
Arian Katsimbras
Education Programs Professional
Hometown: Reno, NV
Arian Katsimbras
NDE Education Programs Professional
Hometown: Reno, NV
Bio: Arian arrives at the NDE and GEAR UP following almost a decade as an English Professor and community advocate. He served the English Departments at Virginia Tech, Truckee Meadows Community College, and the University of Nevada, Reno. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a Master of Fine Arts from Virginia Tech. He was born and raised in Reno, and is the author of the book The Wonder Years (Texas A&M University Press, 2023). He lives in Reno with his son, Aristos, and proudly evangelizes for the underserved youth and communities of this beautiful state. He desperately likes bees and books – those very things responsible for keeping the world in equilibrium.
Favorite Quote: “Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, we all dance to an invisible tune, intoned in the distance by a mysterious piper.”
Vacant
Education Programs Professional
Hometown:
Javier Smith
Vacant
Education Programs Professional
Hometown:
Bio:
Favorite Quote: “” –
Vacant
GEAR UP Administrative Assistant
Hometown:
GEAR UP Program Officer
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Renée Davis
NSHE Assistant Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs/Director of Student Affairs
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
Hometown: Towaco, NJ
Janet Stake
Janet Stake
NSHE GEAR UP Director of Programming and Outreach
Hometown: Towaco, NJ
Bio: Janet has seventeen years of 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 working fulltime 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 enjoys spending time with her husband and two grown children. In her spare time, she likes painting, photography, spending time with friends and family, and Zumba.
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
GEAR UP College Coordinator
Hometown: Anchorage, AK
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

Arlene Herrera
GEAR UP Research Administrator
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Arlene Herrera
GEAR UP Research Administrator
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
BIO: Arlene is the GEAR UP Research Administrator at Nevada System for Higher Education. Arlene comes to us with a background in non-profit grant management. She strongly believes in the power of data driven decisions and being a resource of information. Nearly a life-long Nevada resident and a graduate of UNR. Arlene loves to explore Nevada gems, taking long walks, and traveling as much as possible.
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Kacie Harer
GEAR UP Communications Specialist
Hometown: Fernley, NV
Kacie Harer
Kacie Harer
GEAR UP Communications Specialist
Hometown: Fernley, NV
BIO: Kacie has lived in Nevada nearly her whole life. She is a Public Health major at UNR, and she is looking to pursue a career within the medical field. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and dog. She also enjoys exploring all the views the Reno-Tahoe area has to offer!
Favorite Quote: “Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up” – Batman