Jayson VanHook Jayson VanHook (’98) enjoys taking a good thing and making it better; he is a “maximizer.” It’s a strength that serves him well in his various roles as director of institutional research at Lee, member of a celebrated barbershop quartet, doctoral candidate, and father of two. In his third floor office of the Higginbotham Administration Building, VanHook is surrounded by an intimidating collection of statistical manuals and textbooks. His desk is clear and his entire workspace is impeccably, almost impossibly, tidy. One glance around and it’s obvious that the man pays attention to details. It’s a good thing since he’s responsible for analyzing all institutional data at Lee. Despite rummaging through numbers for a living, Jayson has an easy and personable style. All inquiries are answered in a dark vocal timbre; a reminder that Mr. VanHook sings bass in the award winning vocal group, Four Voices. Crowned in 2002 as the International Barbershop Quartet Champions, this ensemble has been recognized as a top selling a cappella group. That’s a remarkable accomplishment but not good enough for Jayson. After graduating from Lee he earned a Masters Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. And just to drive the point home, he is finishing his Ph.D. in Administration, Curriculum, & Instruction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The man who views success simply as taking something good and making it better, is achieving his goal everyday through the different roles he plays as a husband, father, musician, researcher, and professor of business statistics. “Being at Lee is a natural fit for me,” says VanHook. “I enjoy my job so much because I get to find new ways to make what is good right now at Lee even better in the future.” Jayson VanHook and his wife, Arlyne, have two children; Logan age three, and Madison age one, who have, in Jayson’s life, already made the best even better.