Staff

Meet the Honors College Staff 

Dr. Tyler Fisher, Dean
Reed Hall, 155A
239-745-4624 | tmfisher@fgcu.edu 

Born and raised in Fort Myers, Florida, Tyler Fisher studied at the University of Central Florida (BA English Literature, BA Spanish), where he became UCF’s first Rhodes Scholar. The scholarship enabled him to do his master’s and doctoral studies in Medieval and Modern Languages at the University of Oxford (MPhil, MA, DPhil). He was subsequently Queen Sofía Research Fellow and Lecturer in Spanish at Exeter College, Oxford, and later held permanent posts at the University of London (Royal Holloway and University College London). After 15 years studying and teaching in the UK, he returned to UCF, where he directed Latin American Studies (BA and minor) and served as the Burnett Honors College Faculty Fellow for Global Scholarship Advising.

As a product and proponent of Honors education in Florida’s State University System, Dr. Fisher champions undergraduate research and creative inquiry, rigorous study, thoughtful service, and international engagement. His own research interests encompass questions of orality, ritual, translation, and the intersections of critical, creative practices; and he has presented research papers by invitation at the universities of Cambridge, Coimbra, Glasgow, Nazarbayev, Santo Domingo, Soran, and Ulster. His book-length translations of poetry include José Martí’s Ismaelillo (Wings Press 2007) and Federico García Lorca’s The Dialogue of Two Snails (Penguin 2018).

Dr. Senthil B. Girimurugan, Interim Associate Dean
Reed Hall, 155
239-745-4322 | sgirimurugan@fgcu.edu 

Dr. Girimurugan (affectionately known to many as BeeJay) focuses on teaching that prepares a student for their future, not just a semester and toward a grade. He has been affiliated with the Honors College for nearly eight years as of 2024. He has been an Honors Faculty Fellow teaching Honors Standalone Courses. He has engaged students in Honors Embedded Courses in interesting projects and closely worked with students who have Honors Contracts. He is the current President of the Phi Kappa Phi Chapter at Florida Gulf Coast University. He is also a founding charter member of the chapter. In teaching, he encourages students to learn statistics and mathematics by relating them to our everyday experiences going beyond the formulas, notations, and proofs. He has mentored over fifteen undergraduate and graduate students in projects from a wide variety of fields such a genomics, image processing, machine learning, and time series analysis. His research includes applying wavelet transforms in the analysis of high-dimensional data such as functional data, images, and volumes. In particular from the Human Connectome Project (HCP). He is an avid programmer mostly in Python/R, php, and MySQL. When it comes to operating systems, his motto is “Fedora Forever.”

Dr. Hilal Peker, Director of the Office of Competitive Fellowships
Reed Hall, 153B
239-745-4570 | hpeker@fgcu.edu

Dr. Hilal Peker (Ph.D., University of Central Florida, 2016) is a Fulbright alumna (2011-2013), and also an alumna of Erasmus (2009 & 2010) and Comenius (2008-2009) Fellowships. She completed her M.A. degree in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Education as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Texas at Austin after obtaining her B.A. degree in English Language Teaching (ELT) field from Middle East Technical University (METU) Turkiye. She worked as a Federal Projects Coordinator and as an Educational Policy Consultant at Florida Department of Education (2021-2023), and as an Assistant Professor at Florida State University (2016-2018) and Bilkent University (Turkiye) (2018-2021). Her research interests include inclusive dual-language immersion programs, reconceptualized L2 motivational self-system (R-L2MSS; Peker, 2016), bullying-victimization of L2 learners, L2 identity, simulation technology, and pre-service teacher training. She has taught in ESOL and EFL contexts, conducted workshops and research, given keynote speeches in Europe, Colombia, Ecuador, and the U.S., and published extensively on topics related to ESOL/EFL teacher education and DEIA issues regarding Pre-K students. Her work has appeared in Wiley and in prestigious academic journals such as Foreign Language Annals, TESOL Journal, TESL-EJ, Topics in Language Disorders, Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, and Journal of Ethnographic and Qualitative Research. She has recently has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for her dedication, achievements, and leadership in academia. She has multiple awards in TESOL field such as 2019 & 2021 TESOL International Association Professional Development Scholarship Award, 2019 ACTFL Early Career Award by the Teaching and Learning of Culture & Research SIG, 2015 The National Network for Early Language Learning Santillana Scholar Award, 2015 Sunshine State TESOL Dissertation Award, and 2015 UCF College of Education and Human Performance Graduate Teaching Assistantship Excellence Award.

Ms. Courtney Satkoski, Coordinator of the Honors Mentor Program
Reed Hall, 0207A
239-590-1466 | csatkoski@fgcu.edu

Courtney Dwyer Satkoski is two-term Honors College Faculty Fellow and has taught at Florida Gulf Coast University since 2007. Courtney’s courses center on community engagement, humanities and social issues, and servant leadership. Courtney’s vision as an educator is simple: for students to graduate not as seekers of degrees, but instead, conscious, productive, and civically engaged citizens who use their education and talent to positively impact the world around them. Courtney has taught more than a dozen different courses at FGCU for the Honors College and College of Arts and Sciences and served as the Interim Program Coordinator for the Honors College and Director of the Leadership Through Service LLC . Courtney founded the FGCU Malaria Project in 2009 in partnership with the Jimmy Carter Center, is the founder and CEO of Hunting for A Cure, a non-profit organization striving to fund a 2.5 million dollar clinical trial they believe will lead to the cure of Hunter Syndrome, and co-founder of Unlocked Memories, a not-profit organization striving to provide the dementia and Alzheimer's community with service, advocacy, and fundraising opportunities. Courtney’s passion for hosting large-scale blood and bone marrow drives has led to numerous state records, hundreds of first time and returning donors, and thousands of saved lives. Courtney co-leads the Honors College Immokalee Immersion weekend and serves as the Registered Student Organization Faculty Advisor for four of the largest Greek and student organizations on campus, including Global Medical Brigades. Courtney has traveled with students on international medical brigades to Panama, Honduras, and Guatemala and enjoys guiding students through the challenging and deeply rewarding work done in under-resourced communities. Courtney was appointed the Honors College Mentor Program Coordinator in 2024, a role that allows her to work directly with Honors College students chosen to mentor first-time-in-college students through a competitive application process centered on leadership and mentoring best practices. Courtney has been awarded over 60 awards at the state and national level for community engagement, leadership, and teaching excellence, including eBella Magazine Person of the Year, Faculty Mentor of the Year, Presidents Award of Merit for Outstanding Person of the Year, FGCU Faculty Service Excellence of the Year, FGCU Instructor Teaching Excellence of the Year, WINK TV’s Person of the Year, as well as is a two-time recipient of the Dr. Helen Mamarchev Distinguished Advisor of the Year award. Courtney enjoys photography, spending time with her friends, family, and two labs, and believes the purpose of teaching is simple: to inspire and impact. (& to wake up and do it all again the next day) 

Ms. Patty Krupp, Business Operations Specialist
Reed Hall, 163A
239-745-4267 | pkrupp@fgcu.edu

I grew up amidst the orange groves and many lakes of central Florida. As an adult I moved to south Florida where I met and married my husband of 35 years and raised our two children. It’s been a pleasure to be employed at FGCU since 2014. For the past ten years I worked in the University Colloquium Office as the Administrative Assistant. I am excited for my new position in the Honors College as the Business Operations Specialist and working with the dynamic honors team. I also facilitate several service-learning opportunities for our FGCU students; Mats for the Homeless, Period Poverty, and Ethnic Hair Care. When I’m not at FGCU, I operate a non-profit, The Halo Project of Southwest Florida Inc., that teaches life-skills and brings a sense of normalcy to youth living in group home foster care in Lee and Collier counties. 

Ms. Gail Mishler Murray, Outreach Coordinator
Reed Hall, 163C
239-745-4567 | gmishlermurray@fgcu.edu

Gail Murray joins Honors College as the Outreach Coordinator, bringing over six years of experience as an academic success coach and tutoring services coordinator at FGCU and a demonstrated ability to guide students toward achieving their academic goals. Gail's approach centers on developing essential college success skills, offering individualized coaching that includes metacognitive, executive functioning, self-regulation, and study skills. Equipped with a 6th year Master's in Instructional Technology & Digital Media Literacy from the University of New Haven, CT, a Master's degree in Education from Southern Connecticut State University, and a Bachelor's in Business & Economics from Albertus Magnus College, CT, Gail brings diverse skill base to Honors College. She holds certifications in Appreciative Advising, NCLCA - LCLC Level 1, and FGCU Diversity & Inclusion, and has received training in Safe Zone and Safe Talk. Gail has served as an adjunct instructor at FGCU, Albertus Magnus College, and Goodwin College, sharing her expertise with students. Beyond her professional pursuits, Gail's passion for the arts has been a constant in her life, stemming from her years as a professional singer, choir director, and Radio Broadcaster. She has also performed in musical theater productions throughout high school, college, and a community dinner theater. Gail takes immense pride in her three grown children, who share her love for music and the arts. Her daughters work in higher education at Harvard University and Curry College in Massachusetts, while her son is a professional singer, songwriter, and producer. Recently blessed with her first grandchild, Gail cherishes the joys of both her professional and personal accomplishments.

Ms. Ruxy Apostol, Administrative Assistant 
Reed Hall, 155
239-745-4263 | mapostol@fgcu.edu

My FGCU professional journey began in April 2019 as an Administrative Specialist for the Office of Research & Graduate Studies. I am honored to join the Honors College team and to bring a different perspective as a former high school French language & literature teacher. I live in the present moment and I am grateful for all the beautiful things that surround us. My life purpose is to connect people and help them see the brighter side of life. I adore traveling and spending quality time with the people I love.

Ms. Lela Boswell, Program Assistant
Reed Hall, 155
239-745-4624 | lboswell@fgcu.edu

Originally from the Midwest, I had the privilege of living all over the United States before making my way to beautiful Southwest Florida around 10 years ago. I am endlessly thankful to live in paradise every day! I have been working in a wide variety of Administrative Support positions over the past 20 years, covering the fields of Higher Education, Real Estate, Law, and Human Resources. I am thrilled to be working back in an academic setting with the Honors College! I am passionate about helping others and encouraging them to reach their goals. When not working, I enjoy reading, board games, listening to music, an occasional karaoke outing, and spending time at home with my husband and cat.

Ms. Amanda Klein, Social Media and Events Coordinator
Reed Hall, 163B
239-745-4429 | aklein@fgcu.edu

Amanda Klein joins the Honors College as the Social Media and Events Coordinator. An FGCU Alumna, she moved to Southwest Florida in 2017 as a student, and in 2021, she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations. During her senior year of college, Amanda began an event coordination internship with a local high-end movie theater. After graduation, she continued her work as an event coordinator, culminating in two years of event planning experience. She has coordinated and executed birthday parties, corporate conferences, indie film premieres, award ceremonies and more. She then entered the marketing world as a copywriter for a health and wellness company, writing and editing product labels and descriptions for online retailing. Now, Amanda makes an enthusiastic return to event planning at FGCU. She is excited to apply her skills to her new mission of creating spaces for community building amongst the Honors College students through events and social media. In her personal life, Amanda enjoys spending time with friends, including her cat, Richard, trying out new recipes, crafting and watching movies!