About Us

Nadaya Cross

Director
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Nadaya joined Disability Services in 2018 and has served the TWU community as the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Coordinator, Assistant Director and now Director of DSS. Nadaya holds a Master’s of Social Work degree from University of Texas at Arlington and a Bachelor’s of Science in Business from Regent University. She takes pride in advocating for disabled students’ rights at TWU and in fostering partnerships with faculty to support disabled student learning. Nadaya believes in holding students with disabilities accountable to achieving their academic dreams in accessible educational environments. Nadaya enjoys spending time with her husband, menagerie of pets and hoarding yarn for never ending knitting and crochet projects.

Devin Axtman

Associate Director
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Devin joined the TWU Disability Services for Students team in March of 2026 as the Associate Director.  Devin has a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling, a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Studies, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, all from the University of North Texas.  Prior to joining the team at TWU, Devin worked at the Office of Disability Access at UNT as a Student Services Coordinator and Assistant Director of Assistive Technology and Accessible Instruction.  Devin is also a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC).  He has been working in higher education since 2013 and is excited to contribute to the TWU campus.  Devin is passionate about educating others on the social experience of disability and ensuring that disabled students have equal access to education.  Devin enjoys spending time with his wife and family and watching any kind of sport, especially hockey and professional wrestling.

Tiara Planz

Coordinator of Disability Services for Students
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Tiara joined the TWU Disability Services for Students team in February 2025. Tiara holds a Master’s of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology, both from the University of North Texas. Prior to joining TWU, Tiara worked as an International Recruitment Coordinator at UNT, helping students abroad apply and attend university in the US. She has been working in Higher Education since 2015, and is excited to continue doing so for the TWU student community. Tiara also completed her internship as a Student Assistance Counselor in the Denton school district. Tiara is currently a LPC- A (Licensed Professional Counselor - Associate) working towards getting her hours to become fully licensed. When she isn’t working, Tiara enjoys spending time with her family, drawing, and playing video games.

Roblyn Martin

Coordinator of Disability Services for Students
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Roblyn joined the team in DSS in September of 2025. She has worked in the Special Education and Mental Health fields beginning in the early 2000’s. Roblyn holds a Master of Science in Vocational Rehabilitation with a concentration in Licensed Professional Counseling and a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Sociology from Langston University. Roblyn has studied abroad in West Africa studying the sociological and cultural activities of the region. Roblyn is certified as a Qualified Mental Health Provider, and a Level II Case Manager. Prior to joining the staff at Texas Women University Roblyn worked with MHMR- Tarrant County, Goodwill North Central Texas with their college initiative North Texas Institute, and with the Americorp (Gear Up) program. She has also worked with the special education departments of Oklahoma City Public Schools and the Department of Defense Education Activity. Roblyn desires to assist members of the special needs community with learning to advocate for themselves. Roblyn enjoys working with many notable non-profit organizations as a liaison for mental health and special needs advocacy. During Roblyn’s down time she enjoys spending time with her family, reading and enjoying many facets of the arts.

Melanie Mims

Coordinator of Disability Services for Students
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Melanie joined TWU Disability Services for Students in September 2025. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of North Texas, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Social Work degree from Abilene Christian University. Melanie is passionate about equitable access to education for all people and supports holistic wellness including physical, mental, and social aspects. As a lover of literature, Melanie spends most of her free time reading but also enjoys long walks with her partner and their dog, indulging in hikes and picnics at nearby state parks on the weekends, and creating elaborate tea and coffee concoctions. 

Patricia Grant-LaCrosse

Testing Coordinator of Disability Services for Students 
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Jo Ann Reeves

Coordinator Emeritus 
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Kristie Sekmistrz

Coordinator of Disability Services for Students
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Kristie joined TWU Disability Services for Students in February 2017 as the first on-site coordinator for the Houston campus.  Prior to joining TWU, Kristie worked as vocational rehabilitation counselor for seven years with the State of Texas.  In this position, she assisted people with disabilities in completion of education and training as well as obtaining and maintaining competitive employment in their chosen fields. In addition, she served as one of the subject matter experts on autism and employment for the Houston region and served on the Regional Developmental Disabilities Team to improve the quality of services provided to people with developmental disabilities. Kristie earned a bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences/Pre-Med Studies from Michigan State University. She holds a master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, IL.  She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and has been an active member of the National Rehabilitation Association as well as the Texas Rehabilitation Association.  She is a current member of AHEAD (Association on Higher Education and Disability).

Allyson Simmonds

Coordinator of Disability Services for Students
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Allyson joined the TWU Disability Services for Students in February 2026. Prior to joining the TWU DSS family, she served students with disabilities in the areas of early intervention, K-12, group homes, and adult programs. Allyson’s first experience educating and advocating for people with disabilities came one summer while working alongside the Director of Deaf Services at the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Human Services. This led her to a Bachelor of Science degree in the Education of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing from Barton College. She holds a Master of the Arts degree from Southern New Hampshire University and a Doctor of Education degree from Concordia University Chicago. In her free time, her focus is on faith, family, and friends.