University of West Florida

University Honors Program

Honors Faculty and Staff


The University Honors Program is fortunate to have a dedicated group of administrative, staff, and faculty members who support our students.
	Dr. Gregory Lanier Director Dr. Gregory Lanier, Associate Dean of Honors and Interdisciplinary Studies, has been with the program since 1999 and serves as the faculty and administrative head of UWF Honors. He teaches, advises, organizes, and leads the students of the University Honors Program.
	Dr. Greg Tomso Associate Director Dr. Gregory Tomso joined the Honors Program as Associate Director in 2009. He earned his Ph.D. in English from Duke University in 2001 and is also an Associate Professor in UWF's Department of English. Dr. Tomso oversees the Honors thesis program, helping students plan, write, and submit their original reserach and creative projects. He also advises students who are applying for national scholarships, including the Fulbright, Rhodes, and Marshall awards.Through his Honors seminar, "The Politics of Food," Dr. Tomso and his students have been involved in several large-scale community projects to raise awareness about local food movements and community gardening.
	Dr. Pamela Vaughan Associate Professor Dr. Pamela Vaughan is the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research. The office was created to support undergraduate endeavors related to research and scholarly work in the form of project and travel awards. Dr. Vaughan is an assistant professor in the Chemistry department.
	Dr. Jocelyn Evans Associate Professor Dr. Jocelyn Evans is an Associate Professor of Political Science and the Chair of the Department of Government. She teaches Honors Core 2 and POS 2041 American Politics for Honors students. Dr. Evans has served on the Honors Program Council since 2010. In 2011, the Honors Program asked her to give the inaugural address for the first annual Last Lecture Series.
	Jennifer Vallin Assistant Director Ms. Jennifer Vallin, Assistant Director to the University Honors Program, is a former UWF Honors student, and joined us on staff in the Summer of 2008. She is responsible for day-to-day operations of the Honors Program in coordination with Dr. Lanier. This includes supervision of the Honors Council, student recruitment and retention, assisting in advising students, and communication with other departments on campus and state, regional, and national Honors Councils.
	Robin Jones Coordinator Ms. Robin Jones, Coordinator to the University Honors Program, is a former UWF Honors student, and joined us on staff in the Spring of 2012. She completed her Master's of Education in College Student Personnel at UWF in 2005, spent a year as an Americorps VISTA with Chain Reaction-teen volunteer center, and worked in several fields before returning to the Honors Program. She advises students and works with the Honors Council and Honors Mentors to provide opportunities for student engagement.
	Deborah Burlison Office Administrator Ms. Deborah Burlison provides support to the Director, Associate Director, and Assistant Director of Honors as well as the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research in all office-related matters pertaining to the unit including all clerical and budgetary responsibilities. Deborah also works closely with the Director and Assistant Director as needed in support of student recruitment and retention and serves as the primary contact person for all Honors inquiries.