Office of the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts
Meet Our Team
Ashley Kistler, PhD
Dean of the College of Liberal Arts| Professor of Anthropology
Warren Admin Bldg 201B
BA, Muhlenberg College
MA, Florida State University
PhD, Florida State University
Dr. Ashley Kistler joined the Department of Anthropology and Latin American and Caribbean Studies program at Rollins in 2008. She is an ethnographer and linguist who has done fieldwork in Maya communities in Mexico and Guatemala for nearly two decades. At Rollins, Dr. Kistler teaches classes on the Maya, Latin American and Caribbean culture, linguistic anthropology, and the history and culture of Rollins. Dr. Kistler has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles on her research in Guatemala. Her first book, Maya Market Women (2014), considers how indigenous women in highland Guatemala transform their gendered status and enact local ideas of what family is through their involvement in market sales. Her second book, Faces of Resistance: Maya, Heroes, Power, and Identity, is an edited volume that explores how stories of heroic figures have served as narratives of resistance and markers of identity for indigenous communities in Mexico and Guatemala. Recently, Dr. Kistler has served as an expert witness in Guatemala in asylum cases in immigration courts across the country. She has been recognized for her teaching, research, and service with a Cornell Distinguished Faculty Award in 2013 and a Bornstein Award in 2019.
Paul D. Reich, PhD
Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts | Professor of English
Warren Admin Bldg 205
BA, Rollins College
MA, Purdue University
PhD, Purdue University
Paul D. Reich joined the Department of English in 2005 and regularly teaches in the American Studies, Asian Studies, and Film programs. His courses and scholarship often focus on the impact medium has on textual construction and response and its connection to the historical moment. In “American Identities: The Great Gatsby to Taylor Swift,” Dr. Reich and his students examined how a range of cultural artifacts—novels, films, music videos—worked to (de)construct identity during the United States’ most significant historical events. His Comparative Drama article on the interplay between Anton Chekhov’s 19th century play Uncle Vanya and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s 21st century film Drive My Car argues that the latter’s multinational performance of the former works to address pan-Asian conflict. And with the support of Rollins’ Student Faculty Collaborative Scholarship Grant, Dr. Reich and Emory O’Malley authored two essays on critically acclaimed television shows—Westworld, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Watchmen—and their engagement with racial history—past, present, and future.
Karla Knight
Faculty Data Manager
Warren Admin Bldg 104
T. 407.646.2287
Karla (she/her) has been a dedicated member to the College for over 25 years. She was awarded the Thaddeus Seymour Award for Community Engagement in 2013, the Wellbeing Champion Award in 2016, and the Helen A. Ward Crossley Distinguished Service Award in 2022.
Janette Smith
Coordinator of Academic Support
Warren Admin Bldg 206D
T. 407.646.2175
Janette Smith
BA, Rollins College
Janette has been working at the College for over 16 years, and a member of the Dean's Office since 2010. She graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Behavior.
Zach Mendez
Executive Assistant to the Office of the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts
Warren Admin Bldg 201A
T. 407.646.2280
B.A. 22' Rollins College
MHR, Master's in Human Resources, Hamiliton Holt School (in progress)
Zach (he/him) serves as the Executive Assistant to the Office of the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
Zach joined the Rollins community in 2018 and a has been a member of the Dean's Team since 2022. He graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Studies, with a concentration in Organzational Leadership and a minor in Social Entrepreneurship. He is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Human Resources. Within the Rollins commuity, Zach serves as the Co-Chair for one of the DEIB Staff Advisory Councils, Staff Co-Advisor for the Rollins Rotaract Club, Treasurer for Prism (LGBTQ+) Employee Resource Group, and the Vice President of the Rollins SHRM Student Chapter. When not at work, he enjoys traveling, cooking, nature walks, and exploring new foods.
Lauren Oxendine
Assistant Director of Academic Advising and Student Support
Kathleen W. Rollins Hall, 217
T. 407.646.2569
B.A. Rollins College
M.A. Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Hamilton Holt School (in progress)
Lauren (she/her) serves as the Assistant Director of Academic Advising and Student Support at Rollins College. Within the Office of Advising, Lauren oversees advising international exchange students, our neurodivergent student population, and students currently at academic risk. She supports students in developing an educational plan, including clarifying educational and career goals, choosing a program of study, and assisting students through this decision-making process.
Lauren has been a member of the Rollins community since 2017, where she has received her Bachelors of Arts in International Relations, minoring in Middle Eastern and North African Studies. Currently, she is completing a Masters of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a focus on Family and Relationship Therapy. While in the Rollins community, Lauren has been involved in the Immersion program, the PRISM affinity group for LGBTQ+ faculty and staff, and has also participated in the 2024 faculty & staff travel seminar in Tunisia: navigating environmental challenges, solutions, and sustainable tourism. When not at work, Lauren enjoys spending time reading fantasy and fictional novels, spending time with her two kittens, and exploring local foodie restaurants.