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Dr. Shauna Harris
Director

Dr. Shauna Harris has over 15 years of experience working in higher education and student affairs. Her professional experiences have included housing and residence life, women’s leadership initiatives, student leadership and engagement, advising, and student recruitment and retention. Her scholarly work has centered on identity development in biracial women, mid-management supervision, and student engagement on campus.

She has been committed to creating inclusive environments that foster a sense of belonging as well as working with various stakeholders to create systems, programs, and services centered on equity, efficiency, and engagement.

Before becoming the Director of the Carolina Women’s Center, Dr. Harris served as the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at the School of Education at Carolina. She graduated from Clemson with a B.A. in History. She received her M.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of South Carolina and her Ph.D. in Counseling and Student Personnel Services from the University of Georgia.

Shelley Gist Kennedy
Assistant Director

Shelley is a double Tar Heel, having earned both a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Public Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Her professional background has been centered around gender equity and violence prevention, with over ten years of experience in the higher education and nonprofit sectors. This includes work with Orange County Rape Crisis Center, Girls on the Run of the Triangle, and, most recently, UNC’s Violence Prevention and Advocacy Services. She currently holds an adjunct position in the Women’s and Gender Studies Department, where she teaches a course on violence prevention.

Having previously served as Program Coordinator at the Carolina Women’s Center from 2014-2019, she is excited to return to the CWC as Assistant Director!

Heather Bucurel
Program Coordinator

Heather Bucurel comes to the Carolina Women’s Center from the UNC School of Education, where she served as Program Support Specialist Supervisor. She has a BA in English & Comparative Literature with a Minor in Creative Writing from UNC-Chapel Hill and an MAT in ESL from Meredith College.

Prior to her work with UNC, Heather served with NC Literacy Corps to support adult and youth education and taught English in South Korea. She has also facilitated instruction and educational capacity building as a classroom teacher, program coordinator, and director of education.

Tammy Siler
Business Services Coordinator

Tammy is a dedicated professional and active community member residing in Alamance County, North Carolina. She has over thirty years of service at UNC-Chapel Hill, including previous roles with the School of Education and University Office of Diversity and Inclusion. We are thrilled to now have her expertise supporting the work of the CWC.

Beyond her professional role, Tammy is deeply committed to community service. She volunteers with various local arts and civic engagement organizations.

Phanisree Akshinthala
Conference Planning Intern

Phanisree Akshinthala is a senior from New Jersey double majoring in Mathematics and Information Sciences. She was placed with the Carolina Women’s Center as a DEI Fellow during the 2023-2024 academic year and has continued her work supporting gender equity efforts at Carolina. She is deeply passionate about the CWC’s mission and strives to foster a more inclusive and supportive community.

Amelia Coates
Programming Intern

Amelia Coates is a sophomore from Boston, MA currently pursuing a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Women’s and Gender Studies. She is the recipient of the Joseph E. and Grace Needham Pogue Scholarship, which honors students who work for the cause of greater diversity and understanding at UNC. After graduating, she hopes to earn her MPH with a concentration in Maternal, Family, and Child Health and become a Physician Assistant in Women’s Health.

Cecelia Nobles
Programming Intern

Cecelia Nobles is a senior from Raleigh pursuing a double major in Psychology and Women’s and Gender Studies and a minor in Conflict Management. After graduating, she plans to earn a Master of Social Work to become a therapist.

Olivia Santos
HOLD Capstone Intern

Olivia Santos is a senior from Charlotte, NC, pursuing a double major in Peace, War, and Defense and Human and Organizational Leadership Development and a minor in Spanish for Legal Professions. Along with her work at the CWC, Olivia researches domestic political violence at the Bridging Divides Initiative at Princeton University. After graduating, Olivia plans to attend law school and become an attorney.

Contact us anytime at cwc@unc.edu