Our Staff
Director
Holly Lovern, she/her, M.Ed., MS
Contact: [email protected], 919-962-1343
Prior to serving as the Director of Violence Prevention and Advocacy Services, Holly served as a Gender Violence Services Coordinator (GVSC) at Carolina for almost eight years. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Lynchburg, a Master of Education from the University of South Carolina in Higher Education and Student Affairs, and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from East Carolina University. Previously, Holly worked in threat assessment and management at NC State University in their Violence Prevention and Threat Management team and in campus violence prevention and advocacy at the University of South Carolina. Her professional background also spans other functional areas of student affairs including new student orientation, first-year experience, fraternity and sorority life, and academic coaching and advising at both two and four-year institutions. Holly co-authored the first national benchmarking study of campus interpersonal violence advocacy practices. She’s a certified Victim Service Practitioner through the North Carolina Victim Assistance Network and holds professional certification in College Student Wellbeing, Trauma, and Resilience from Florida State University’s Institute for Family Violence Studies. She’s also a member of Campus Advocacy and Prevention Professionals (CAPPA) and the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP).
Outside of work, Holly enjoys reading, going to the beach, and her favorite snack combo - M&Ms and Dr. Pepper.
Gender Violence Services Staff
To connect with a Gender Violence Services Coordinator (GVSC), please email at [email protected] or by phone at 919-962-1343.
Connor McCaffrey, she/her, MSW
Contact: [email protected], 919-962-1343
Connor began working as a Gender Violence Services Coordinators (GVSC) in 2024. She obtained a Bachelor of Social Work degree from UNC Wilmington and a Master of Social Work degree from UNC Chapel Hill. Go Heels! She previously worked at InterAct of Wake County, a nonprofit organization that serves survivors of relationship violence and sexual assault. While at InterAct, Connor occupied the role of Sexual Assault Case Manager, providing support to survivors through crisis intervention, law enforcement advocacy, court accompaniment, and care coordination. She has experience facilitating survivor support groups as well as community trainings on violence prevention and trauma-informed survivor care for a variety of audiences. Additionally, Connor is passionate about ensuring services are accessible for everyone and grew in this skill set while working at the LGBTQ Center of Durham during her MSW program.
Outside of work, Connor enjoys cooking, attending concerts, taking walks with her dog, and playing in recreational sports leagues.
Andrea Wright, she/her, MA
Contact: [email protected], 919-962-1343
Andrea joined the VPAS team as a Gender Violence Services Coordinator (GVSC) in 2025. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Virginia Tech and a Master of Arts in Professional School Counseling from Appalachian State University. During her time at App, Andrea worked as Residence Director and served on call supporting students facing crises surrounding mental health, gender-based violence, harassment, and stalking. After graduating from App, Andrea worked as a School Counselor in Asheville where she helped open a charter school based around equitable education. One of her roles was to create programming and education for sexual abuse prevention and consent, and she also worked with community agencies to set up a food pantry at the school for students and their families. She then went on to work at UNC in their Dean of Students office as a Case Manager providing support and resources to students navigating various concerns on campus.
Outside of work, Andrea loves exploring new hiking spots, reading with her cats, and spending time with her family.