Office and People Directory

Ryan Gillen

Biography

As Manager of The Leahy Center for Digital Forensics & Cybersecurity, Ryan helps oversee & optimize all research, projects, and grants at the center. Also an adjunct professor in CNCS, he teaches an advanced topics course & Enterprise Virtualization. Previously, as Project Manager for Cyber Range, Ryan led a student team dedicated to designing cyber attack simulations for The United States Secret Service. Prior to that, his experience as a Security Engineer involved delivering security services to Vermont organizations.

Student focused, Ryan is thoroughly passionate about maximizing the student experience, their professional growth, and helping LC graduates land great jobs.

Ryan’s current interests in the field are: The intersections of AI & Cybersecurity, Adversary Simulation, Red Team Operations, and automation.

Hobbies

Backcountry snowboarding, boating, and swimming

Favorite things to do in Vermont

Fav food: Kismayo Kitchen, Rt. 7 Liquor & Deli, Laliguras
Best spots in VT: Bolton Valley, Huntington River, Starr Farm Beach

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Vance Gillis

Biography

Vance Gillis is the Student Life Manager for the Montreal campus, as well as a facilitator, writer and event producer. Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Vance studied at Toronto Film College and served as the Education Director at Toronto’s Bad Dog Theatre Company. In 2020 he took over the new Montreal Improv Theatre as its Artistic Director, heading up their education and entertainment programming. He’s also produced multiple comedy festivals, including Mprov and Summer Fling, and has performed and produced at Just For Laughs (Montreal), Del Close Marathon (New York), SOLOS Festival (Montreal), COMBUSTION Festival (Toronto) and Montreal Fringe Festival.

In his spare time, Vance likes to teach and perform improv comedy. He also enjoys cooking, exercising, playing video games, and going to the movies.

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Liz Gillis

Biography

Historian Liz Gillis is from the Liberties in Dublin. She is Student Life Manager at Champlain College Dublin and teaches the Irish History class. She is the author of six books about the Irish Revolution and has worked as a researcher/contributor on numerous publications, television and radio documentaries covering the Irish revolutionary period.

Liz was the Historian in Residence for South Dublin County Council for the Decade of Centenaries and worked as a Researcher for the History Show on RTE Radio. She was a Historical Consultant for the new Custom House Visitor Centre and was a Curatorial Assistant in RTE, specializing in researching the Easter Rising and a tour guide for many years in Kilmainham Gaol.

In 2018 Liz was a recipient of the Lord Mayor’s Award for her contribution to history.

Hobbies

History and going to Theme Parks

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Raelyn Gladstone

Biography

Raelyn is passionate about working closely with students to ensure that all their needs are met when they come through the doors of Champlain College. Understanding how students define their own success and providing them with the tools they need to achieve their goals is part of the job she really enjoys. She also works hard to ensure that all students learn what self-advocacy looks like for them. She is a graduate of the University of Vermont with a B.A. in Sociology, and she also pursued a minor in Special Education. Staying in the Burlington, VT area was a no-brainer because of all the opportunities for growth and development, both personally and professionally. Before coming to Champlain College in 2023, she had worked with students of all ages. From preschoolers to college students, her experience working with students is comprehensive. The desire to work with students utilizing the services of the Office of Accessibility came from the knowledge that education is not always accessible to students, and she wants to make that less of a reality for our students.

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Marla Goldstein

Biography

Quite a few years ago, Marla was a reference department assistant in high school until she graduated and left home for college. She has always appreciated the wonder, resourcefulness, and peaceful environment of a library, and was thrilled when a part time position opened at MIC. Outside of the library you can find Marla walking down by the lake and talking on the phone with her long distance friends, using her air fryer, and watching niche YouTube videos of international homesteading, gardening, and off-grid living.

What are your hobbies?

Experimental/maximalist fashion, closet organizing, swimming in rivers with flippers and goggles, playing Koosh with my best friend Sarah, talking on the phone, listening to gossip podcasts, painting decorative birdhouses and stretching

Tell us about your favorite local eateries and things to do in Vermont:

Pho Hong, Namaste Garden in Essex, Athens Diner, and A Single Pebble.

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Andrea Gunther

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Maria Gutierrez

Biography

Maria is a seasoned academic affairs professional with over a decade of progressive leadership experience in higher education. She specializes in transfer credit evaluation, student support, and operational excellence. In her current role as Manager of Transfer Credit Evaluation at Champlain College, she brings a proven record of streamlining academic processes, building cross-functional partnerships, and advancing student-centered initiatives.

Maria has held key positions including Academic Dean, Associate Dean, and Visiting Professor, where she led academic operations, ensured regulatory compliance, and directed student retention efforts, particularly at institutions serving adult learners and non-traditional student populations. Her areas of expertise include institutional effectiveness, transfer policy development, and accreditation standards.

A passionate advocate for equity in education, Maria has led Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, community engagement efforts, and faculty development programs that support inclusive student success. She holds an MBA in Management and certifications in Six Sigma and Title IX/ADA compliance. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she also brings advanced data analysis and technology skills to every role, with proficiency in tools such as Power BI, Salesforce, Banner, Canvas, and Cognos.

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Matt Hagberg

Biography

Matt is the Gifts Administration Specialist within Champlain College’s Advancement team. He graduated from the University of Vermont in 2021, majoring in Psychological Science and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. His previous experience with donors and gifts began with his role as Operations & Outreach Coordinator at Pride Center of Vermont, before starting his current role at Champlain in 2025.

Hobbies

Record collecting, reading, and snuggling with my cat, Grimmel

Favorite Local Eateries

BKK in the Alley has the best ga pow in Burlington!

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Heather Hanson

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Skip Harris

Biography

Skip Harris is the director of the Champlain College Counseling Center. Skip is a compassionate professional with a wealth of experience in counseling and a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by college students. Skip is dedicated to promoting mental health and fostering a supportive environment for the campus community. Skip has been at Champlain College for 14 years and has overseen the Counseling Center for the past 10 years. Skip works closely with a team of gifted clinicians, ensuring the highest quality of care is provided to address a wide range of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, academic stress, and relationship concerns to name a few. In his spare time Skip enjoys spending time with his family, running, cycling and coaching his daughters high school lacrosse team.

What are your hobbies?

Spending time with my family, Running, cycling, hiking, Skiing hanging out on the lake, cooking, eating, coaching high school woman’s lacrosse

Favorite local eateries and things to do in Vermont:

Splash on the dock by boat, JCAT, farmhouse, Halverson’s. Summer I try to spend time on the lake with family and friends or other fun river swimming holes. Nordic and Alpine skiing in the winter. Love hiking in the fall and coaching lacrosse in the spring

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Zachary Harrison

Biography

Zach Harrison currently serves as the Associate Director for Housing Operations at Champlain College. He has a Bachelors Degree from East Carolina and a Masters Degree from Eastern Michigan University. In his role as Associate Director, Zach oversees all housing systems and processes. Some of these processes include housing selection, room changes, damage billing, housing transition, new student housing assignments, etc.

Hobbies

Working out at the Champlain College Fitness Center, playing video games, and cooking

Favorite Local Eateries

Al’s French Fry, Kru Coffee Collective, and Casa Grande

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Annika Hawkins-Hilke

Biography

Annika Hawkins-Hilke is a per diem Nurse Practitioner at the Student Health Center. Prior to this role, she served as the Assistant Vice President of Student Health & Wellbeing and Medical Director. Annika is a trained Family Nurse Practitioner and her background includes additional training and years of experience in mental health and psychiatry. Annika is passionate about building community and supporting our students as they explore the relationship between their personal wellbeing, academic success, and life goals. Annika finds joy in exploring the mountains and lakes of Vermont with her family in all seasons, gardening in her backyard, and sourdough bread toasted with butter.

What are your hobbies?

Skiing, camping, boating! Reading, cooking, gardening!

Favorite local eateries and things to do in Vermont:

I love to go for runs in the Intervale, swim in Lake Champlain and swimming holes in rivers around the state, and ski our mountains in the winter. Vermont honey crisp apples and maple syrup make my heart sing!

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Alex Hernandez

Biography

Alejandro (“Alex”) Hernandez was born to a family of public educators in Stockton, CA. His parents journeyed from Mexico and the Philippines, and, at each step of the way, education brought opportunity-through skilled trades, nursing certificates, education credentials and degrees. These experiences shaped Alex’s belief that career-focused education can change lives and help communities thrive.

Hernandez comes to Champlain College from the University of Virginia, where he served as the Dean of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) and Vice Provost of Online Learning. At UVA, Hernandez championed access, affordability, and opportunity through its bachelor’s completion, professional certificate, and graduate programs. Alex helped SCPS enroll its largest undergraduate class in school history, launch its first master’s degree, and pursue a strategy that combined in-demand digital skills with the human skills needed for long-term career success. He also taught undergraduate courses in entrepreneurship (SCPS) and education innovation (School of Education and Human Development).

Before joining UVA, Hernandez worked for the Charter School Growth Fund, a national education foundation, where he built the nonprofit’s Innovative Schools practice, one of the largest efforts in the country focused on personalized learning and career readiness. Hernandez began his education career teaching high school mathematics in South Los Angeles. He later became an administrator for Portland Public Schools in Oregon and then an area superintendent for Aspire Public Schools in California. Prior to entering the field of education, he worked at Steamboat Ventures, Disney’s venture capital arm, and at J.P. Morgan. Hernandez has an MBA and MA in Education from Stanford University and a BA from Claremont McKenna College. He is a moderator for the Aspen Global Leadership Network and a Pahara Institute fellow.

Alex is married to Michelle Moore Hernandez and is the proud father of twin boys, Akari and Mekhi.

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Connor Holtkamp

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Carrie Houlihan

Biography

Carrie brings over a decade of experience managing graphic design teams and projects for print, events, and online products. Carrie’s background includes everything from brand identity to large-scale production.

Hobbies

Anything art-related!

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