Who We Are

Student Affairs provides programs and services that optimize student learning and leadership; build a safe, supportive, and welcoming campus community; foster the emotional growth and personal development of students; and make a positive contribution to the overall student experience.

Mission: Student Affairs works to foster an environment where all students can achieve their academic and personal goals.

Values: student centrism, integrity, service, excellence, and respect.


Faculty & Staff

Amanda Higginson, MD
Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Clinical Sciences
higginsona14@ecu.edu

Dr. Higginson is a native of South Florida and completed her undergraduate and medical school training at Brown University. She did her residency in Pediatrics at the National Capital Consortium/Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, and served in the United States Navy from 2006-2013, deploying twice. She became an ECU Pirate in 2014, and has served as Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and interim Director of GME Accreditation prior to her current role as Associate Dean for Student Affairs; her primary responsibilities are residency/career advising for all years, Match curriculum, and authoring the Medical Student Performance Evaluations. Her clinical and academic interests include injury prevention, oral health, ADHD, quality improvement, and the transition from undergraduate to graduate medical education. In her free time, Dr. Higginson enjoys relaxing and traveling with her husband and their two children. When she’s not at work, she often can be found spinning on her Peloton bike or reading a good book—a self-proclaimed book nerd, her three dogs are all named after characters in Greek mythology: Lovebug Telemachus, Ajax, and Achilles.


Kema Gadson, EdD
Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Foundational Sciences
gadsonl22@ecu.edu

Dr. Gadson is a native of Daytona Beach, FL. She is a proud graduate of Florida State University where she received her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies along with her M.S. in Higher Education and B.S. in Elementary Education. Previously, Dr. Gadson served as the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Diversity and Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health at the Florida State University College of Medicine. She became an ECU Pirate in 2023. Her primary responsibilities are advising M1 & M2 students, overseeing OSA operations, and collaborating with faculty and staff to implement effective support services and systems. Dr. Gadson’s scholarly interest centers on the educational and professional development of medical students with a focus on first-generation students, student success and engagement, help-seeking behaviors, DEI, and student well-being while transitioning through the first two years of medical school. Dr. Gadson enjoys watching college football – especially cheering on the Noles, traveling, Karaoke, true crime podcasts, and game nights with friends.


Corrinn Schwabrow
Director, Office of Student Affairs
schwabrowc16@ecu.edu

Corrinn is passionate about creating an inclusive environment where every student can thrive. Raised in the Mohawk Valley in Upstate New York, she earned her B.S. in Secondary Education from SUNY Oneonta and an MPS in Humanistic Multicultural Education from SUNY New Paltz. Her career has taken her up and down the East Coast, including roles in residence life at SUNY New Paltz, the Center for Student Success at SUNY Potsdam, and the Office of New Student Programs at Florida Gulf Coast University.

In 2016, Corrinn joined East Carolina University’s Office of Student Transitions, where she oversaw orientation and first-year student programming. In June 2024, she became the Director of Student Affairs at the Brody School of Medicine, responsible for office administration, student program oversight, staff recruitment, training, supervision, and leading event planning and execution.

Outside of work, Corrinn enjoys spending time with her son, her niece, and dog Potter. She is a die-hard Buffalo Bills fan, an avid reader, and loves traveling.


Gaye Tennison, BSBA
Associate Registrar
tennisong19@ecu.edu

As the Brody School of Medicine Registrar, Gaye manages medical student registration, grades, academic records/transcripts, and licensure. She was born in Hollywood, CA, but spent most of her life in Texas and is a die-hard Aggie, having received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance & Accounting from Texas A&M University. Gaye joined the Office of Student Affairs in 2019, having worked in various ECU areas since 2016. She and her husband have three grown sons living across North Carolina; Gaye keeps herself busy by keeping up with details, designing and making modern quilts, and knitting sweaters. A Francophile at heart, Gaye loves French food, scenery, art, and textiles.


Andrew Ledbetter
Student Affairs Support Coordinator

ledbettera18@ecu.edu

 

Melinda Salchert
Clinical Support Coordinator 

salchertm24@ecu.edu 

As the Brody School of Medicine Clinical Support Coordinator, Melinda assists with M3/M4 events such as orientation, Match Day and graduation as well as helps students navigate BSOM processes and policy. Before working at BSOM, Melinda worked in the Academic Affairs Department of Duquesne University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Melinda graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia where she met her husband. She recently relocated from the Alabama Gulf Coast, where her husband completed his medical school training. As a North Carolina native, Melinda is excited to return to the region with her husband, an internal medicine resident at ECU Health, and their Great Pyrenees, Rafa. In her free time, you’ll most likely find Melinda on the tennis or pickleball court, taking a long run on the Greenway, or planning her next meal.

Carmilla Oden
Administrative Support Associate

odenc23@ecu.edu


 


Contact Us

Office of Student Affairs
Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
600 Moye Boulevard
Room 2S-20
Greenville, NC 27834
252-744-2278
BSOMStudentAffairs@ecu.edu

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