About and Requests

Kennesaw State is one of the fastest growing schools in the University System of Georgia. In order to support this growth we are consistently implementing bigger and more complex systems. The ESS Project Management Group provides skilled Project Managers to highly visible and complex IT projects. Our role is to provide visibility to the many tasks needed to execute the project, to clearly and frequently communicate the status of projects and tasks, and to work closely with the Project Sponsor to ensure successful completion of projects and specific objectives.

The ESS Project Management team utilizes a traditional phased approach and identifies a sequence of steps to be completed for each project, using the "traditional approach", distinguished by the following five components of a project:

  • Initiation stage;
  • Planning or design stage;
  • Execution or production stage;
  • Monitoring and controlling systems;
  • Completion stage.

  • Elizabeth Starnes
    Assistant Director of Project Management
    Elizabeth Starnes, the Assistant Director of Project Management, joined Kennesaw State University in July 2006. As project manager, she develops and implements comprehensive project plans and management deliverables for KSU including issue resolution and communication across teams to ensure on-time and successful project delivery. In addition to her primary duties, she also teaches Project Management for KSU through the Center for University Learning. Her achievements at the University include Center for University Learning's Spring 2009 Facilitator of the Quarter, KSU’s 2010 Shining Star of the Year and the 2010 Kennesaw State Staff Employee of the Year.

    Elizabeth graduated from Covenant College with a degree in Organization Management (2004) and obtained her PMP Certification in 2011. Prior to working at KSU, Elizabeth worked as Director of Community Programs for Tallatoona CAP Inc., a nonprofit organization, where she developed multiple grants using outcomes-based management practices.

    Elizabeth is married to her husband Derik; they are proud parents to their son Briggs and to her twin niece (Bella) and nephew (Braden). She is an avid gardener who loves spending time in her Koi garden, but most of all she loves spending time with her family and friends.

  • Viola Lee
    Assistant Project Manager
    Viola Lee joined Kennesaw State University in March of 2009 as Assistant Project Manager for Enterprise Systems and Services. Viola assists in the implementation process of Enterprise systems tasks. Viola’s expertise in development management entails her to be the lead Project Manager for application development related assignments. In addition to managing strategies, she provides administrative support for Microsoft Projects. Viola is currently enrolled at Kennesaw State University and is pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Information Systems. In her free time, Viola enjoys spending time with her husband Paul, her three children Jessica, Tre’ and Maggie, a soft-coated Wheaten Terrier. One of Viola’s greatest passions is the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets whose football games she actively attends.

  • Serkan Oezsoy
    Assistant Project Manager
    Serkan joined the ESS Project Management Team in October of 2012. In addition to assisting the ESS Project Management team he also contributes to the ESS WebGroup with Project Management related assignments. Serkan has a special aptitude for the principles and applications of strategic management techniques with an emphasis on the design and management of computer information systems. Serkan graduated from Kennesaw State University in 2012 with a Bachelors of Science in Information Systems. He also holds an Associates of Science in Business Administration. In his free time, Serkan enjoys movies and caring for his two dogs, Chloe and Phoebe.

  • Carlie Schulter
    Student Assistant
    Carlie, currently a freshman at KSU, joined ESS in the fall of 2012 as Student Assistant. Prior to this position, she worked as the executive director of Kell Robotics, a FIRST Robotics Competition team. During her tenure on the team, Carlie was the project manager for the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam responsible for the production of ORCA. This project was chosen as a national winner of the Popular Science Magazine 2011 and showcased at the White House in February of 2012. Carlie’s details to project management have made her a valuable asset to the ESS team. When not building robots, or saving the environment, Carlie enjoys watching the Falcons, exercising, and painting.