Undergraduate Program Staff

Norean R. Sharpe, Undergraduate Dean
Norean Sharpe joined Georgetown in July 2009 as Dean of the Undergraduate Program in the McDonough School of Business, where she is responsible for advising students; designing all co-curricular programs; implementing academic policies and assessment initiatives; developing partnerships with area non-profit and for-profit organizations; and working with faculty to develop curriculum for the undergraduate program. She earned a Ph.D. in systems engineering from the University of Virginia and her career spans 20 years. Prior to joining Georgetown, Dr. Sharpe was a professor at Babson College, where she taught Statistics and Operations Research, and chaired the Division of Mathematics and Science. In her role as chair, she facilitated an extensive revision of the undergraduate and MBA business quantitative curriculum and spearheaded an improvement of the co-curricular experience for students. She also developed a strategic plan for overall quantitative undergraduate education, advised students, mentored faculty, and chaired multiple task forces that examined the academic, social, and cultural issues facing undergraduate business students in the 21st century. Prior to joining Babson, Sharpe taught for several years at Bowdoin College, where she was Assistant Professor of Statistics and Operations Research following her initial appointment at Yale University as a MacArthur post-doctoral fellow.

Dr. Sharpe has published more than 30 articles in the area of analytics and statistics education with her most recent publication being the textbook Business Statistics. Sharpe co-founded a Boston-based non-profit to further Diversity and Outreach in Mathematics and Engineering education, known as The DOME Foundation and currently sits on the boards of three non-profit organizations in the Boston and Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas.



  

Patricia J. Louison, Senior Assistant Dean
Over the last 15 years, Patricia Louison has worked in a variety of administrative roles at Cornell, Binghamton, and Temple Universities, as well as the University of Pennsylvania, where she obtained her master’s and doctoral degrees in higher education management.  In her former position, she was engaged in academic affairs work as the Director of Undergraduate Studies at Temple University within the College of Education.  In this capacity, she was charged with the academic and professional development of approximately 1,800 undergraduate students. Dr. Louison has served as an adjunct professor, teaching a range of topics from research design to organizational change. She also is a member of Christian Stronghold Church where she directs a multi-month SAT Academy for middle and high school students through her participation in the College and Career Guidance Ministry. She is a logophile with a mild dependence on Scrabble and Readers Digest.
Advises the Class of 2012, L-Z.

 

Monija Amani, Associate Director
For the past 15 years, Monija Amani has worked on various student and administrative capacities. She holds a master's degree in Counseling and a doctoral degree in Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University. She also has served as an adjunct faculty at The George Washington University and has extensive experience in student advising and project management. Dr. Amani's research focuses on the internationalization of post-secondary institutions and college choice process. She is an avid reader and enjoys jogging. Advises the Class of 2013.

 Rebecca Cassidy, Associate Director
Rebecca Cassidy has over 10 years’ experience coaching, training and advising business students and mid-career professionals. She has extensive experience in working in corporate, non-profit and academic settings gained while working both in Tokyo, Japan and Washington, D.C.  Her most recent experience is working as an academic advisor at Johns Hopkins University.  She earned her MBA from George Washington University and her B.A. in Psychology from Binghamton University. Advises the Class of 2014. 

Deborah Coburn, Associate Director
Deborah Coburn earned her B.A. in History and Public Relations from Syracuse University. She earned her M.Ed. in Counseling in Student Affairs from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Prior to joining the McDonough School, Deb worked in financial aid, admissions, and academic advising. She is a huge sports fan, especially college basketball, and additionally enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with family & friends. Advises the Class of 2015, A-K.

Nicole M. Houle, Associate Director/Academic Counselor
Nicole Houle received an M.S.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Old Dominion University, where she also received a B.S. in Counseling. Nicole has prior experience in Career Services, Residence Life, and Judicial Affairs. Prior to coming to Georgetown she was the Assistant Director of Residence Life at the University of North Florida located in Jacksonville. Advises the Class of 2015, L-Z.



 

Lisa J. Scheeler, Associate Director/Academic Counselor
Lisa Scheeler earned a B.A. in Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government from The American University, and an M.Ed. in Higher and Adult Education from Arizona State University. Scheeler has worked in admissions, student activities, and leadership development at several universities. She also trains instructors and teaches for Kaplan. Advises the Class of 2012, A-K.