Academic advisors provide students individualized attention and serve as mentor figures to support students’ growth, needs, and goals. The professional advisors are all-in-one guides; from developing a graduation plan to connecting with vital campus resources or finding their way at the university, students’ academic advisors will be their most consistent supporters at Lindenwood and beyond.
Meet Our Advisors
Dr. Kevin Manley
Kevin leads Lindenwood’s advising team. In his role, Kevin supports the university’s advisors and provides the training and resources they need to empower Lindenwood students to achieve excellence in education and in life. Since joining the university in 2017, Kevin has been involved with Lindenwood’s Q2 Service Excellence program and supported the university as the inaugural Learning Academy Service Excellence Fellow. Kevin holds a Doctor of Education in Instructional Leadership from Lindenwood and two degrees from Truman State University—a BFA in Creative Writing and an MA in English. Prior to joining the advising team, Kevin worked as an Academic Services Representative and an Assistant Registrar at Lindenwood.
Julie Bergen
Julie Bergen is a professional advisor supporting students in the College of Science, Technology, and Health. She has over 10 years of experience in higher education including advising and retaining students, developing and implementing student events, creating events surrounding social issues, directing intramurals, and coaching soccer. Julie earned her Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance with a minor in Health Education from University of Wisconsin-River Falls and her Master of Science in Student Personnel Administration from Concordia University Wisconsin. Julie has a passion for assisting students to achieve their academic goals.
Edwina Cooper
Edwina Cooper serves the College of Arts and Humanities at Lindenwood University. She has a Master of Arts in English and a graduate certificate in Gender Studies from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. She has spent many years in higher education, teaching English and tutoring many other subjects. She is very experienced with Service-Learning programs as well. While attending UMSL, Edwina helped found their chapter of the English Honor Society, Sigma Tau Delta. She currently advises Cinema Arts, Digital Marketing, English, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, International Relations, Philosophy & Religion, Political Science, and Undecided students here at Lindenwood.
Evan Dir
Evan Dir has been an Academic Advisor in higher education since 2018 and started advising our Lindenwood Lions in 2022. He currently advises students in the following programs: Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Science and Cybersecurity. Evan grew up in the Kansas City, Missouri area, however he received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Bachelor of Science in Anthropology from Missouri State University – Springfield, and he is currently pursuing his Masters in Social Work degree from University of Missouri – Columbia. Evan has a deep passion of advocating for economic opportunity as he takes a wholistic and strengths-based approach when working with students.
Ryan Farmer
Ryan is an advisor supporting students within the College of Education and Human Services. He has a combined 8 years of experience in higher education, and has worked at Lindenwood since 2018. Before joining the Professional Advising team, he worked as a Graduate Admissions Counselor for Lindenwood. Ryan has a BA in Journalism from Missouri State University and an MA in Leadership from Lindenwood University. He enjoys supporting students and hearing their individual stories to assist them in achieving their academic and personal goals.
Bailey Hays
As a professional advisor, Bailey works with all new students of the Plaster College of Business and Entrepreneurship to help them transition to Lindenwood University. He helps students understand the registration process, degree plans, and any general questions about the PCB&E.
Bailey Hays first started as a student in 2016 and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. He is currently working on completing the Masters of Accountancy Program (MAcc) with Lindenwood University and is on track to complete the program in the spring of 2022. Prior to becoming a professional advisor, Bailey has had the opportunity to complete internships with Deloitte in audit/assurance and Energizer Holdings Inc. in internal audit. During his time as an undergraduate, he was on the travel team for the bowling program, tutored for the university, was a student fellow for the Hammond Institute for Free Enterprise, and traveled to places like Georgia, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Vermont to expand his understanding of political science, philosophy, and economics.
Lisa Jacob
Lisa works with students in the College of Arts and Humanities in the following programs: Art and Design-Digital Art, Digital Photography, Graphic Design, Web and User Experience, Fashion Design and Technology, Fashion Business and Entrepreneurship, Game Design; Communications-Broadcast, Journalism, Media Arts and Production, Media Management and Sales, and Performing Arts-Dance, Music, and Theatre.
She meets with prospective students, gives tours, enrolls students their first semester and advises them through their sophomore year, working closely with faculty, and department heads in the College of Arts and Humanities. She also assists students with accessing resources, tracking their progress, and understanding program planning guides, curriculum maps, and four-year plans.
Lisa has over 14 years of experience working in higher education. She started as an administrative assistant at a satellite campus for Central Methodist University then worked as a financial aid specialist and registration assistant at a community college, East Central College-Union, MO. She began her career at Lindenwood University five years ago, originally hired as an administrative assistant and has been advising students for the past three years. Lisa is a member of NACADA and MACADA, professional advising organizations and has served on several committees at Lindenwood University. Lisa has a BA in Speech & Dramatic Art from the University of Missouri-Columbia and an AAS in Business Technology from East Central College. She is currently working toward an MA in Higher Education Administration at Lindenwood University.
- Contact Info
- Personality Type: Myers Briggs-ENFJ
- Color Code: Blue
- Enneagram: 6 with a 5 wing
Jennifer Lyons
Jennifer is a student advisor for the Plaster College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Jennifer’s 18 years of experience in advertising sales and account management provide a foundation for advising her students and her strong customer services skills align with the Q2 culture of service excellence at Lindenwood. In addition to her experience in advertising, she most recently served as an Administrative Specialist in the SASS office. Jennifer earned her BA in English from the University of Missouri - St. Louis and is pursuing her MA in Counseling at Lindenwood.
Benita Phillips Lester
Benita Phillips Lester has over 20 years of experience working in higher education. She has worked in the areas of academic advising, financial aid, recruitment & retention programming, and teaching in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and western United States. Benita was a first generation college student and has a passion for helping traditional-aged and adult students reach their educational goals. Benita has a BS in Engineering Management from Missouri University of Science and Technology, an MBA from Fontbonne University and is currently pursuing her MA in Higher Education at Lindenwood.
