NOSS Southwest President

Dr. Patrick TURNER has over 25 years of working in higher education, specializing in the areas of academic affairs, student support services, faculty development, and student retention. Dr. Turner has worked at such institutions as Georgia State University, University of Montana, Helena College, and currently New Mexico State University (NMSU) with partnerships at Kentucky State University, Spelman College, and Morehouse College.  Currently, Patrick serves as the Associate Provost of Student Success (APSS) and Project Coordinator for the Men of Color Initiative in the Office of the Provost at NMSU. He holds a bachelor in Public Administration, a master’s degree in Human Resource Development, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership-Curriculum and Instruction. As the Associate Provost for Student Success, he is responsible and accountable for planning, coordination, and development of activities that contribute to student persistence, retention, academic and professional success, and completion. That entails fostering collaborative relationships with faculty, staff, administrators, and the community in both curricular and co-curricular ways. Dr. Turner serves on the Provost Council of African American Affairs, Western Land-grant Cluster for Association of Public Land Grant University (APLU), editorial board member for the Journal of Postsecondary Student Success (JPSS) at Florida State University, and was recently elected as the President of the National Organization of Student Success-Southwest chapter (NOSS). With a research focus on the first-year experience, student retention, persistence and educational equity, his body of work investigate those elements that either support or impede student academic and social integration. In the article, “Welcoming Ain‟t Belonging: A Case Study that Explores How Two-year Predominantly White Colleges Can Foster an Environmental Validation and Mattering for Men of Color”, Dr. Turner explores the factors that foster an atmosphere of belonging for men of color (MOC) attending a 2-year Predominantly White Institution. His current research explores the implications the three crises (i.e. pandemic, social unrest, and polarizing political environment) had on the student experience. 

Allison joined Fulfillment Fund Las Vegas in November 2021 as a Post-Secondary Success Advisor. Prior to joining Fulfillment Fund Las Vegas, Allison served as the Bridge Programs Specialist for the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV). She increased program accessibility by trailblazing a new virtual format for bridge programming and supported first-generation students through the high school to college transition.

In her role as a Post-Secondary Success Advisor, Allison supports FFLV Scholars through their third to last year of college. As a first-generation college student, Allison is driven by a passion to increase equity in and access to higher education, while honoring the individual identities, stories, and dreams of her students.

Allison is currently a graduate student at UNLV in the Master of Education-Higher Education program with an emphasis in Student Affairs. Her research interests and passion areas include first-generation students, faculty diversity, and education law and policy. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Distributed Mathematics and Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Physiology) with a minor in Honors from the University of Wyoming in 2017.

Outside of her work in education, Allison enjoys traveling, baking, coaching color guard for local high schools, and spending time with her partner Michael and their two pups, Bailey and Dakota.

Dr. Lindsey N. Gerber is an Associate Professor as well as the Assistant Chair of the Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning Department at Utah Valley University.  She graduated with her Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from Texas State University, where she focused on teaching students placed into Developmental Mathematics courses.  As a graduate student at Texas State University, she helped develop co-requisite mathematics courses for the FOCUS program. 

In her current position at UVU, she has concentrated on teaching co-requisite general education mathematics courses.  In addition, Dr. Gerber has not only served her university, but she has served at the professional level.  In 2018, she was President-Elect for SWADE, and served as President the following year.  Prior to becoming President-Elect, Dr. Gerber served as the Marketing Advisor to help increase SWADE membership.  She is currently the Secretary for NOSS-SW.