Meet our Staff

Esteban Olivares, Director

Esteban Olivares began his service at UDC’s as the Director of First-Year Experience and is now the Director of Academic Advising & Retention.  Prior to UDC Mr. Olivares was employed by American University’s School for International Service Pre-College Programs. He brings twelve years of higher educational experience and expertise in curricular and co curricular programming, retention programming, academic enrichment, educational advocacy, research and international education. Mr. Olivares earned his B.S. from the University of the Pacific in his home town of Stockton, CA and his M.A. from The School for International Training Graduate Institute in Vermont. Mr. Olivares has also spent time overseas in the Peoples Republic of China were he conducted research on the economic impact on college student motivations and behaviors, conducted research on Scandinavian business environment at the Mikkeli Polytechnic Institute in Finland, studied the ratification of Kyoto Protocol by the European Union in Brussels and interned at Huron University Dean of Students Office in the United Kingdom. He also enjoys traveling, exploring new things to do in the D.C. area, jazz and is an avid participant in various slam poetry circuits.

Bridgette Ellison, Academic Advisor

Bridgette Ellison is a native of Washington D.C. and attended Cardozo Senior High School. After high school she then graduated from The University of the District of Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts in English Rhetoric.  After which she taught briefly for the Children’s Defense Fund and in 2005, acquired a Master’s of Education in Counseling and Guidance from Howard University’s School of Education.  From 2006 to 2009 she advised both traditional and non-traditional students at a private university in the District of Columbia.  As a very proud Alumnus of the Flagship, she feels good to come home to assist UDC students realize their lifelong academic, career and personal success.

 

Kendra Greene, Lead Academic Advisor

Kendra Greene comes to the Academic Advising Center at the University of the District of Columbia after serving in a advising / student support role at the University of Maryland – College Park for three years. While at UMD she worked with special students groups of student-athletes; as well as she taught university orientation courses to the Markets and Societies cohort of pre-business students and other undeclared undergraduate students. She has earned her Masters of Education in Higher Education Administration from the University of Oklahoma. She is a native from Michigan and graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Sociology with a focus in Pre-Law.

 

Myles Johnson, Academic Advisor

Myles Johnson has had over 20 years of Academic Advising experience, both at one of the University of the District of Columbia’s predecessor institutions, Federal City College, and at UDC.  Myles served as an Academic Advisor in the previous UDC Skill Center and currently serves as the Senior Academic Advisor in the newly configured UDC Academic Advising Center.  Myles has a bachelor’s degree in education from the Harris- Stowe State University in St. Louis, Missouri and is ABD in the area of Educational Administration in Higher Education from the University of Southern California. 

 

 

Mark Rivera, Academic Advisor

Mark Rivera is an Academic Advisor who specializes in sophomore advising and retention, and who teaches under the Freshman Orientation program and through the Urban Scholars' Academy. Mr. Rivera has also been heavily involved in developing the Academic Support Center, where he has drawn on his teaching skills to guide tutorial philosophy and to facilitate workshops on academic skills and preparedness. A Texas native, Mr. Rivera earned his B.A. in English from the University of Texas at Austin, and his M.A. in English from Georgetown University. He is a dedicated educator who has taught English composition, literature, and ESL to a wide variety of students, ranging from immigrant populations in Texas to teenagers in rural Morocco to at-risk youth in the metropolitan D.C. area. Mr. Rivera is particularly interested in service-learning in higher education and its possible benefits for students from working-class backgrounds.

Dr. Johnnie Meadors, Academic Advisor

Dr. Johnnie Meadors II. serves as an advisor and retention analyst for the University of the District of Columbia's (UDC) Academic Advising Center. Prior to joining the UDC team, Dr. Meadors served as a research assistant for the Project on Academic Success and the Office of Institutional Research at Indiana University. He received his doctorate in higher education and administration from Indiana University-Bloomington' School of Education. His research is on students who transfer within a university system (i.e. intercampus transfer).