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SPRINGFIELD – The addition of academic counselors Brian Armelli and Katelynn Christian to the staff of the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Academic Achievement Center at Missouri State University will enhance academic support services for some 400 Bears student-athletes, according to center director Dan Raines.
Armelli will officially begin his role at Missouri State on May 18, while Christian will officially join the staff on July 1.
Armelli comes to Missouri State from the University of Minnesota, where he served as an assistant learning specialist during the 2021-22 school year. During his time with Minnesota athletics, he developed individualized academic plans for numerous athletes across eight varsity sports.
He is a 2009 graduate of Bowling Green State University, earning his B.S. in Education with a concentration in Sport Enterprise before earning his M.S. in Education with a concentration in Sports Administration in 2015 from the University of Akron.
A native of Mentor, Ohio, Armelli holds membership in the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) and the National Academic Advising Association.
“Our office is thrilled to add Brian to our staff,” said Raines. “Brian’s philosophy aligns with our own, as he puts a high priority on developing relationships and building student success from that foundation. He has great experience from the University of Akron and the University of Minnesota, along with time working in secondary education, so he brings a skill set that will allow our office to offer even greater support to our students. We believe all of our student-athletes and coaches will enjoy working with Brian and greatly benefit from his skills and experience.”
Christian is a 2018 graduate of Ottawa (Kan.) University where she earned a degree in Psychology and Human Services. She went on to earn his Master’s in Educational from Williams Baptist University in 2020.
She has served most recently at the Missouri College Advising Corps where she was a college and career advisor. Prior to that, Christian was an assistant softball coach at Williams Baptist from 2018-20.
“Our staff has gotten to know Katelynn this semester through her practicum experience, and we are extremely excited to add her in a full-time role,” Raines explained. “Katelynn is completing her graduate certificate in Collegiate Advising this semester, which demonstrates her passion and commitment to our field. She enjoys working with students and brings great experience to the job, having coached collegiately and worked in secondary advising as well. Katelynn has a passion for helping students to reach their goals and we believe that she can have a great impact working in this role with our outstanding student-athletes and coaches.”
Both hires are contingent upon final approval by the Missouri State University Board of Governors at its next scheduled meeting.
