Leadership

Alexis Travis | Assistant Vice President/Assistant Provost of Health and Wellbeing

Dr. Alexis Travis oversees the University Health and Wellbeing (UHW) Division, which aims to support a university community with health and wellbeing equitably woven throughout all aspects of Spartan life, enhancing accessibility and safety through a culturally sensitive and holistic lens.

Before joining Michigan State, Alexis served as senior deputy director for the public health administration with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. She was Chief of Community Health in Worcester, Massachusetts, the second largest city in New England, in the role she oversaw the academic health collaborative of Worcester including UMass Medical School.

Travis received her doctorate in public health from Walden University and her master’s degree in pharmacy with honors from the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom. In 2021, she was recognized by the de Beaumont Foundation as a National 40 Under 40 in Public Health honoree. She was recently selected for and completed the Harvard Business School Women’s Leadership Forum.

When asked about her passion for her work during an MSU Today interview on WKAR 90.5, Travis said, “I am really excited about this huge, diverse community that UHW gets to serve.

There are many opportunities for us to make sure that health and wellbeing are integrated into all aspects of campus life, thinking about the diverse backgrounds people have and how we can listen and develop more programming and initiatives to meet those needs. My vision is to make sure that each Spartan has access to the resources, education, information, and services they need to be able to meet their full potential at MSU.” Read more about her interview with MSU Today at MSU Today with Russ White.

Jamie Lynn Kasicky | Executive Staff Assistant for Assistant Vice President/Assistant Provost

Prior to joining MSU, Jamie worked with University Tees in Cleveland, OH, for 8 years, where she served as Executive Assistant, providing professional and personal assistance to the co-owners and Chief Marketing Officer. She also managed seminar activities, assisted the Senior Leadership Team, and took ownership of all professional meetings for the UTees HQ, ensuring smooth proceedings and effective communication.

Additionally, Jamie oversaw office management tasks such as budget management, office supplies, communication liaison, contract submission and coordination, and management of meeting rooms and rentals. She played a crucial role in implementing COVID-19 safety protocols and extended her assistance to other business entities owned by the company's founders, including MasterPlan Coaching and The ISI Life® non-profit organization, where she organized numerous retreats and events. Jamie's dedication and expertise were instrumental in maintaining efficient operations and fostering a positive work environment at University Tees.

In 2018, Jamie completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with specializations in Sound Bathing, Nidra, and Reiki. Jamie has since led transformative yoga retreats both domestically and internationally.

Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Jamie received her Bachelor of Science in Education with a focus on Sport and Event Management from Bowling Green State University. There she was a member of the German Club, an officer for the Sport Management Alliance, a member of the Alpha Phi Sorority along with swimming for the club team and playing outfield for the softball team.

In her free time, you can catch Jamie on a softball field, doing yoga, swimming laps, at a range, tearing up dirt or cruising the pavement on her motorcycle! The thrill of spending her time outdoors whether it is fishing, hiking, kayaking, camping or exploring the unknown with her husband, Anthony, and their best gal pal, Meelah (a rescued BullAussie), is what brings her the most joy!

Nic Ryan | Chief of Staff

Nic Ryan serves as Chief of Staff, overseeing finance, human resources, facilities, medical scheduling, billing, quality control, and compliance to contribute to the implementation of UHW's strategic plan priorities and program management.

Nic possesses a wealth of expertise in higher education, operational management, overseeing budgets amounting to millions of dollars, and leading and supervising teams to ensure seamless operations. Prior to joining UHW, Nic served as the Facility Manager in MSU's Residence Education and Housing Services, overseeing residential housing operations.

Prior to joining MSU, Nic worked in Collegiate Athletics for over ten years, most recently as the Assistant Athletic Director for University of Pittsburgh. Here, Nic oversaw the coordination and management of $4.5 million in capital projects, including soccer, baseball, softball turf replacement, a new softball indoor facility, safety netting, and the color/brand change. Nic supported a facilities addition to the Peterson Sports Complex and assisted with the initial planning of the new "Victory Heights Arena & Sports Performance Center". Notably, Nic was appointed to key athletics' COVID task forces for athletics operations resumption and the first ever athletics Culture Committee.

Prior to Pittsburgh, Nic worked for UNC-Charlotte, College of the Holy Cross, University of Detroit Mercy, and was a graduate assistant for MSU Athletics.

Originally from Carson City, MI, Nic received his Bachelors and Masters degree at MSU. It is also where he met his wife; they now reside in Mason. They are avid sports fans and have season tickets for MSU football. In the summer, you can catch them on a local golf course.

Tim Spedoske | University Health and Wellbeing Medical Director

Tim has been with Campus Health Services since 2016 and recently earned the position of Medical Director in 2023. He received a Bachelor of Science from Alma College. He then went on to receive his MD at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Tim completed his residency at Sparrow Hospital and was certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.

In his time with MSU Campus Health Services, Tim has focused on Primary Care and Mental Health to support our Spartan community. As Medical Director, Tim is in charge of running our health-care facility, implementing regulations, and keeping the division updated on medical trends. He is committed to providing high quality patient care and ease of access to medical resources for the Spartan community.

Tim grew up in Lansing, Michigan and now lives in Mason. He enjoys table tennis and musical theater (enjoying, not performing).

Kristin Traskie | Executive Director of Health Promotion, Engagement, Accessibility, and Accommodation

Kristin Traskie serves as the Executive Director of Health Promotion, Engagement, Accessibility, and Accommodations. Kristin leads the development and implementation of proactive systems level health promotion initiatives, fostering meaningful engagements and ensuring accessibility for MSU students, faculty, and staff. She has a Bachelor of Science from Oakland University, and a master’s degree in public health from Old Dominion University. With a career spanning over a decade, Kristin has amassed extensive experience in developing and implementing programs, policies, and systems that support individuals and contribute to organizational success.

Prior roles at MSU include Interim Associate Director of Health Promotion, Director of Education and Training for the National Social Norms Center, and Community Health Associate. Throughout her career, Kristin has been committed to creating inclusive and equitable health promotion programs that reach diverse populations. Her previous roles in higher education, healthcare, and the military demonstrate her success in developing and implementing campaigns prioritizing accessibility and meeting the needs of diverse populations.

Kristin's accomplishments have been recognized with numerous awards, including the American College Health Foundation College Wellbeing Award in 2023, the Inaugural American College of Sports Medicine Certified Professional of the Year in 2021, and the American College Health Association Best Practices in Health Promotion Award in 2020. Kristin's leadership also propelled the MSU Exercise is Medicine® Initiative to gold-level recognition for nine consecutive years.

Elizabeth King | Quality and Compliance Coordinator

Elizabeth has been in this position since 2010. She received a Bachelor of Arts from James Madison College at Michigan State University and went on to receive her master’s degree of Public Administration with an emphasis in Public Management from Grand Valley State University.

Elizabeth is passionate about creating and implementing policies that not only seek to solve identified problems, but also address systems/environmental changes that contribute to improved health outcomes for MSU faculty, staff, students, visitors, and the broader community.

Elizabeth grew up in Fowler, Michigan, and currently lives in Okemos, Michigan. She loves spending time with her husband and daughter, traveling, reading, enjoying all types of food, and watching all kinds of sporting events.

Courtney Placinta | Sr. Director of Communications and Marketing

Courtney received a Bachelor of Business from Michigan State University and a master's degree in public health/human nutrition from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining MSU in 2024, Courtney worked for Kellogg Company and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, where she gained over 20 years of experience project management and promoting and protecting organizational reputation in roles such as Nutrition Marketing, Consumer Affairs, and Corporate Responsibility.

Tana Fedewa | Executive Director of Center for Survivors

Tana received a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and Women and Gender Studies from Grand Valley State University. She then went on to receive her Masters of Social Work degree from Michigan State University.

Tana is passionate about ending gender based violence, trauma informed services and survivor-centered services, vicarious trauma, intersectionality, health equity, animal assisted interventions, and title IX.

Tana has been appointed to the MSU Expert Advisory Workgroup on Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct since 2018.

Swapna Hingwe | Director of MSU Counseling and Psychiatric Services

Dr. Swapna Hingwe is a graduate of MSU College of Medicine, completed her psychiatry residency training at MSU, earned a master’s degree in counseling psychology from MSU, and is a proud MSU Honors College alum.  

Dr. Hingwe’s work centers around mental health equity for historically marginalized student populations on campus, integrative and intersectional psychiatry, and eating disorders. She specializes in working with students of color, international students, and LGBTQIA+ students. Hingwe is the author of a book chapter entitled: Mental Health Considerations for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color: Trends, Barriers, and Recommendations for Collegiate Mental Health. She also serves as a campus coach for the Equity in Mental Health on Campus initiative supported by the Steve Fund, a non-profit national organization committed to improving the mental health and wellbeing of students of color.   

Since joining Michigan State University’s WorkLife Office in 2018, Jaimie has advanced to become the Associate Director of Engagement under University Health and Wellbeing as of May 2024. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Michigan State University, a Master’s degree in Community Counseling from the University of Northern Colorado, and a Post Master’s Certificate in School Counseling from Eastern Michigan University and is a licensed professional counselor. Previously, Jaimie worked directly with students for seven years at MSU as well as a number of government and nonprofit roles over her career.

A Lansing, Michigan native, Jaimie is passionate about health and wellbeing, values-based leadership, community engagement, DEI, psychological safety, and food security. She was nominated for the United Way of South Central Michigan’s Volunteer of the Year Award in 2024 for her extensive community work, having contributed over 10,000 volunteer hours. Jaimie enjoys traveling, kayaking, and spending time in nature with family and friends.

In her current role, she leads the Engagement Team, which manages outreach, invited presentations, and a health and wellbeing liaison model for scaling health and wellbeing initiatives across MSU. Additionally, she oversees the MSU Student Food Bank and the project planning for a satellite self-shop food pantry. Jaimie is also a dedicated advocate for routine health appointments, preventative care, and cancer patient support and advocacy.

Jaimie Hutchison | Associate Director of Engagement for Health Promotion, Engagement, Accessibility, and Accommodations

Jonathon Novello | Director of the Employee Assistance Program and Interim Executive Director of Mental Health and Trauma Support Services

Jonathon has been with MSU since 2004. He received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Michigan State University. He then went on to receive a Master’s of Social Work from the University of Michigan.

Jonathon is passionate about mental health treatment, anxiety treatment, couples counseling, adolescent mental health, the power of short-term counseling services, the psychology of leadership, and data-driven health promotion programming.

Jonathon grew up in Haslett, Michigan and lives in East Lansing. He enjoys listening, playing and obsessing over music, movies, reading, doing creative things with his hands, being outdoors, and hanging with his family. Jonathon also watches soccer, and supports Arsenal (sorry, Dr. Travis). Fun fact: Jonathan was an extra in Batman v Superman, but you can only see a fuzzy silhouette of him in the background behind Ben Affleck's large head.

Julia Popenoe | Assistant Medical Director, Campus Health Services

Dr. Julia Popenoe began working at Olin Health Center in 2007 and became Assistant Medical Director of Campus Health SErvices in 2024. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin College and an MD from Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Popenoe completed her pediatric internship and residency at Boston Children’s Hospital. As Assistant Medical Director, she is focused on meeting the needs of diverse patients in a welcoming, personal, and thorough manner; supporting the needs of the clinical staff so that every member can provide excellent care; and keeping up to date with best practices in medical care and administration.

Before coming to MSU, Dr. Popenoe worked at Cornell University Student Health Services in Ithaca, NY for ten years, where she was the co-founder of The Cornell Healthy Eating Program (CHEP). Prior to that she was the medical co-director of the Maternal and Child Health Clinic at Waltham Hospital in Waltham MA.

Dr. Popenoe is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and a member of the American College Health Association, and the Academy for Eating Disorders. Her professional interests include adolescent and young adult medicine, eating disorders, and comprehensive, up-to-date, and evidence-based primary care medicine.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, knitting, playing pickleball, and spending time with family and friends. Despite growing up in Princeton, New Jersey, she is a loyal Spartan who now bleeds green!

Allen Sheffield | Director of The Resource Center of Persons with Disabilities (RCPD)

Allen Sheffield serves as the Director of The Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities.

In this role, Allen sets the strategic direction for RCPD and engage the campus community in creating, strengthening, and maintaining a culture of access, holistic wellbeing, and belonging that supports disabled students, faculty, and staff.

Allen brings over 15 years of experience working in the field of disability services in higher education across multiple institutions. Over the course of his career, he has served diverse student populations, managed disability service departments, and progressively taken on increased professional responsibilities, earning recognition in the field. From 2020-2023, Allen served on the Board of Directors for the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), further contributing to the advancement of disability services in higher education, including working to draft the AHEAD Statement of Language, which moved the field to a disability-centered identity-first model.

Allen joins MSU from Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services at The University of Michigan, where he has been Associate Director since September 2021. In this role, he provided leadership and management of Services for Students with Disabilities and Testing Accommodation Center, overseeing 24 full-time professional employees. Upon joining SAAS, he established a Testing Accommodations Center that supports accommodated testing for the entire campus community, facilitating over 12,000 exams in the recent academic year. He also oversaw an overhaul of disability accommodations for students and spearheaded the transition to a new data management platform.

Prior to joining UM, Allen was Director of the Office of Disability Services at Rutgers University-Newark. He successfully expanded from the team from two individuals to four, secured funding for a position dedicated to psychoeducational testing for students, led a multi-department “stop the stigma” initiative, and served as the campus expert on disability compliance issues.

The child of two teachers from Dayton, Ohio, Allen believes that education can be a great equalizer and change agent, but only when it is accessible to all. Allen is committed to providing access and inclusion for individuals with mental, physical, and/or medical conditions with an identify-first and intersectional lens. Allen’s work is driven by his passion and commitment to removing systematic barriers to access, beginning within a disability service office. He has a proven record in proactive action, establishing relationships with campus partners, building strong teams, and creating opportunities for them to thrive, and is committed to outreach, consultation, and education to ensure an accessible and inclusive university community.

As a person who identifies as Deaf (Hard of Hearing; fluent in American Sign Language), neurodivergent, and disabled, Allen’s journey greatly influences his commitment to access and inclusion. He received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Wright State University in Ohio and a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.

Anne Thompson | Associate Director of Health Promotion

Anne (Annie) Thompson serves as the Associate Director of Health Promotion.

Annie has over 12 years of experience working as a health promotion professional in higher education leading programs and services focused on food and nutrition. As a registered dietitian nutritionist with expertise in eating disorder treatment, sports nutrition, eating competence, food insecurity, and health communication, her extensive work at MSU has involved designing, implementing, and evaluating data-driven health communication campaigns; providing individual nutrition counseling; collaborating with campus and community partners; managing grant-funded research; advising student organizations; developing and teaching academic courses; and serving as a supervisor and mentor to both health professionals and college students.

Annie received her Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics with Specialization in Health Promotion, and Master of Arts degree in Health and Risk Communication from MSU. She received specialized training while working at a residential treatment center for eating disorders and at a K-12 school division as a public health administrator before establishing her career in higher education.

Prior to taking her position at MSU in 2014, she worked at Brown University as a clinical and sports dietitian and health promotion specialist. She is currently a volunteer faculty member at the internationally recognized Ellyn Satter Institute and works to educate health organizations and professionals world-wide on best practices in feeding and eating behavior to support positive health outcomes across the lifespan.