Serita Acker is an accomplished leader with a rich background in higher education and student support services. With a bachelor’s degree from Lander University and a Master of Science in Human Resources and Development from Clemson University, Serita brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role as Executive Director of PEER & WISE.
Before assuming her current position in August 2015, Serita served as the Women in Science and Engineering program director. Over her 30-year career in higher education, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to mentoring, coaching, and fostering academic and professional enrichment opportunities for students.
As a certified Global Career Development Facilitator and Life Coach, Serita is dedicated to equipping students with the resources they need to excel at Clemson University and beyond. Her vision for PEER & WISE centers around providing innovative student success programs and services that empower students to achieve their educational goals and succeed in their careers.
She has won several State and National Awards: the Thomas Green Clemson Award, Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of Mountains to Midlands, the James E. Bostic Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Award in 2017 as a diversity champion at Clemson University, Clemson University Woman of the Year, Martin Luther King Jr. Award, Clemson University Board of Trustees Award, Women in Engineering Pro-Active Network Distinguished Service Award, Career Communications Magazine College-Level Promotion of Education Award, National Association of Multicultural Engineering Advocates Award, Upstate Diversity Award, Calder D. Elhmann Outstanding, Individual. In December 2021, she received the College of Engineering and Computing and Applied Sciences Exceptional Staff Award and the WEPAN University Change-Agent Award in 2022. One of the highlights of her career was graduating from the Presidents Leadership Institute at Clemson University in 2020. Additionally, she has been featured on the cover of Insight and Diversity Magazine.
A Riley Fellow and graduate of Furman University’s Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative, Serita is deeply committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in education and beyond. She has served as a mentor for the Mentor Links program and is an IDI facilitator.
Under Serita’s guidance, PEER & WISE have established partnerships and initiatives to enhance the engineering pipeline, including serving as implementation partners and Principal Investigators for GE’s Next Engineers Program. This $5 million investment aims to strengthen the engineering workforce in Greenville, SC, and the upstate region.
In her spare time, Serita enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with family. Her greatest joy lies in promoting education and inspiring individuals to reach their fullest potential.
Lisa Jackson earned her MBA from Clemson University in 2021. This had always been a goal since graduating from Benedict College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics/Accounting. She saw the MBA program as an opportunity to immerse herself in the education culture here at Clemson. It also gave her a unique perspective, working with undergraduate students striving to earn their degrees. Prior to becoming the Associate Director of PEER, Lisa worked for the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce as a Career Development Specialist. Lisa is a Global Career Development Facilitator and an Advance Academic Coach. As the Associate Director of PEER, Lisa oversees the first-year student PEER mentoring program and manages several other outreach, recruitment and retention programs.
While here at Clemson University, Lisa has been engaged in other Educational Leadership Programs. She participated in the 2021 cohort LEAD Forward Leadership for Faculty and Staff, and CU Grow Leadership/Talent Acquisition Cohort 2022. She is also a Co-PI and Career Readiness Coach for the GE Next Engineers Program.
Lisa recently received the MLK Excellence and Service Award for 2023 and has been selected into the 2023 Cohort –Riley Institute for Diversity Leadership Institute.
Lisa was a finalist for the WYFF Remarkable Woman finalist in 2022. When not working, Lisa enjoys reading, shopping, and enjoying time with family and friends.
Stephanie came to Clemson as a first-generation, non-traditional transfer student. She is now a two-time Clemson graduate, having earned a BA in Psychology (Nonprofit Leadership minor) and an MS in Youth Development Leadership.
Before joining the PEER & WISE team, Stephanie held various positions at Clemson. She has worked with pre-collegiate programs under the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, and with graduate student services within the College of Education.
In her position with WISE, she is responsible for educating, encouraging, and preparing female-identifying students to pursue and secure successful careers in STEM fields.
She believes her role provides her with the perfect opportunity to blend her experience in student-centered services with her knowledge of the intricacies of Clemson’s academic systems and policies to create an environment where her students feel cared for and well-informed while navigating their undergraduate experience.
In her free time, she enjoys volunteering. She has worked with Greenville County Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, Special Olympics South Carolina, Scouts BSA, United Way, and other smaller, local non-profits.
Jodi Redlinger earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Clemson University. She began working with PEER & WISE in 2013. She handles the accounting for PEER & WISE’s state and foundation accounts. Jodi enjoys reading, watching Clemson sporting events, and volunteering with the Oconee Humane Society in her free time.
Levi holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Media Communications with a minor in Psychology from Southern Wesleyan University. He is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration Degree at Clemson University. His research interest centers on improving access to education, public facilities, and inclusive excellence. As the Outreach & Operations Manger, Levi supports PEER&WISE by managing all operations of the department from procurement coordination to office management. He also manages outreach for PEER&WISE such as Girl Scouts & Friends Day, S.E.E. Clemson, STEM Day, and Sneak Preview.
Prior to becoming the Outreach and Operations Manager for PEER&WISE, Levi served as the Program Coordinator for Access, Belonging, and Inclusive Excellence for the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. In this role, he managed the Inclusive Excellence Strategic Plan for the college, Inclusive Excellence education, recruitment, retention and communication, and the Driving Education and Leadership Training Academy. Currently, he serves as the Clemson University LGBTQ Commission Chair and is a CECAS Staff Senator. His previous work experience has been in higher education, media, and law enforcement where he served as a 911 Dispatcher at Clemson University. While in that role he earned certifications ranging from Mental Health First Aid, National Alliances on Mental Illness Certification, and Intercultural Development Inventory Qualified Administrator.
During his time off, he enjoys photography, planning weddings, spending time with friends, and listening to music such as Taylor Swift. He enjoys traveling and making new memories
Brittany is a proud alumna of Clemson University, where she received a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering accompanied by a minor in mathematical sciences. Brittany is pursuing a Master of Science in industrial engineering with a concentration in operations research (OR). Her research interests focus on understanding and addressing widened racial and socioeconomic inequities in academia through OR models and optimization.
Before becoming the Program Manager of Next Engineers Greenville, Mrs. Sanders held various positions within PEER & WISE: Undergraduate Mentee, Undergraduate Mentor, Principle Graduate Administrative Assistant, and Graduate Academic Enrichment Coordinator. As the Program Manager for Next Engineers Greenville, Brittany oversees three core programs sponsored by the GE Foundation with a $5 million grant: Engineering Discovery, Engineering Camp, and Engineering Academy. Through these programs, Brittany is charged with providing students in grades eight to twelve with hands-on exposure to engineering concepts and career opportunities.
Brittany sings along to Disney classics with her husband, daughter, and son in her free time.