Meet the Team
Kelly Dalton
Director
Kelly Dalton holds a Ph.D. in Education with a focus in international education from George Mason University and currently serves as the Director for the Saints’ Center for Service at Marymount University. Prior to her role at Marymount, she served as Director of George Mason University’s Nonprofit Fellows Program, Assistant Director of the Center for Social Action and Integrative Learning, and Assistant Professor in the School of Integrative Studies. Her research interests include the intersections of experiential learning, critical reflection, international education, and cultural immersion. Kelly is also a consultant for the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development and in 2019 was recognized as a Leadership Center for Excellence 40 Under 40 honoree. Prior to her doctoral program, Kelly was an Extension Specialist for the University of the District of Columbia where she developed and implemented nutrition curriculum for at-risk youth and early childhood classrooms. Kelly was also an adjunct professor in the Global and Community Health department at George Mason University and the Malek School for Health Professions at Marymount University. She is a registered dietitian who holds a B.S. in Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise and a M.S. in Nutrition Education and Behavior, both from Virginia Tech.
Susan Thomas
Coordinator
Susan Thomas has lived, worked, and volunteered in Arlington, VA for the last several years, after moving to the area for her husband’s military relocation. Susan has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Religion from Meredith College, and a Master’s in English from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. Susan has 20+ years’ experience researching, writing, editing and developing original source material for articles, grant proposals, academic papers, quantitative and qualitative research, and other formats. In addition, Susan spent two decades working with, volunteering for, and helping to establish groups specifically serving the unique needs of military families, especially during deployment.
Blanca Guerra
Graduate Assistant
My name is Blanca Guerra, I was born in Michoacán, Mexico and raised in Fresno, California. I am a Graduate student in the Forensic and Legal Psychology program. I began working with Saints’ Center for Service in Spring 2020. The center promotes serving and the reason I serve is because I want to give a voice to the voiceless and underrepresented communities. I want to educate and advocate for individuals in the criminal justice system, individuals with severe mental health & the undocumented, DACA community. I am part of DACA & I have worked inside the county jail, juvenile detention centers & outpatient with severe mental health diagnosis. I am a firm believer in not giving up on your goals.
Russell Akram
MU Work Scholar
Russell is an international student from Pakistan. He is a Sophomore and studying Cyber Security, Mathematics, specializing in Global Scholar. He is a Work Scholar at Saint Center for Services, responsible for creating web content, and a Saints Care Ambassador at Office of Wellness Intervention & Prevention, serve as a peer-counselor. He likes to create websites and was a runner-up in Tech-Challenge 2019.