Meet Your Admissions Counselors

We love to hear from our prospective students! If you would like to speak with an SRU admissions counselor, please use the email addresses below or call 724.738.2015 and ask for one of us by name. We look forward to hearing from you!

Slippery Rock University's Admissions Counselors are on the road and heading your way. Meet our team at a college fair or high school visit in your area.

Michael May, Director of First-Year Admissions

Email: michael.may@sru.edu

Hello. Thank you for taking time to learn more about Slippery Rock University and the Admissions Team. I was born in Mexico City, but spent most of my formative years in Portage, Michigan. I went to college in Connecticut and graduated from Yale University with a BA in History and an MBA.

I moved to western Pennsylvania 6 years ago (my wife is a Pittsburgher), after spending nearly 5 years at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. My most recent institution was Chatham University, and I joined the team at SRU in September 2012.

For fun, I enjoy backyard grilling, learning about history, watching baseball and listening to country music. I live in the South Hills of Pittsburgh with my wife Tierney and our three-year old son Declan and one-year old son Patrick.

In my role as Director, I'm fortunate to meet many wonderful students and families every day. I witness how SRU empowers students and helps them become the people they want to be. I love working at a campus that nurtures students and helps them become problem solvers and engaged citizens. I hope you will visit campus soon and learn more about all we have to offer!

Carrie Thompson, Associate Director of First-Year Admissions

Carrie Thompson Headshot Email: carrie.thompson@sru.edu
Office: 724.738.4866

Hello. Thank you for taking time to learn more about Slippery Rock University, and for visiting my page. I was born and raised in Mercer, PA (just a hop, skip and jump away from SRU). My mother graduated with an Elementary Education degree from Slippery Rock University (it was actually Slippery Rock State College, at the time). The skills and experience she gained here shaped her into an amazing educator at Mercer Elementary School for 33 years. I chose a VERY different path and graduated from Clarion University with both my undergraduate and master’s degree in Communication and have worked in higher education for 20 years. I cannot say enough about the leadership, staff, faculty and students here at SRU. They truly are focused on excellence in and out of the classroom, your success as a student and providing you the experiences needed to walk across the stage with a diploma in one hand, and a job in the other.

I live in Shippenville, PA with my husband Ben, and our sons Caleb (a junior in college) and Mason (a junior in high school). Midnight and Molly (our two dogs) complete our family. I enjoy watching our boys in all their activities, singing and playing the piano, and just enjoying time with my family.

Selecting a college is one of many decisions you will make as a young adult. As a parent of college age/college bound students, I completely understand the process you are going through! There are many questions to sift through in regards to major, student organizations, housing, financial aid and much more. I would love to assist you with the process, so please feel free to reach out with any questions that you have. I hope to meet you on campus. Welcome to The Rock!

Kaila Hazinakis, Assistant Director of First-Year Admissions

Email: kaila.hazinakis@sru.edu
Office: 724.738.4878
Kaila Hazinakis

Thanks for taking some time to learn a little bit about who I am! I was born and raised in Warren, Ohio, an hour from SRU. I'm an alumna of Slippery Rock and graduated in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in Political Science. After graduation, I moved to Tempe, Arizona where I pursued a master's degree in Higher and Postsecondary Education at Arizona State University. Shortly after graduation from ASU, I decided to move back home to be closer to family and found myself working at the place that started it all and I could not be happier about it. College networks and involvement can you lead you back to places you may never imagined!

When I'm not in the office, I'm a cheerleading coach for my old high school. I'm an avid lover of all things coffee, dogs, travel, and fitness related. My most recent travel experience was to Athens, Greece and Santorini and I'm already planning the next! As a proud Slippery Rock alum, I look forward to meeting with you to talk through your college decision process and answer any questions you may have in the meantime. Do not hesitate to contact me at any time for any questions or concerns you may have! Welcome home!

Mark Metzka, Assistant Director of First-Year Admissions

Email: mark.metzka@sru.edu
Office: 724.738.4302

Hello and thank you for visiting my page and for the opportunity to share some things about myself. I grew up near Youngstown, OH and attended Springfield Local High School. From there I was fortunate enough to enroll as a student-athlete at Slippery Rock University. I received a bachelor's degree in Sport Management and a minor in Business Administration from SRU in 1995. I have worked in the admissions office since 2004 and you will see me mainly traveling in Northeast Ohio.

Karla Romero, Assistant Director of First-Year Admissions

Karla Romero

Email: karla.romero@sru.edu
Office: 724.738.2653

Hello! My name is Karla and thanks for taking the time stop by my page and for the opportunity to introduce myself. I grew up in Miami, Florida and moved to the Pittsburgh to attend college where I graduated with a B.A in Anthropology & Sociology and a minor Business Management.

While I do miss the year round summer weather and beaches, I have fallen in love with the City of Pittsburgh and currently reside just outside of the city. I enjoy going to city sporting events (professional or collegiate level), going to concerts, reading and going on travel adventures (especially to the beach) with friends and family.

I have been working in college admissions since I graduated college, and I absolutely love it! My passion lies in helping students realize and achieve their highest potential. While, I am not an alum of SRU, the faculty, staff and students all have made me feel part of the community since day one! My favorite thing about Slippery Rock is our amazing students. I think you will be amazed at what Slippery Rock has to offer. Not only will you find your new home on our beautiful campus but our community will help cultivate you into the professional you always wanted to be.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Hope to see you at The Rock soon!

Dallas Kline, Assistant Director of First-Year Admissions

Email: dallas.kline@sru.edu
Office: 724.738.2131 Dallas Kline

Hello! The Hello tradition is one of my favorites here at the Rock and I am so glad you are taking the time to say hi and learn more about us.

A little about me: I grew up in York, PA and am a proud two-time alumna of Slippery Rock University. I graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management. I also just finished my Master of Arts in Student Affairs in Higher Education in 2021. Outside of work, you can find me working with the SRU football team, watching Netflix, drinking iced coffee, watching/attending sporting events and concerts, and spending time with friends.

My experience as a student at SRU was better than I could have ever dreamed. It included everything from leadership opportunities, internships, international travel, and meeting lifelong friends/mentors. Because of my wonderful experience, I decided to make Slippery Rock my permanent home and join the Admissions team to assist prospective students and their families like you with your college search.

The college decision process is one of the most important times in your life and I would love to assist you in any way possible during this exciting journey. If you have any questions, are looking to set up a meeting, want to learn more about SRU, or you just want to keep tradition – make sure to reach out and say, “Hello!”

Marley Pensinger, Assistant Director of First-Year Admissions

Email: m arley.pensinger@sru.edu
Office: 724.738.2179 Marley Pensinger

Hello! Thank you for taking some time to get to know me and Slippery Rock University a little bit better. I grew up in Greencastle, Pennsylvania right on the Mason-Dixon line and never expected I would find my home away from home four hours away in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. I graduated from Slippery Rock University in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in Integrated Marketing Communication. Outside of work you’ll find me curled up with a good book, rewatching Grey’s Anatomy, or trying to keep up with all current social media trends.

My college admissions career started here at Slippery Rock as an undergraduate student working as a pride guide on campus tours, and I’m very happy to be back at SRU where it all started. The college search process can be overwhelming, but that’s why we are here to offer you some guidance and support. I love helping students find the right path on their own college journey, and I look forward to helping you learn what makes SRU home to myself and so many others.

One of my favorite things to do is talk about Slippery Rock University so do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. Welcome to The Rock!

First-Year Students

Meet Your Admissions Counselors

First-Year Students

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