Staff

Carla O’Connor, Ph.D

Director

Carla is responsible for the development, implementation and ongoing improvement of the Wolverine Pathways initiative. Her team works with targeted school communities to provide enrichment and exposures that aim to increase the likelihood that promising young people apply, attend and graduate from the University of Michigan.

Davee Hunter

Interim Assistant Director, Administrative Specialist and Community Liaison

Davee is directly responsible for managing the coordination, direction, and policy development in areas of administration, finance, facility operations, human resources, support services and supporting Wolverine Pathways families with parent engagement initiatives. She manages the administrative team and supports the program director in planning and pacing of high-level special projects and the assistant director and senior program manager in streamlining initiatives administratively throughout the department, and is also a member of Wolverine Pathways executive team. She enjoys Wolverine Pathways because the team works diligently on programming, and uses an integrated approach to foster student success; and it is enlightening to see everything come to fruition and to make a difference in the lives of our scholars and families.

Lara Du headshot

Lara Du, Ph.D

Senior Program Manager

Lara is responsible for the math curriculum at WP as well as planning and overseeing certain administrative tasks. She holds a bachelor’s degree in math from University College London and a Ph.D. in math, specializing in Number Theory, from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining Wolverine Pathways, Lara designed math curriculum, taught at various levels and ran math outreach. She believes strongly that math is for everyone and that it’s best learned through active exploration. Lara is passionate about helping students from underserved communities find infinite joy in math because of both her own lived experiences and the amazing students she’s worked with.

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Tyra High

Data Manager

Tyra is responsible for supporting the Wolverine Pathways and ODEI Evaluation and Assessment teams in capturing, organizing and storing student and parent information. She has worked to develop effective information systems for educational institutions and non profit organizations since 2013. Tyra is passionate about increasing information system efficiency to increase accessibility for underrepresented communities. Tyra enjoys hiking, exploring cultures through food, and enjoying her hometown Detroit.

Headshot for Brenda Vasconcelos-Ramirez

Brenda Vasconcelos-Ramirez

Assistant Program Manager for Strategic Initiatives

Brenda is responsible for Wolverine Pathways’ remote programming outside of Southeast Michigan and is a success coach to scholars in the program. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Studies and Latino Studies from the University of Michigan. Brenda is passionate about supporting underrepresented communities through mentorship and resource sharing to increase generational wealth and knowledge in those communities. She enjoys knitting, Studio Ghibli films, and the great outdoors in her spare time.

Headshot of Adriana Garcia

Adriana Garcia

Program Coordinator and Success Coach

Adriana Garcia serves as a program coordinator and success coach at Wolverine Pathways. She was born and raised in Southwest Detroit and graduated with her Bachelors in social work from Eastern Michigan University. Her passions include providing access to college success for youth and implementation of equity and inclusion in underrepresented and marginalized communities. Prior to working at Wolverine Pathways, she was a college access and success coach at a nonprofit organization in Southwest Detroit working hands on with youth to achieve their views on success and generational growth. In her free time, she loves to bake and enjoys experiencing new foods. She also appreciates bird watching and fishing!