EOSS Leadership

Dr. Sharon Smith is Vice President of Education Outreach Partnerships at Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix. In an effort to improve individual and collective economic prosperity through education, Smith leads ASU’s efforts to develop a comprehensive approach to outreach to include private and public-sector partnerships. During her tenure at ASU, Dr. Smith served as Dean of Students, West, Associate Dean of Students with responsibility for Student Conduct, ASU TRIO programs and Engagement, as well as various positions as program director and program coordinator for NIH, Department of Education grants and advising pre-health students. Dr. Smith serves as co-principal investigator for five Department of Education TRIO grants totaling over $4 million dollars in funding. Dr. Smith earned her Doctorate in Higher and Postsecondary Education from Arizona State University.

Julie Young is the Vice President of Educational Outreach and Student Services and the Managing Director of ASU Preparatory Academy. Julie is the leading voice for revolutionizing K-12 online education on the global stage. As the founding President and CEO of Florida Virtual School, she and her team grew the organization from a handful of students in 1996 to a highly acclaimed online school using personalized, next generation learning solutions. Young and her team grew FLVS into a diversified, worldwide organization creatively serving over 2 million students in 50 states and 68 countries worldwide.

Julie started her career as an elementary educator, and continues to use that lens today as she designs internationally connected and engaging models of education, that keep students at the center. Julie continues to put her expertise as the leading authority on virtual and online education to use as she advises a number of entrepreneurial education and technology organizations including, USDLA, iNACOL, WGU, DreamBox Learning and beyond.

Julie graduated with a MEd from the University of South Florida following her undergraduate work at the University of Kentucky.

Vanessa Ruiz is the Deputy Vice President for Outreach Partnerships within Educational Outreach and Student Services at Arizona State University. In her current role, Ruiz leads several teams creating a vision to develop and implement strategic partnerships with non-profits, K-12 schools, foundations, corporate partners, faith-based leaders, and other community stakeholders to advance the educational attainment and economic opportunity for underserved communities Previously, as director for diversity initiatives and community engagement, Vanessa Ruiz led ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication's strategy and tactical planning for recruiting and retaining diverse faculty, staff and students, as well as first-generation college students. She also served as the lead instructor for all ethics and diversity courses, worked with student clubs and organizations to ensure they are diverse and inclusive and designed ongoing professional development and leadership pathways for faculty and faculty associates in diversity, equity and inclusion. As a three-time Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist, Vanessa also taught on-air skills to Cronkite News students, preparing them for professional success while leading the charge on changing industry standards relevant to what journalists should look and sound like on air.

Dr. Stacey Freeman is the Dean of Students at the ASU California Center, in Downtown Los Angeles. Dr. Freeman leads the growth and development of the student experience to foster an inclusive and enriching learning environment. Stacey is a double Devil earning her Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Evaluation and M.Ed. in Higher Education. During her time at ASU, she directed a nonprofit and leadership undergraduate program at the ASU Downtown Phoenix location and later developed a global network of science museums under the ASU Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiative. More recently, Stacey served as the Executive Director for the Bedari Kindness Institute (BKI) at UCLA. Stacey has also served in leadership roles at Boston University, University of California – Irvine, and University of Kansas.

Dr. Amy Golden is the Interim Dean of Students at the ASU Downtown Phoenix location. Over the last thirty years, Dr. Golden has worked in Student Affairs at three of the largest public institutions in the country – The University of Texas at Austin and The Ohio State University before returning to her alma mater Arizona State University. Amy has served in several student affairs roles including those in Residential Life, Off-Campus Student Services, Student Activities, Student Cultural Engagement, Student Conduct, Spiritual Life, New Student Orientation, Family Programming, TRIO Programs, Outreach, and various other assignments as Assistant Dean of Students at ASU for the last ten years. Amy is a native Phoenician and Apollo High School graduate.

Safali Patel Evans serves as the Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff to the Senior Vice President for Educational Outreach and Student Services. In her role, she is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Office of the Senior Vice President and works closely with the senior leadership team to ensure strategic objectives and priorities are being advanced. Additionally she coordinates New Student and Family Programming, fiscal, human resource and data needs and serves as the Deputy Title IX Coordinator for students. Safali began her tenure at ASU in 1994 serving in various roles with Greek Life and Student Activities and she has also served as the Assistant Director for Undergraduate Admissions and helped to launch a unique certificate program in the W. P. Carey School of Business in partnership with the Ford Motor Company. Safali holds a Masters of Higher Education degree from Arizona State University.