Maxine Alex
Maxine Alex
GEAR UP Director
Hometown: Winslow, Arizona
Bio: Ya’a’tah or greetings in Diné. I currently reside on my husband’s family homestead on the Walker River Indian Reservation in Schurz, Nevada where we planted and are experimenting with several varieties of grapes. It is quite a change from my home in Olympia, Washington! I recently completed a Master’s in Education from the Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP) in Secondary History and Social Sciences. My undergraduate degree, also from Stanford, is in Sociology-Social Psychology with a Minor in Education. Prior to graduate school, I worked for Federal Way Public Schools, south of Seattle, as a grant manager, Equity Office team member and provided direct services to students and families in the Indian Education Program. As a First-Generation Low-Income student, I believe in the power of education to transform lives and communities. I am passionate about College Readiness and GEAR UP is a perfect fit. Aside from work, I design clothing and upcycling thrift store clothing finds. I regularly work out and periodically train for sprint triathlons primarily to stay in shape for competitive Powwow dancing across the United State and Canada. I am the official ATM and chauffer to my 17-year-old son who plays lacrosse for a Bay Area Club and Iroquois Nationals U-17 International teams. I also enjoy cooking and baking. Fear the Tree & Go Seahawks!!
Favorite Quote: “Don’t let schooling interfere with your education.”-Mark Twain
Javier Smith
GEAR UP Assistant Director
Email: javier.smith@doe.nv.gov
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Javier Smith
Javier Smith
GEAR UP Assistant Director
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Bio: Javier has been working in student support services and higher education for nearly ten years, and he’s excited to apply his experience with college and career readiness to the GEAR UP program. Prior to moving to Nevada, Javier worked with the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona mentoring students and delivering experiential learning programming. During this time, he and his wife, CG, returned to school and Javier completed his Master of Organizational Leadership with an emphasis in Project Management.
Outside of work, Javier and CG can be spotted at Asian and Italian restaurants, enjoying the scenery of the Southwest, and attending live shows and concerts (thanks, Las Vegas!).
Favorite Quote: “You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” – Mark Twain
Megan Zich
Megan Zich
GEAR UP State Program Officer
Hometown: Carson City, NV
Bio: Megan, as a first-gen. college graduate and Army veteran, understands the importance of a college education and career exploration. Planning for your future is key. Benjamin Franklin once said, “By Failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
She began her work with Nevada GEAR UP team in October of 2018. She spends many of her days researching, developing, and recommending long term plans to enhance and maximize GEAR UP services provided to students. In addition, Ms. Zich leads the collaboration with Student Success Agency, a statewide mentoring program that is offered to all Nevada GEAR UP students. Megan has become an asset to the GEAR UP team, at the Department of Education, as they work vigorously to plan and implement the GEAR UP Grant.
Favorite Quote: “There is a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day.” – Walt Disney
Sarah Russell
Sarah Russell
GEAR UP Internal Evaluator
Hometown: Fort Bragg, CA
Bio: Sarah has devoted her career to working for equity in education. She has worked primarily at Title I schools in Northern Nevada, including Hug High School, Innovations High School, and Pyramid Lake Jr./Sr. High School. She also worked as an Administrator at Douglas High School, where she oversaw CTE, Special Education, and World Languages. Sarah began her career where she grew up on the Mendocino Coast of Northern California after earning her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Literature from UC Santa Cruz. She has since earned a Master’s Degree in Education Leadership from National Univesity. Sarah has worked as an English Teacher, an ESL teacher (for which she became a Nationally Board Certified Teacher), a Dean of Students, an Implementation Specialist, an Assistant Principal, and a Principal.
Sarah moved with her husband, son (now 18), and daughter (now 20) to the Reno area 17 years ago. They enjoy hiking and backpacking. Sarah loves baking (especially bread) and reading.
Favorite Quote: “Excellence in education need not mean elitism, and equity need not mean mediocrity.” –Mary Jean Letendre
Clare Cerda
Clare Cerda
GEAR UP Research Administrator
Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, California
Bio: Clare joined the Nevada GEAR UP program after working 2 ½ years with the Nevada Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. Prior to her state service she worked in the construction industry as a project administrator. Clare was born and raised in Nevada and spent all her younger years in the Nevada school systems. She comes to GEAR UP with a wide variety of administrative experience. In her free time, she runs a business as a wedding photographer and enjoys being in the outdoors with her 6-year-old Pitbull named Dutchess.
Favorite Quote: “If you don’t ask the answer is always no.”
Renée Davis
NSHE Assistant Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs/Director of Student Affairs
Email: rdavis@nshe.nevada.edu
Hometown: Minden, NV
Renee Davis
Renée Davis
NSHE Assistant Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs/Director of Student Affairs
Hometown: Minden, NV
Bio: Renée Davis is the Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director of Student Affairs for the Nevada System of Higher Education, where her duties include serving in a variety of leadership roles pertaining to both academic and student affairs, including administration of state-funded financial aid programs and liaising with the financial aid directors and registrars at the seven NSHE campuses. Renée started with NSHE in the financial aid office in 1999 at Truckee Meadows Community College, where she served in a variety of roles. Renée earned both a bachelors degree (majoring in English and history with a minor in historic preservation) and a master’s degree (Educational Leadership) from the University of Nevada, Reno. Renee loves hiking in the Sierra Nevada, cycling indoors and outdoors, quilting, playing cards and word games, cuddling with her cats and reading.
Favorite Quote: “We can’t float through life. We can’t be incidental or accidental. We must fix our gaze on a guiding star as soon as one comes upon the horizon, and once we have attached ourselves to that star we must keep our eyes on it and our hands upon the plow. It is the consistency of the pursuit of the highest possible vision that you can find in front of you that gives you the constancy, that gives you the encouragement, that gives you the way to understand where you are and why it’s important for you to do what you can do.” -Ossie Davis
Janet Stake
NSHE GEAR UP Director of Programming and Outreach
Email: jstake@nshe.nevada.edu
Hometown: Towaco, NJ
Janet Stake
Janet Stake
NSHE GEAR UP Director of Programming and Outreach
Hometown: Towaco, NJ
Bio: Janet has thirteen years’ experience in higher education. She started at UNR as the Curriculum Coordinator and then moved to NSHE as the Academic and Student Affairs Officer. One of her responsibilities in that role was as the NSHE PI/Project Director for Nevada State GEAR UP Grant from 2015 – 2018. Janet is excited to be back with Nevada GEAR UP as the Director, NSHE GEAR UP Programming and Outreach. Janet has a master’s degree in counseling and educational psychology/instructional design. She and her husband live in Sparks, NV. She has two grown children that now live in Minneapolis, MN. In her spare time, she likes painting, photography and traveling to Minnesota.
Janet is looking forward to working with the GEAR UP team and helping Nevada’s GEAR UP students to Dream ~ Believe ~ Achieve.
Favorite Quote: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” -Eleanor Roosevelt
Jana Burd
Jana Burd
GEAR UP College Coordinator
Hometown: Anchorage, AK
Bio: With strong family roots in Louisiana, Jana grew up in the west, having lived in Alaska, Nevada, California, and Arizona. Jana graduated with her Bachelors of Arts from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) and her Masters of Education from Northern Arizona University (NAU), where much of her studies focused around language, culture, and inclusion. Jana’s engagement with equity and access began while in high school as a University of Nevada, Las Vegas Upward Bound Math Science (UBMS) Program participant, and continued as she worked with the UBMS programs at UNR and NAU. In her free time, Jana enjoys watching movies & TV shows, catching up with friends & family, and being active in her favorite service organization.
Favorite Quote: “When you’ve worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you.” ― Michelle Obama
Amanda Annan
GEAR UP Research Administrator
Email: aannan@nshe.nevada.edu
Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, California
Amanda Annan
Amanda Annan
GEAR UP Research Administrator
Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, California
Bio: Amanda joined NSHE in August 2020 as the Research Administrator for the GEAR UP program. Prior to this NSHE role, she was a full-time student in the Executive Master of Health Care Administration program at University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and worked as a Research Graduate Assistant/Program Evaluator for UNLV School of Medicine, Department of Surgery. She has held positions such as Director of Program Administration, Evaluation and Outcomes for the Mountain West Clinical Translational Research – Infrastructure Network at UNLV, Program Manager of the Urban Health Institute and Senior Evaluation Specialist at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) in California, as well as Administrative Specialist at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in California.
Amanda has extensive experience working in administration for academic health systems and higher education. This includes managing NIH grants totaling $20 million. Additionally, she has almost 10 years of experience evaluating grant funded programs.
Amanda holds an advanced certificate in Health Care Management and Leadership from UCLA and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Loma Linda University in California. She is also a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES).
