Three new Austin College staff members join the Student Affairs Division this fall and, with their colleagues, will welcome new students to campus next week. Tim Millerick, vice president for Student Affairs, said he is pleased with the addition of these individuals and the talents and experiences they bring to their positions in Student Services, Student Life, and Athletics.
Teresa Moore joins the Student Affairs Division as director of counseling.
Moore comes to Austin College from Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas, where she served as director of counseling, career, and disability services from 2013 through spring 2020. She had been director of student leadership and activities at the university from 2000 through 2013. Before working at the university, she spent five years as director of the National Creative Arts Team for the North American Mission Board in Alpharetta, Georgia.
A Licensed Professional Counselor, Moore earned a master’s degree in counseling at Wayland Baptist University, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in religious education and theatre several years previously. She has numerous professional certificates and memberships, including Trauma Specialist and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Counselor.
“Teresa comes to us with much praise from those with whom she worked previously,” said Millerick. “I look forward to her leadership with our counseling program. She has valuable experience in a number of Student Affairs areas that will make the Austin College leadership team even richer.“
Amanda Handsbur joins the Student Life staff as director of student activities.
She earned a master’s degree in higher education from Texas State University and a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Texas Lutheran University. At Texas Lutheran, she earned a minor in theology and completed the college Honors Program.
For the past two years, Handsbur has served as a graduate assistant at Texas State University’s Dean of Students Office, working with its Leadership Institute. She also interned in the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs and Department of Housing and Residential Life, and facilitated student programs in diversity and identity. As an undergraduate, she served more than three years as a peer mentor at Texas Lutheran University, assisting the director of First Year and Campus Programs and facilitating TLU Orientation. She also served as director of KidVenture Houston summer camp for two summers.
Michael Deen, dean of students, expressed confidence in Handsbur’s potential. “I couldn’t be more pleased to have Amanda join the Student Life team,” Deen said. “Her experience, excitement, and personality are exactly what we need for this position going forward.”
Kelsey Warren joins the Athletics Department as assistant athletic trainer and instructor in Exercise and Sport Studies.
Warren comes to Austin College from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, where she served as a graduate assistant for the athletic training staff.
“We’re excited to welcome Kelsey into the Austin College family,” said David Norman, Austin College director of athletics. “She brings tremendous knowledge and experience and will be an outstanding asset to our Athletic Department and our student-athletes.”
Warren received her undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina Upstate in 2018, and her master’s in athletic training and nutrition from Weber State earlier this year. While at Weber State, Warren worked extensively with the football and track and field programs and assisted with several Weber State club sports teams. She also worked with a number of local high schools during her time at Weber State.
Warren has board certification in Athletic Training, and is certified by the American Red Cross as an Emergency Medical Responder. She has received Concussion in Sports Certification, as well as OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Training. Warren is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and more than 100 expert faculty members allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.