Acting Director, University of Florida Honors Program

Dr. Roberts serves as Acting Director of the University of Florida Honors Program, providing leadership for students, faculty, and staff during a time of growth and transition, including the program's move to Honors Village. She brings decades of experience with UF Honors as an instructor, advisor, mentor, and collaborator in program development. A four-time Gator grad, she has taught communication, professional development, and interdisciplinary courses for more than thirty years within CLAS, the Honors Program, and the Warrington College of Business, and previously served as Director for the Dial Center.

A dedicated student advocate, Dr. Roberts directed UF's nationally recognized Speech & Debate Team for more than three decades and was named UF's 2023 Student Organization Advisor of the Year. Her work centers on experiential learning, mentoring, and professional communication, including support for Honors pre-health students navigating the interview process. She has also played a longstanding role in UF's PREVIEW for new students and consulted widely with campus, nonprofit, and professional organizations.

Her scholarship focuses on communication in the disciplines, mentoring, higher education curriculum, and peer evaluation of college teaching. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous honors including the Florida Communication Association Teacher of the Year Award, the Mort Wolfson Faculty Award for Outstanding Service to UF Students, a CLAS Faculty Achievement Award, and the American Forensic Association Lifetime Achievement Award.

A Lake City native and first-generation college student, Dr. Roberts began her UF journey as a community college transfer. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, cooking and baking, gardening, and life with the rescue cats who, as she notes, "weren't planned—they found me."