Meet the Staff

Dean of Mandel Honors College

Dr. Rachel Carnell is Dean of the Mandel Honors College and Mandel Chair in Humanities. She has been a professor in the English Department at Cleveland State since 1994, teaching courses on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century British literature and mentoring many Honors English majors and M.A. students.  Maintaining an active research agenda, Dr. Carnell is the author or editor of five scholarly books on eighteenth-century literary and political history, including Backlash: Libel, Impeachment, and Populism in the Reign of Queen Anne. In recent years, her research has become more interdisciplinary, as evidenced in her most recent book, Stewardship and the Future of the Planet: Promise and Paradox. Dean Carnell received her undergraduate BA in French from Haverford College, where she learned to value a small college environment—an experience that inspired her to lead the Mandel Honors College. Her MA and PhD in English are from Boston University, where she learned to appreciate the advantages of large urban university. When she's not in her office you might find her walking, bird watching, reading, or swimming.

Jack Joseph and Morton Mandel Continuing Scholars Academic Advisor and Program Coordinator (Assistant Coach)

Elizabeth "Liz" Kravanya has a BA in Political Science, a Masters of Urban Planning, and is a Doctoral student in Urban Education program at Cleveland State. Ms. Kravanya is an alumni of the Mandel Continuing Scholars and takes pride giving back to the program that opened up opportunities for her. She is civically engaged as a volunteer for several organizations including being a Redcoat at Playhouse square for over 3 years, working with Destination Cleveland, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commision, Foodstrong, the Westside Market, the Cleveland Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, and Cleveland Leadership Center. She shares her civic engagement with the Mandel Continuing scholars as the program develops future leaders for the city of Cleveland.  Her greatest pride comes from teaching the soft skills that work with the knowledge learned in the classrooms and seeing the MCS graduates thrive as graduates. "What I love about working at a regional university is we are not just in the city, we are mission driven to be of service to the region." 

Lead Honors Academic Advisor (Associate Coach)

Lauren has worked in the Honors College since 2021. She leads all advising and academic coaching initiatives for the Honors College including onboarding incoming advisors and sharing updates from the academic colleges. She received her B.A. in History from the College of Wooster in 2014 and her M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from The Ohio State University in 2018. Prior to joining the Honors College, she worked as an Academic Counselor in the J.B. Speed School of Engineering at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. Outside of work, she enjoys staying active, reading, and traveling.

Honors Academic Advisor & Administrative Coordinator (Assistant Coach)

Stephanie received her B.A. in Psychology from Kent State University in 2019 and went on to earn her M.Ed in Higher Education Administration in 2022. Stephanie previously worked at Kent State University as an Academic Advisor in the Psychology Department, and an Academic Program Coordinator for TRIO Student Support Services. She enjoys getting to know her honor students and advocating for them during their time at CSU. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, playing video games and watching movies.