Meet Our Team

Mark Dawson
Assistant Director

Mark Dawson was born and raised in San Diego, CA. Mark currently holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from San Diego State University. He moved to Aggieland in the fall of 2010 to begin the doctoral program in the Department of Sociology here at Texas A&M. His main academic research areas are race, class, gender and sociology of education. Outside of work academic studies, Mark enjoys watching Aggie football and is a long time Oakland Raiders fan. He also loves cooking and spending quality time with family and friends.

Email: mdawson@dms.tamu.edu

Dr. Tonya Driver

Dr. Tonya Driver
Director

Dr. Tonya Driver considers her role is to help others reach their full human potential.  Across her over 25 years with Texas A&M, Tonya has worked with countless students, student organizations, programs and courses with foci on student retention and success, transition and first-year competencies, self-concept and leadership development, and pre-college experiences.  She serves on the editorial board for national student affairs and leadership publications to contribute to the profession and satisfy her passion for editing scholarly work.  In addition, Tonya has a passion for helping students find their way and chart their own path.

Tonya completed her doctorate in Adult Education and Human Resource Development in the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M.  She also holds a Master of Education, focusing on Leadership Education and Studies and Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Texas A&M.

She enjoys time with family and being outdoors.

Email: tonyadriver@tamu.edu

Dekia Greene
Student Development Specialist

Dekia Greene joined the team in May of 2023. She was raised in Bryan, Tx. Dekia received her Bachelor of Social Work with a minor in African American and Africana Studies from Texas Christian University, and received her Master’s of Science in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin. Dekia is also a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in the State of Texas. 

 

Before joining the department, Dekia was an active member of her campus communities for both her undergraduate (student organizations, leadership, residence life, and research) and graduate programs (student organizations and institutional grant recipient). She has served on various on-campus organizational leadership committees and actively seeks spaces to empower and support students and their experiences.

 

Outside of work Dekia enjoys exploring and appreciating the arts, trying new foods, embracing moments with family, and traveling! 

 

Email: dgreene@dms.tamu.edu

Kimberly Heslip
Business Administrator

Kimberly Heslip is a native of Caldwell, TX, currently residing in Bryan. She has been employed with Texas A&M University for the past 8 years with the College of Engineering and College of Education and Human Development. Due to her passion for working on the front line with students, she has transitioned to a position within the Division of Student Affairs in DMS.

Email: kheslip@tamu.edu

Solomon Park
Student Development Specialist

Solomon Park joined the department in May of 2022.  Solomon was raised in South Korea and Denton, Texas and is a first-generation college student with a Master of Education in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Texas A&M.  He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from University of North Texas, where he specialized in education and saxophone performance.

Outside of work, Solomon is pursuing a doctorate in higher education administration at the Department of Educational Administration & Human Resource Development where he focuses on the experience of East Asian graduate students.

Email: skung@dms.tamu.edu

Abigail Ramos
Student Development Specialist

Abigail Ramos (she/her/ella) joined the team in September of 2022. Abby is from The Rio Grande Valley and is a first-generation graduate from Texas A&M University with a B.A. in Psychology ’19 and a M.S. in Education Administration in Higher Education (SAAHE ’21).

Her personal experiences in undergrad, involvement in organizations, and guidance from mentors led her to find a career in student affairs. Through these experiences and exploring her own identities deeper, she found her passion for providing spaces for students to develop holistically. She hopes to empower  and provide students with opportunities to gain skills to make the positive changes they want to see.

Outside of work, Abby likes to try new restaurants and recipes, working out, listening to music, and being with people who bring her joy.

Email: aramos@dms.tamu.edu

Cruz Ríos
Associate Director

Cruz is from the Rio Grande Valley, Palmview, TX, completed a B.A. degree in Communication-Journalism from The University of Texas Pan American in Edinburg, TX (2008) and an M.S. in Higher Education Administration from Texas A&M University (2011). His involvement in student organizations, leadership and residence life in his undergraduate education sparked his interests to work with student groups as a professional. His continued education solidified his passion for students and their development.

He has been with the department since 2009 and feels fortunate to work with a team of professionals that have the best interests of students in mind. He is also excited to help students reach their potential in their endeavors.

He feels fortunate to work with a team of professionals that have the best interests of students in mind. He is also excited to help students reach their potential in their endeavors.

Email: crios@dms.tamu.edu

Woman wearing a gray polo standing in front of Texas A&M banners and windows

Derly Rojo

Graduate Assistant

Derly Rojo (she/her/ella) was born and raised in Laredo Texas. She is a first-generation graduate from Texas A&M International University where she received her B.A. in Mathematics with a minor in Psychology.

During her undergraduate journey she was involved in numerous organizations including Greek Life, Student Government, worked with New Student Orientation and held several leadership roles. Throughout her personal experiences she found her passion for student affairs and advocacy work.

Derly is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Educational Administration with an emphasis in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education (SAAHE).

Outside of work, she enjoys the outdoors, spending time with her family and friends, listening to music and is always up for an adventure!

Email: drojo@dms.tamu.edu

Obamide Samaye
Graduate Assistant

Obamide Samaye (he/him/his) joined the team as in August of 2023. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria and raised in Atlanta, GA. He completed his Bachelor’s of Arts in Economics from The University of Georgia (2023) and is currently pursuing his Masters of Science in Higher Education Administration from Texas A&M University.

During his time in undergrad, Oba was involved in residence life, student government, new student orientation and held other leadership positions that inspired his passion for supporting students in their college journey and helping them in their growth and development.

Outside of work, Oba enjoys playing and watching soccer, bowling, listening to music, watching shows and movies, and playing video games!

Email: osamaye@dms.tamu.edu

Joshua Skinner

Joshua Skinner
Student Development Specialist

Joshua Skinner (he/him/his) joined the Department of Multicultural Services (DMS) in May of 2021. Joshua was born in Dallas, TX. He completed his Bachelor of Science in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in child and family development from Texas A&M University-Commerce (2018) and a Master of Education in student affairs in higher education from Texas State University (2021).

Before joining DMS, Joshua served as an AmeriCorps member with City Year -Dallas (2018) and a graduate assistant in the Student Success Office at Texas State University (2021).

Outside of work, Joshua enjoys working out, watching movies, listening to music, reading, and bowling.

Email: Joshua.Skinner@tamu.edu