Monica Mensah, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
Monica, a native Houstonian, graduated from Rice University with a B.A. in Philosophy and a B.A. in Sociology. She earned her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center. As the Assistant Dean, Monica oversees student enrollment and records, course registration, scholarships and financial aid, bar preparation, student counseling and advising, study abroad programs, and student programming and events. In addition, she works strategically with a broad group of offices on the University of Houston campus. Prior to joining the Office of Student Affairs, Monica practiced as a civil rights and employment law attorney.
Erin Dickson, Director of Student Advisement
Erin attended the George Washington University, where she earned her B.A. in Psychology and played Division 1 water polo. She then earned her J.D. from University of San Diego. Erin practiced business litigation and energy law before returning to her hometown of Houston to work in higher education compliance. As the Director of Student Advisement, Erin provides advising and counseling services to students, as well as facilitating student programming and events. She serves as a general resource for students and assists in course registration and bar preparation.
Shahriar “Shah” Daram , Director of Reg & Enroll Svc
Shah, a Houstonian for over a decade, graduated from the University of Houston Downtown with a BS in Political Science and Philosophy. He is currently pursuing his MBA at SMU Cox School of Business with a focus on data analytics. He brings years of experience in student affairs and student financial aid with him. In his role at the Law Center, He oversees all aspects of student registration and enrollment, and is involved with various activities within OSA, ensuring students have the resources they need to succeed during their law school journey.
Samantha Ary, Academic Records Coordinator
Samantha is currently responsible for overseeing disability services for the Law Center, performing complimentary audits for graduating law students, assisting with the registration process and graduation certifications. Samantha received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Houston. Prior to joining the Law Center she worked for various departments on the UH main campus. She also served as an advisor and instructor at Texas Southern University.
Kristan Withers, Program Manager
As Program Manager, Kristan provides support to the Office of Student Affairs by performing administrative duties related to planning and coordinating programs for law students. Kristan is also the go to person for law student organizations and law journals and oversees orientation for all student leaders. Before joining the Law Center, Kristan worked as an Administrative Manager for a natural gas consulting firm.
Emelia Alvear, Assistant Director of Scholarships and Financial Aid
Emelia earned her B.A. in Consumer Finance from Ashford University. Having worked in both the private and public sectors of education, she holds years of expertise in the field as a financial aid administrator. Emelia has a mastery of the federal processing subject area having earned full credentialing from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. Emelia takes an active role in serving students by encouraging financial literacy, providing financial aid counseling, and proactively helping students navigate the financial aid process.
Long Pham, Registration and Academic Records Assistant II
Prior to joining the Law Center Long worked as a Testing Coordinator. As the Registration and Academics Records Assistant II, Long is responsible for handling exam conflicts and processing all student requests including bar-related documents, petitions, and enrollment verifications and certifications.
Jennifer Aaron, Secretary II
As Secretary II, Jennifer provides support to the Office of Student Affairs by performing various administrative duties related to course advising and registration, exam administration, graduation, paying invoices and overall student-development. Before joining the Law Center staff, Jennifer worked several years as a General Office Clerk III at Vinson & Elkins LLP.
