Christopher J. Agans, Executive Director 

Chris Agans is Executive Director of New Jersey’s Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons consortium. He leads the NJ-STEP administrative team and oversees the delivery of NJ-STEP’s B.A. Program in Justice Studies. In this role he has managed the coordination of services for students attending college in New Jersey’s prisons, and their bridge to college in the community since 2017. Prior to this he led the development of the transitional supports for formerly incarcerated students on Rutgers University campuses (now known and the “Rutgers Mountainview Communities” or MVCs) and facilitated their expansion across the Rutgers system over a five year period. Chris is the former Director of the federally funded TRIO Student Support Services program for Rutgers New Brunswick. He is a graduate of both Rutgers College (B.A. English) and Rutgers Graduate School of Education (E.d.M. Educational Administration).

Karen Bobrowski, Business Specialist

Karen is the Business Specialist for NJ-STEP, where she assists in the management of day-to-day administrative, operational, and financial functions. Along with a background in marketing and corporate tax, she is a proud veteran.  She holds a B.A. in Liberal Studies from Louisiana Technical University and an M.S. in Accounting from Kean University. 

Latoya Hamlin, Director of Counseling

Latoya is the Director of Counseling for NJ-STEP, where she provides strategic leadership and supervises the in-prison counseling staff. Prior to this she served as the NJ-STEP Academic Counselor at Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility and Garden State Youth Correctional Facility for five years. She is a graduate of Rutgers University College of Arts and Sciences-New Brunswick, where she majored in English. Latoya is also a graduate of Monmouth University’s School of Education where she earned an M.S.Ed. in Student Affairs and College Counseling. Latoya is a nationally certified counselor with a passion for academic advising and social justice issues.

Natasha Collins, NJ-STEP Counselor

Natasha is the NJ-STEP Counselor at Garden State Youth Correctional facility. Natasha’s professional background is in behavioral health and education. Prior to joining NJ-STEP, Natasha worked as a Client Intake Specialist for Penn Medicine/Princeton House Behavioral Health and as an Instructor and Program Coordinator/Academic Advisor for the New Jersey District 1199J Student Training and Development Fund: “Youth Transitions to Work Apprenticeship” program. She holds a dual Bachelor of Science degree in both Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Lincoln University and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Forensic Counseling from Walden University. 

Joshua J. Eaise, NJ-STEP Counselor

Josh is the Academic Counselor at South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton, NJ, where he provides academic advising and support to incarcerated NJ-STEP students. Prior to joining NJ-STEP, Josh taught for several years in the Political Science Department and the Rutgers Writing Program, both at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University-Camden and earned an M.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

Ashley Gwathney, Postdoctoral Research Assistant

Ashley  is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified School Social Worker with a doctorate in social work from Rutgers University, where she also earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees. Throughout her career she has collaborated with the Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies, the New Jersey State Policy Lab, and Rural Pathways on projects addressing educational equity and social justice. She previously served as a postdoctoral fellow for the Mellon Sawyer Seminar Series Potentialities of Justice: Toward Collective Reparative Futures at Rutgers–Newark, where she helped coordinate seminars on disability justice, transitional justice, racial justice, and environmental justice. In her current role as the postdoctoral associate with NJ-STEP, she is contributing to the program’s comprehensive self-study.

Elizabeth Harley, NJ-STEP Counselor

Elizabeth is the Academic Counselor at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton, NJ, where she provides academic support to NJ-STEP students working toward a degree. Elizabeth is a Rutgers Newark Alum with both Bachelor and Masters Degrees from the School of Public and Nonprofit Administration. During her time as a student, she interned with NJ-STEP from 2018-2020. Prior to returning to NJ-STEP as an Academic Counselor, Liz coordinated multidisciplinary field study programs for students on the Rutgers – Newark Campus. Currently, Liz is completing a certificate program in Violence Against Women through the Rutgers School of Social Work.

Holly Polakiewicz, MVC Counselor – New Brunswick

Holly is a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) with a professional background in volunteer management, trauma-informed care, and education (adult basic ed, GED preparation, and prison ed). Prior to joining NJ-STEP, Holly served in the nonprofit sector as the New Jersey Regional Manager for the Petey Greene Program for 4+ years. She is currently the Mountainview Community Counselor for the Rutgers Newark campus, after serving as an intern for the program from 2015-2017. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Saint Joseph’s University and a master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) with a specialization in Violence Against Women and Children from Rutgers University.

Gerardine Philippe, Institutional Liaison

Gerardine Philippe is the Institutional Liaison for NJ-STEP, serving as the primary point of contact between NJ Dept. Of Corrections , NJ-STEP Staff, and Institutional Partners. She maintains regular communication with the different entities to help ensure that that overall goals of NJ-STEP are met. Gerardine earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at Montclair State University. At MSU she had the privilege of teaching Psychology to first-year students before her departure. Gerardine also earned both her M.A. and Ph.d. in Educational Psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia, where she served on various research team boards. Her own research focused on understanding the self-regulatory skills and motivation of students deemed academically underprepared upon college admission. Gerardine is an active member of her church community, Maranatha Baptist Church, where she enjoys leading in the Young Adult department.

Tiece Riddick, Assistant Dean of Community Relations and Interim Director of Transitions

Tiece is NJ-STEP’s Assistant Dean of Community Relations. Tiece’s background in social work spans nearly fifteen years, during which she held various roles in both public and non-profit organizations with particular emphasis on mental health. Tiece received both her Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Rutgers -Camden. She has worked within the Department of Human Services providing mental health and case management supports to children and adults in institutions and the community. Tiece joins the NJ-STEP team after working with School Based Youth Services (SBYS) of the Camden City School District where she provided program coordination and mental health services.

Tiyanna Scarlett, NJ-STEP Counselor

Tiyanna is the Academic Counselor at East Jersey State Prison Correctional Facility in Rahway, NJ. She is responsible for supporting the educational and personal development of students working toward their degree. Tiyanna herself is a NJ-STEP alum. She started her academic career as an inside student in 2010, eventually graduating from Rutgers with both a BSW and MSW from the School of Social Work. During her time as a student, she interned with NJ-STEP and the Rutgers Student Counseling Department. Tiyanna has appeared at conferences speaking on the power of higher education in a carceral setting and the transformative impact it can have on incarcerated individuals. Her personal journey from being an inside student to becoming an advocate for education within the prison system provides her with unique insights and a strong connection to her students. Through her work and compassion, Tiyanna continues to inspire and uplift those around her, demonstrating that education can be a powerful tool for transformation.

Stella Sesay, MVC Counselor – Camden

Stella is a dedicated advocate for equity and social justice, holding a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University–Camden. She has developed her career at the intersection of education, community engagement, and social impact. Stella has supported justice-impacted and underserved communities through her work and is committed to creating environments of belonging and resilience. She continues to focus on breaking down barriers, amplifying diverse voices, and fostering inclusive opportunities that expand access and opportunities for underserved communities.

Jeremy Steinman, NJ-STEP Counselor

Jeremy is the Academic Counselor at Northern State Prison in Newark, NJ where he is responsible for supporting NJ-STEP students with their personal and educational development while they pursue their degrees. Jeremy is also an alumni of the program beginning his academic career in 2017 at the Mountainview Youth Correctional Facility. Jeremy continued his education while in the halfway house graduating from Essex County College with honors and then going on to complete a bachelor’s of arts (BA) in Sociology at Rutgers University. Since then, Jeremy worked as a Case Manager helping at-risk populations throughout Northern New Jersey before coming back to the program that allowed him the opportunity to find the right path. Additionally, he is also looking to begin a master’s degree in social work (MSW) at Rutgers University. Until then, Jeremy will continue to work as an NJ-STEP Academic Counselor to provide the same opportunity he was given which allowed him to change the trajectory of his life

Faculty (Rutgers BA in Justice Studies Program)

Nia Tuckson, Director of Curriculum

Nia Tuckson is Director of Curriculum for the Rutgers-Newark School of Criminal Justice’s B.A. in Justice Studies Degree program offered by NJ-STEP. In this role, she developed a degree pathway that draws from critical theory and cultural studies to inform scholarly inquiries regarding both the American criminal legal system in particular and societal injustice at large. To support students’ efforts in this work despite the lack of access to many traditional on-campus resources, she established and serves as the faculty advisor for both the Alumni-led peer tutoring program and the student-led Senior Thesis Library. She began teaching literature, composition, and research in the humanities and social sciences at Rutgers-New Brunswick in 2003; provided instructional support in the Rutgers School of Social Work Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) program, where she co-directed the digital multimedia (MMP) capstone projects for the 2015-16 school year; and joined NJ-STEP in 2014, where, in addition to her administrative role, she continues to teach courses from entry-level composition to the capstone Senior Thesis seminar. A proud graduate of Spelman college (B.A., English), The University of Pennsylvania, and Rutgers-New Brunswick (M.A., English), Nia is particularly grateful for the opportunity to work and grow with the alumni of NJ-STEP, both inside of state institutions and out in the community, who are now themselves leaders in the higher education and reentry landscapes.

 

Christina Walling, Director of Academic Affairs

Christina Walling has been with NJ-STEP since 2016 and began her work with the program as a full-time faculty member. Since 2019, Christina has served the program in a dual faculty and administrative role as the Director of Academic Affairs for the Rutgers University-Newark School of Criminal Justice’s B.A. in Justice Studies Degree. As Director of Academic Affairs, Christina works closely with the NJ-STEP Rutgers Leadership Team to ensure that course offerings, course registration, faculty staffing, student programming, program documentation, student orientations, and scheduling meet the various, complex needs of consortium partners, students, faculty, and staff. Additionally, Christina co-hosts monthly faculty meetings throughout the academic year while serving as primary point of contact for all faculty-related needs each semester. Christina also serves as the Academic Integrity Facilitator statewide for Rutgers University NJ-STEP students to ensure that the policy is enacted fairly and properly in accordance with University protocol inside prison facilities. Christina specializes in teaching both writing intensive and interdisciplinary elective courses in the Justice Studies curriculum. Before joining NJ-STEP in 2016, Christina worked for TRiO Student Support Services (SSS), supporting first-generation, low-income, and disabled students through academic advising, tutoring, and financial counseling, and the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Program which provides financial assistance and support services such as counseling, tutoring, and developmental coursework to students from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Christina is a proud NJ-STARS graduate of Ocean County College (A.A., Humanities), Kean University (B.A., English/Secondary Education), and Rutgers University-Newark (M.A., English). Christina’s favorite part of working with NJ-STEP is the opportunity to teach students inside who share her passion for learning; graduation ceremonies are a close second!