New on the job: Mayra Lopez-Perez from the University at Buffalo

Inside Higher Ed profiled Mayra Lopez-Perez, coordinator of the student success coaching program, which started this past January. Lopez-Perez spoke about her work as the inaugural coaching program coordinator, the pilot program and how the university is gearing up for a full launch of the program for incoming students this fall. “Our plan is to introduce ourselves to the students over the summer to get them thinking about having a partner there with them to help them develop their plan and a cheerlead to encourage them, and a mom or dad to comfort them when they’re feeling that, no matter what they try, it’s not working,” said Lopez-Perez. “And hopefully have less students, at the end of the first semester, learn the agony of being on academic warning. Hopefully by the end of the full year, have a crop of freshmen that all turn into sophomores because they’ve reached that magical 30-credit number.”