President’s Cabinet
Erika K. Davis, Ed.D.
Vice President of Enrollment Management
Erika K. Davis, Ed.D. joined Georgian Court University on July 17, 2024, with proven experience in increasing institutional enrollment in mission driven institutions. Combining progressive management experience in both undergraduate and graduate operations she has become a compelling storyteller. Dr. Davis strategizes to execute creative and impactful recruiting initiatives that support the mission, ensure consistent brand messaging, and produce positive results. A servant leader who can build, coach, and mentor cross-functional teams and cultivate strong partnerships with stakeholders.
Dr. Davis is a resident of Allentown, PA and previously served as the Vice President of Enrollment Management and Marketing for Cedar Crest College, Allentown PA where she successful delivered the colleges first total enrollment increase in fall of 2021 during the pandemic. Fall 2021 total surpassed 2020 at 1,440 students, with incremental increase after six-year deficit. Serving on Middle States Accreditation Team Working Group for Standard IV: Support of Student Experience. Dr. Davis launched several new programs including Division III Women’s Wrestling for Fall 2022, Doctor of Occupational Therapy, and Master of Art Therapy online.
In addition, as the Assistant Vice-President of Online & Graduate Enrollment, Dr. Davis architected strategic initiatives for undergraduate online education and numerous signature graduate degree programs. She served as relationship manager among internal/external clients at executive management level to build articulation agreements with two-year and four-year institutions across a platform of programs. In Spring 2020, she increased the total student headcount and credit hours for College of Education. Dr. Davis also grew new student numbers for online and graduate division by 20% and increased total headcount for undergraduate online programs by 10% for Fall 2019 term.
A true believer Dr. Davis has also completed management roles at Neumann University (PA), Delaware State University (DE) and Trinity Washington University (DC). Dr. Davis has degrees from the University of Pittsburgh (B.A. in Communications), Carnegie Mellon University (M.A. in Professional Writing) and Morgan State University (Ed.D., Community College Leadership).
Julie Furst-Bowe, Ed.D.
Interim Provost
Dr. Julie Furst-Bowe is Chief Academic Officer for Georgian Court and leads the university’s faculty and curriculum in the School of Arts, Sciences, and Education, the School of Business & Digital Media, and the Hackensack Meridian Health School of Nursing and Wellness at GCU. She also serves in the lead role for student affairs, athletics and several academic support units.
Dr. Furst-Bowe previously served as Provost and Chief Academic Officer for Winona State University (Minnesota), Arkansas Tech University, Chippewa Valley Technical College (Wisconsin) and the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She also served as Chief Executive Officer at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and as Faculty Affairs Director at the University of Rochester (New York).
As a senior member of the President’s Cabinet, she leads the GCU Dean’s and Provost’s Councils, and has held many strategic taskforce positions, including in master planning and academic planning. She provides service to the Higher Learning Commission as a team chair, peer reviewer, Assessment Academy Mentor and Institutional Actions Council member.
She received her doctorate in education from the University of Minnesota. In 2024, she was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni from the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development.
Jeffrey Schaffer
Executive Director of Mission & Ministry
Mr. Jeff Schaffer brings more than three decades of pastoral experience in higher education to his role as Georgian Court’s Interim Executive Director of Mission and Ministry. He began his service to the university in 2013 as the Director of Campus Ministry.
Jeff maintains strong ties with the Conference of Mercy Higher Education (CMHE) and the Catholic Campus Ministry Association (CCMA) where he serves as the co-chair of the Pathways Certification Program. Jeff has wide-ranging experience with service and social justice programs and a depth of knowledge regarding the Catholic Social Justice Tradition and the Mercy charism.
Jeff has a Master in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University, New Orleans, a Graduate Certificate in Mercy Spirituality from Georgian Court, and the highest level of certification as a professional Catholic campus minister from CCMA.