BullsEye Mentoring Program

Our Staff

  • Jonathan E. Gaines, Ph.D.

    Creator and Program Director


    Education

    B.S.: Applied Physics from Morehouse College (Dual Degree)

    B.S.: Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech (Dual Degree)

    Ph.D.: Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech

    Jonathan became a faculty member in USF’s Mechanical Engineering Department in August of 2012.

    Research, Teaching, & Service

    Jonathan E. Gaines is an Instructor II in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Florida. His professional mission is to educate and lead initiatives of high impact for undergraduate students and middle school youth in the Tampa Bay community. Jonathan teaches approximately 500 students per year and is a member of the USF Faculty Fellows program that seeks opportunities for student engagement outside of the classroom. His work with Tampa Bay youth stems from leadership in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. where he directs his chapter’s Men of Tomorrow Program. At USF, he primarily works to bridge the gap between USF and its surrounding community.

    Jonathan’s research interests focus on engineering identity development with special populations of underserved students. These populations currently include underrepresented minorities, undergraduate engineering students, and student veterans. In addition, he has research and teaching expertise in data acquisition, engineering design, remote sensing, and robotics. He directs his personal and professional life through one of his favorite quotes by Frederick Douglass “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men [or women]” which invokes a spirit of proactive community outreach. As a result, he created the Bulls-EYE Mentoring program to help others identify important skills and build relationships that help them reach their full potential.

  • Eugenia Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, Ph.D.

    Program Assessment and Development

     

    Education 

    B.S.: Mathematics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa

    M.Ed.: Mathematics Education from the University of Georgia

    Ph.D.: Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Mathematics Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago

    Eugenia became a faculty member in USF's Teaching and Learning Department in August of 2009.

    Research, Teaching, & Service

    Eugenia Vomvoridi-Ivanović is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education at the department of Teaching and Learning at the University of South Florida. She is also the mathematics education program coordinator and master’s advisor. Eugenia is mathematically bi-literate (English and Greek) and has taught mathematics at the middle school, high school, and college level. She currently teaches mathematics education courses to undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students.

    Her research explores Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teacher Education (CRMTE), which she defines as teacher education that: a) is responsive to the needs and capitalizes on the funds of knowledge of culturally diverse mathematics (pre-service and in-service) teachers, and b) seeks to prepare culturally responsive mathematics teachers who will advance the education of students whose linguistic and cultural backgrounds have not traditionally been recognized as resources for mathematics learning. Her research focuses on both those who experience CRMTE and those who enact CRMTE.

  • Tonisha B. Lane, Ph.D.

    Program Assessment and Development


    Education

    B.S.: Psychology with a specialization in Bioethics, Humanities, and Society from Michigan State University

    M.A.: Student Affairs Administration with a specialization in Multicultural Education from Michigan State University

    Ph.D.: Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education with a concentration in Urban Education from Michigan State University

    Tonisha became a faculty member in USF's Leaders, Counseling, Adult, Career, and Higher Education (LCACHE) Department in August of 2015.

    Research, Teaching, & Service

    Dr. Lane’s research agenda broadly examines diversity, equity, and inclusion in postsecondary education with the objective of advancing inclusive and transformative policies and practices. Her primary research strand investigates the experiences and outcomes of underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Using qualitative methodologies, she has explored access and success for underserved students of color in STEM and STEM intervention programs. This line of research also seeks to understand the nuances and complexities of participation and persistence in these fields and develop new models for explaining such phenomena.

    Prior to becoming a faculty member, Dr. Lane served in a number of administrative roles and settings including residence life, multicultural engineering programs, TRIO programs, MSU’s Neighborhood Student Success Collaborative, Wayne County Community College District’s Educational Affairs and Distance Learning, and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education.