Attaining Higher Education

Beth E. Morgan

Director of Higher Education Transition and Partnerships

Columbia University

Born in Quantico, Virginia, Beth grew up in a Marine Corps family and was raised around the world, living for periods of time in Hawaii, Germany, and Korea. Professionally, Beth has worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, for several non-profits, as a consultant, and on staff at major universities throughout the United States, including Colgate University, Princeton University, and the University of Southern California. Prior to joining the Center for Veteran Transition and Integration at Columbia University, Beth worked most recently with the non-profit Service to School as Executive Director and previously directed the Marine Corps Leadership Scholar Program (LSP), both of which assisted transitioning service members and veterans with admission to undergraduate and graduate programs. Beth has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia and a Master of Arts degree from Stanford University.

R.J. Jenkins

Curriculum Designer

Columbia University

Before joining the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration as a Curriculum Designer in 2016, R.J. served as an Associate Dean of Students at Columbia University’s School of General Studies where he directed the Academic Resource Center and served as the lead instructor for University Studies, a transition course for first-year, non-traditional students. An award-winning teacher, R.J. has advised college students at Columbia, Cambridge, and Harvard Universities, and has taught courses in English and American literature, literary history, close reading, academic skill-building, and English for Speakers of Other Languages. R.J. holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and anthropology from Columbia University (2003), a Master of Letters in English literature from the University of Cambridge (2005), and is currently pursuing doctoral work in English literature.

Skip Bailey

Senior Advisor to the Director of Educational Financing

Columbia University

William ”Skip” Bailey has been a financial aid administrator for more than 34 years. He has been managing financial aid for non-traditional students at the School of General Studies (GS) for over 20 years. Previously he administered financial aid at multiple colleges including the University of San Diego and the University of Michigan. A degree in education from Michigan State University and lots of experience has provided Skip with the tools he uses every day to assist students at GS with the myriad issues involved with college financial aid.

Tanya Ang

Military-Connected Student Advocate

Columbia University

Tanya has supported the military-connected student community for more than 20 years. She has served as an advocate for student veterans at Veterans Education Success, at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and also served as the Director of Veterans Programs at the American Council on Education. Prior to joining ACE, Tanya worked at two universities including working as an Administrative Analyst for the Vice President of Student Affairs Office at California State University - Fullerton and as Associate Registrar at Vanguard University where most her work focused on the non-traditional student including military and student veterans. She was the certifying official at her institution for student veteran GI Bill benefits and worked hand-in-hand with the various offices on-campus to ensure students received the benefits and the support they needed to successfully navigate their academic career. In her current role, she works to ensure military-connected students have access to high-quality education to achieve their long-term career goals. Tanya is the first in her family to graduate from college and earned her BA in Communications at Biola University and an MA in Organizational Leadership at Vanguard University.

Dirk Vanderlaan

Recruiting Specialist

Columbia University

Before starting work as a technical recruiter in his native California, Dirk attended the Columbia University School of General Studies where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (2014). After serving in the United States Air Force (2005-2009) he moved to New York, and after completing his studies started his recruiting career as an Admissions Manager working with adult and military veteran students seeking completion of their Bachelor degrees at Columbia University. Upon moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2016, he spearheaded recruitment efforts for the School of General Studies in California before transitioning into a technical recruiting role in Silicon Valley where he has also remained active with organizations such as FourBlock and the Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.

Tiffany Decker

Senior Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs

Columbia University

Tiffany Decker leads Columbia’s School of General Studies graduate and professional school initiatives, and in collaboration with the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, develops new initiatives to support undergraduate research. She also facilitates curriculum development for GS's international dual- and joint-degree programs, helping build degree plans across a range of academic disciplines.

Prior to joining GS, Tiffany worked at MIT, where she focused on access for underrepresented students into STEM fields. In this role she was recognized by Harvard and Google for her pioneering research initiatives. A native Californian, Tiffany moved across the country to start her career as an English teacher with Teach for America in Paterson, New Jersey. In this role, she was named a District Model Teacher. A first-generation college student hailing from long line of service members, Tiffany’s scholarship focuses on student access to tertiary and graduate education. She holds a B.A. in English and history from Agnes Scott College and an M.S.Ed. in higher education administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

Nick Utzig

Ph.D. Student

Columbia University

Nick Utzig is a PhD candidate in English at Harvard University, where he works as a teaching fellow and studies the influence of militarism in the plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Nick’s dissertation considers the ways in which the return from war is featured in English Renaissance drama.