The Heart Behind the Work
We’re educators, facilitators, and advocates who believe in the power of reflection, dialogue, and community. Learn more about the values that guide us.
Meet the Team
Nickie Lora &
Kat O'Loughlin
Our approach is informed by over 30 years in leadership development, student affairs, and facilitation. Get to know the team behind our mission.
I love playing with old film cameras! It's a hobby of mine.
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Nickie Lora
Nickie Lora is the Executive Director of the Meelia Center for Community Engagement and an instructor in the Department of Sociology and Social work. Before coming to Saint Anselm College in 2013, she worked as a social worker in the Manchester community with youth and young adults who were unhoused. At the college she has worked to develop deep reciprocal partnerships between the Meelia Center and community partners, that help to meet the needs of the community while enhancing student learning. This has created the foundation for community partners, faculty, and students to engage with each other in innovative ways. Her leadership has helped the Meelia Center programs grow in both breadth and depth. Her belief in college students as powerful civic leaders has helped hundreds students deepen their understanding of civic engagement and community leadership, preparing them for an engaged life as a professional and a community member after college.
Co-Founder
She has also been part of several community coalitions that have worked to address community needs and create community programs through dialogue and organizing. As part of her graduate studies, she focused on dialogue facilitation. She has developed several programs at the college that involve dialogue and dialogue training, specifically focused on difficult topics. Through these trainings individuals develop skills necessary to listen with understanding and to build connections across differences.
She is lecturer in the Sociology and Social Work Department. As a macro practitioner, she often teaches classes about policy, community organizing, and foundational concepts. She believes that every student brings wisdom and valuable experiences to the classroom, creating a space where everyone learns from each other, including her. This belief extends to community knowledge, where community engaged learning is a powerful tool.
Nickie holds an MSW is from Boston University and she is a 2006 graduate of Saint Anselm College, where she earned her B.A. in Sociology.
Kat O'Loughlin
Kat O’Loughlin is an educator, facilitator, and co-founder of Lora & O’Loughlin Consulting. For more than a decade, Kat has worked at the intersection of education, service, and community—integrating these values into her work with students and into her own growth as an educator.
She has developed and led student leadership programs, first-year experiences, retreats, and social justice initiatives that invite students to connect with their values, build strong communities, and explore their roles as leaders. Her work often centers on helping students navigate complexity, deepen self-awareness, and engage in meaningful conversations across difference.
As a college instructor, Kat has taught courses in sociology, peace studies, and community engagement. Her approach to teaching is rooted in the belief that students bring lived wisdom into the classroom, and that learning is most impactful when grounded in curiosity, dialogue, and shared experience.
Her work has taken her into a variety of communities—from serving locally in New England to international experiences in places like Ethiopia and Guatemala, and a year spent in Montana with Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest. These experiences have shaped how she listens, builds relationships, and approaches her work—with curiosity, care, and a deep respect for the communities she’s part of.
Kat earned her M.Phil. in International Peace Studies from Trinity College Dublin in 2012 and her B.A. in Sociology from Saint Anselm College in 2010. Her approach to leadership and learning is grounded in reflection, justice, and the belief that community is essential to growth.
