistant in the Division for Diversity and Community Engagement at Ole Miss, she developed a strong passion for Admission work as she gained experience helping students enroll. During her time at è��, she hopes to help students with their academic achievement and professional growth.

a young man with brown hair in a suit and tie

Mac Trammell, Associate Director of Admission

901-843-3524
text: 901-410-9221
Territories: Louisiana, Memphis/west Tennessee private schools, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia

As a born-and-reared Memphian, Mac Trammell had always known about è�� growing up. But when it came time to choose a college, he had his sights set outside the city limits. He attended and graduated in 2017 from Washington and Lee University, having double majored in Journalism and English.

Megan Starling, Director of Admission

901-843-3225
text: 901-329-8954
Territories: Kentucky, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah

The student experience not only attracted Megan Starling '02 to è��, but also has continued to shape the way she interacts with the school. As a prospective student from Lexington, KY, she wanted to feel an immediate connection to a student community, while simultaneously being able to create and maintain meaningful relationships with professors in and outside the classroom.

Pamela Bowie, Associate Director of Technology

901-843-3705
text: 901-617-3572

Territories: Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico

Born in Memphis and raised in Little Rock, AR, Pamela brings her unique experiences in both admission and technology to è��. She holds a B.S. in Broadcast Journalism from TCU, and a M.S. in Mass Communication from Arkansas State University. Her commitment to admission work is evident by her involvement in several professional organizations. While at è��, Pamela will take the lead on leveraging technology to best engage prospective students and their families.

Simeon Glover, a young African American man in glasses and a short beard

Simeon Glover, Assistant Director of Admission

901-843-3154
Territories: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Central and East Tennessee

Born and raised in Memphis, Simeon brings his expertise in all things Memphis and in college access to è��. After graduating from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a B.A. in Psychology, Simeon returned home to work for his alma mater’s admission department with a goal of making college accessible for all students. He recently received his M.S. in Higher Education from the University of Tennessee and looks forward to continuing his work in college admissions and the higher education world as a whole.

For International Students

Lauren Sefton, Director of International Admission

email: seftonl@rhodes.edu

Territories: Europe, Africa, Australia, Worldwide

US Territories: Alaska, Hawaii, New York, North Carolina

Lauren Sefton ’03 grew up only a 30-minute train ride from her home in New Jersey to one of the world’s largest cities. While searching for colleges, she knew she didn’t want to be even 30 minutes away from the newest restaurant or concert to come to town. However, she also valued the intimacy of a small campus community, and found that most small schools tended to be in more rural settings, while most urban schools were too large or didn’t have a tight-knit campus environment.

Tie Sun, Associate Director of International Admission

email: sunt@rhodes.edu
Territory: Asia

Tie Sun has been in the international admission field since 2017. Uniquely, he experienced both a national research university and liberal arts college in the US for his Bachelor of Arts degree in Education, as an international student from Xi’an, China. He is more than happy to share the value of a liberal arts education to prospective international students at è��, and advise for their best interests. He travels extensively with a peace of heart filled with a spirit of adventure, curiosity, and care. Please be expected to see him in future!

Brooke Mangione, Senior Assistant Director of Admission

901-843-3703
text: 901-403-8122

Territories: Central/South America