DIRECTOR
E. Gray Flora IV, Ph.D.

100 George Hall
Suite A-04
662-915-3410
gray@olemiss.edu

Originally from Macon, MS, Dr. Flora has been working in college access and success since 2009. He strives to leave “no stone unturned” in helping young people be successful. When Dr. Flora is not at work, you can find him with his family, playing pickleball, listening to podcasts about the NBA, or tinkering with his Spotify playlists. He holds degrees from the University of Mississippi, Vanderbilt, and Harvard.

PROGRAM MANAGER
Yasmin McLaurin, M.A.

100 George Hall
Suite A-02
662-915-3514
yasmin@olemiss.edu

Ms. Yasmin is a native of Bay Springs, MS. She received her Master of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Mississippi in 2022 and her Bachelor of Science in Social Science from Jackson State University in 2020. As a first-generation college student, she enjoys helping college students reach their full potential by proving them with the resources and skills to be successful beyond college. In her free time, Yasmin enjoys listening to music, singing karaoke, and playing with her puppy Kofi.

FOUNDER & ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBER
Stephen Monroe, Ph.D.

Dr. Monroe serves as Chair and Assistant Professor of Writing & Rhetoric at the University of Mississippi. In 2014, while serving as an Assistant Dean in the UM College of Liberal Arts, Dr. Monroe connected with Ms. Renvy Pittman (now Chair of the Grove Scholars Advisory Council) and together they explored how to create more opportunities at our institution for young people native to Mississippi. From those conversations, Dr. Monroe created the scaffolding for what today is the Grove Scholars program.