About: Corinne serves as Deputy Director of College Access Partnerships (CAP) and Director of GEAR UP at Appalachian State University. At Appalachian, Corinne previously served as coordinator of academic initiatives, where she was instrumental in growing the university’s Residential Learning Community programs to help bridge the gap between the in- and out-of-classroom experience for Appalachian students. She is published in various scholarly journals, most notably for her research on the impact of early college campus visits. In her time with GEAR UP and CAP, Corinne has played a pivotal role in growing the CAP portfolio of programs with over $90 million in new funding received in the last 5 years. Through her leadership, the groundbreaking GEAR UP Guarantee program was established in 2020 and in 2025 she was named the National GEAR UP Professional of the Year. Corinne is a 2016 graduate of the North Carolina Education Policy Fellowship Program and has served as co-coordinator of the state-wide program in partnership with the Public School Forum of NC since 2018. Corinne has been instrumental in establishing numerous partnerships in CAP. She holds a B.S. in physical education from Missouri State University and a M.S. in college student personnel from Arkansas Tech University. She lives in Blowing Rock, NC with her middle school-aged son, where they enjoy exploring the beautiful mountains surrounding them and hosting families in their home from all over the world in their successful Airbnb business.
Education: B.S. in physical education from Missouri State University (2005) | M.S. in college student personnel from Arkansas Tech University (2009)
Accolades: Grants Funded: GEAR UP, September 2024, $35 million; GEAR UP, September 2020, $29.8 million; Education, Innovation, & Research (EIR), December 2020, $12 million; On Ramp Appalachia- Rural Postsecondary Economic Development (RPED) grant, January 2024, $2.2 million, among others. Fellowships Completed: Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) graduate, 2016. Chancellor's Academic Leadership Development Program (ALDP) graduate, 2018. Hunt Institute Elevate NC graduate, 2023. Committees Served: NC Taskforce for Global Education, 2025. Awards Received: 2025 National GEAR UP Professional of the Year award.
Notable Research: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jca/vol7/iss1/10/
Professional Organizations: National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP), National College Attainment Network (NCAN), Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL), American Educational Research Association (AERA)
Leadership Roles: Coordinator, Education Policy Fellowship Program
Title: Director, GEAR UP, Deputy Director of College Access Partnerships
Email address: Email me
Phone: (828) 262-6041