Staff Directory

Project Upward Bound’s Administrative Team consists of four full-time members and one part time member – all of whom wear a number of hats as described below. Together, they form a dynamic team that keeps PUB among the best Upward Bound Programs in the nation! Each of them can be reached using the contact information below the menu bar to the left. 

Other Staff

In addition to teachers, PUB employs dozens of OU students throughout the academic year as academic mentors and office assistants, especially students who have college work-study funds. PUB is a longtime employer of OU’s international students and teacher education students particularly as academic mentors. PUB also employs OU students through the University’s Summer Student Campus Corp retention initiative to complete one-time unique projects.

Summer presents other student employment opportunities for PUB alumni and undergraduates from OU and other Universities to become residential peer mentors or academic mentors. Graduate students may apply for the head resident position. The descriptions and timelines for all of PUB’s seasonal opportunities are posted at PUB's Jobs, Graduate Assistantships and Graduate Internships page.

Administrative Team

The full-time administrative team of the Project Upward Bound College Prep Academy consists of the Project Director, Academic Coordinator, Project Advisor, College Coach, and Administrative Secretary. While each has specialties, their merged expertise and passion for what they do keep PUB at the forefront of student development.

All PUB staff can be reached at pub@oakland.edu

Geraldine E. Graham - Project Director
The Project Director’s “hats” include business manager, compliance officer, high school principal, personnel and training manager, public relations and general manager and program manager. The Project Director is also the PUB Parent Association coordinator.

Ava McDowell - Academic Coordinator
The Academic Coordinator is PUB's assessment and curriculum specialist, teacher and academic mentor coordinator, and academic programming and resources coordinator.

Mikal O'Neal - Interim Project Advisor
The Project Advisor is the PUB admission officer, advisor, retention coordinator, and the social/cultural/career programming coordinator.

Jackie Sauseda - Administrative Secretary
The Administrative Secretary is the office manager, scheduler, receptionist, payroll clerk, database manager, graphic designer…and the list goes on and on.

Lance Davis - In School Teacher
During the Academic Year, PUB provides academic services to its participants by offering Saturday and after-school activities as well as elective classes at participating target schools.  PUB's In-School teacher conducts the target school PUB classes for elective credit.  Classes are conducted in person when the building is physically accessible.  Alternatively, classes are conducted virtually from a site at Oakland University.

Dianne Giehtbrock- College Coach
During the academic year, the College Coach supervises the tutoring environment at each target school, facilitates weekly study skills workshops at each target school, and facilitates College Seminar for juniors during Saturday Academies.

Sarah Muridi - Graduate Assistant
Ms. Mikal provides technical and social media support services and works closely with the Project Advisor to facilitate PUB's social, cultural, and career pillars.