About Us
Our Team
Alva Smith
Executive Director
Alva Smith joined the FSU College of Law in June 2021 as Executive Director of the Stoops Center of Law and Business (Stoops Colab). Under her leadership, the Stoops Colab will bring together business professionals, experienced attorneys and students in a robust digital community featuring executive education and a collaborative community. Smith works with alumni of the FSU College of Law who are experts in various aspects of business law to create curriculum and course content for highly regulated industries. She co-hosts the Stoops Colab podcast, “Takin’ Care of Business,” with Professor Jeff Kahn and works with the business law students bringing them into the Stoops Colab community.
Smith is also serving her second term as an elected member of the Leon County School Board. Prior to joining the College of Law, Smith was Chief Executive Officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend. She is a graduate of Leadership Tallahassee and sits on the Leon County Value Adjustment Board. Smith is a 1992 graduate of the FSU College of Business.
Jeffrey H. Kahn
Harry M. Walborsky Professor and Associate Dean for Business Law Programs
Professor Jeffrey Kahn’s scholarship focuses on the federal tax area. He is the author of several treatises including Federal Income Tax (6th ed., Foundation Press 2011) (with Douglas Kahn) and Principles of Corporate Income Taxation (Thomson/West 2010) (with Douglas Kahn and Terrence Perris). He also has published numerous articles in both general law reviews and tax journals. Professor Kahn teaches primarily in the area of federal taxation, including personal income tax, corporate tax, partnership tax and international tax courses. He has also taught a seminar on tax policy. Outside of the tax area, he teaches torts and business organizations.
T.J. Percell
Marketing & Technology Coordinator
As a Marketing and Technology Coordinator, Timothy J. (T.J.) Percell assists with software research and selection as well as course construction. T.J. previously worked in the Admissions Office, providing much-needed recruiting assistance with the Fall 2022 incoming class. T.J. graduated with his J.D. from Florida State in Spring of 2021, earning a Business Law Certificate. His work while a law student included SUG mentoring, teaching and research assistance, as well as serving as a student ambassador and as Vice President of EASL. Prior to law school, T.J. was a math teacher, a private tutor, a coalition coordinator and a claims representative. T.J. is also the author of two books.
Gabrielle Argueta
Instructional Designer
Gabrielle is a two time FSU alumn receiving her B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Business and M.S. in Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies with a certification in Human Performance Technology. Prior to joining the Stoops Colab as the Instructional Designer, she served as the Personnel Liaison Associate for five FSU departments where she was responsible for HR actions. She gained experience in instructional design as an intern at the Office of Distance Learning, designing course structure and materials within Canvas.
