Women's Leadership Cohort
20222023-
20232024
Carrie Grogan Abbott
Carrie Grogan Abbott is a director of New Student and Family Programs. In this role, Carrie directs the work of University units associated with welcoming, orienting and supporting first-year and transfer students from entry into the University and throughout their first year. Carrie has over 20 years’ experience in higher education, with a focus in new student orientation, first-year experience, student transition, and large-scale operational logistics. During her tenure at Syracuse University, Carrie has also served roles in Study Abroad, Student Activities, Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, and Facilities Management. Originally from Bedford, NH, Carrie holds a master’s degree in higher education from Syracuse University, a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Ithaca College, and in July will receive a certificate in change management from Cornell University.
Christine Ashby
Christine Ashby, Ph.D. is Professor of Inclusive Special Education and Disability Studies at Syracuse University. She teaches across all levels of the program from undergraduate to doctoral, and coordinates the undergraduate Inclusive Elementary and Special Education Program and the Childhood Education Masters’ Program. She is also the Director of the Center on Disability and Inclusion, a disability-related research center that works to develop and implement initiatives promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of school and society—both locally and globally.
Professor Ashby's teaching and research focus on inclusive education broadly, with specific emphasis on supports for students with labels of autism and other developmental disabilities, communicative diversity, disability studies, and inclusive teacher preparation. Her work seeks to disrupt dominant notions of disability as deficiency and underscores the importance of considering the lived experiences of individuals with disabilities and creating contexts for competence in inclusive schools and communities. She has been awarded over 19 million dollars in external funding to support work related to improving outcomes for students with disabilities at all levels, communication and academic access, and teacher and scholar development. Ashby’s work has been published in journals including the Disability and Society, Intellectual and Developmental Disability, International Journal of Inclusive Education, Equity and Excellence in Education, and Teacher Education and Special Education. Her co-edited book, Enacting Change from Within: Disability Studies Meets Teaching and Teacher Education explores how disability studies can inform the practical work of teachers. She is also the co-editor of Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning.
Nadine Austin
Nadine Austin is the Budget Analyst in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost. She earned her M.B.A., with a concentration in Accounting and Finance, from Southern New Hampshire University and her B.A. from Russell Sage College. She holds a Project Management certification from Syracuse University, Whitman School of Management. Prior to joining the Office of the Provost, Nadine served as Associate Director for CLASS (Center for Learning & Student Success), responsible for the day-to-day operations of the center. Nadine was the Director of Administration with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Outside the office, when she’s not cheering on the SU Orange Men’s Basketball team, Nadine can be found spending time with her grandson, Maverick, and traveling with her family to warmer climates!
Sarah Azria
Sarah Azria serves as the Director of Benefits Strategy in the Office of Human Resources where she leads a team responsible for the strategic planning, communications, and administration of the University’s benefits program. Additionally, Sarah serves on the Executive Committee of the Preferred University Rx Purchasing Coalition, a 40+ university coalition for which Syracuse University is a member school. Prior to her current role, Sarah served as Assistant Director in the Office of Budget and Planning, collaborating with various units and responsibility centers to strategically plan and manage budgets in support of the University’s strategic initiatives and fiscal priorities. Before SU, Sarah worked in various benefits finance and administrative roles for John Hancock Financial Services and Fidelity Investments in Massachusetts. Sarah earned a Bachelor of Science from Syracuse University with a dual major in Finance and Advertising from the Whitman and Newhouse Schools, respectively. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Business Analytics from the Whitman School.
Kristen Barnes
Kristen Barnes is an Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Professor of Law. Professor Barnes teaches courses on Property, Housing Law, Voting Rights Law, and International Law. Barnes received her B.A. in Political Science from Vassar College, J.D. from Harvard Law School, and Ph.D. in Literature from Duke University. Dr. Barnes’s scholarship focuses on anti-discrimination and equality law, property, housing, education, constitutional law, and pensions. She has published articles in top law review journals including Duke Journal of Constitutional Law and Public Policy, Harvard Journal of Racial and Ethnic Justice, and Chicago-Kent Law Review.
The American Bar Foundation awarded Dr. Barnes a residency as a visiting scholar for the 2019-2020 and 2018-2019 academic years. She has presented her work at numerous prestigious conferences such as the American Society of International Law Midyear Meeting, Harvard Law School’s Institute of Global Law and Policy Conference, the Association of Law, Property, and Society Annual Conference, Loyola Law School’s Constitutional Colloquium, and Fordham Law School’s International and Comparative Urban Law Conference.
Professor Barnes has served in several AALS leadership roles including Chair of the Section on Property Law, Chair of the Real Estate Transactions Section, and Chair-Elect of the European Law Section. In the international arena, Barnes has served as Co-Chair of the American Society of International Law Midyear Meeting (2019). She is also a member of the University of California - Berkeley’s Comparative Law Equality Working Group. Prior to entering academia, Professor Barnes practiced commercial real estate law in Chicago and clerked for a federal district court judge in the Northern District of Illinois.
Urvashi Bhattacharya
Urvashi Bhattacharya is director for strategic initiatives and project management for the Division of Business, Finance and Administrative Services (BFAS) at Syracuse University. Born and raised in India, Bhattacharya earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Delhi University and a master’s in international economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She then went on to earn an MBA from the Xavier’s Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar.
Bhattacharya began her career in Rochester, NY as a market research analyst and has held roles in areas ranging from strategy, sales operations and business process design and improvement. Her love for data and numbers was foundational to her success in these roles and led her down the path of getting certified as a black belt in Lean Six Sigma while at Xerox Corp.
In March 2019 Bhattacharya joined Syracuse University to manage critical projects and initiatives within BFAS to help advance short- and long-term goals for the Division. She was assigned to the University’s COVID project management office (PMO) for the 2020 -2022 academic years. Her primary areas of focus were data management and reporting, and the compliance program for surveillance testing. As part of the COVID PMO, Bhattacharya received the 2021-22 Chancellor’s Citation of Excellence Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Student Experience and University Initiatives.
Bhattacharya lives in Fayetteville, NY with her husband Sid and two children, Shreya (15) and Dhruv (10). When not answering the question ‘why’ for the bajillionth time, she loves getting a healthy dose of shinrin-yoku in Green Lakes State Park, indulging her love for all-things-NPR, and binge-watching Stranger Things.
Lynn Brann
Dr. Lynn Brann serves as the Chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies and the Department of Exercise Science. Her research interests include the examination of dietary intake and diet quality of children related to growth, development, and health, as well as mindful eating to improve food acceptance and self-regulation in children. Dr. Brann received the Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Award in 2021. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and is a past chair and advisor to the Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Julia Carboni
Julia L. Carboni, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs Department of Public Administration and International Affairs. She also chairs the Citizenship and Civic Engagement program and serves as the Collaborative Governance Research Director for the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC). She conducts research on organizational collaboration and collaborative philanthropy with an emphasis on veteran serving networks, food systems, and community development. She teaches courses on collaboration, nonprofit management, and community development. She was a co-Convener of Minnowbrook at 50, a watershed event in public administration that occurs once a generation. She serves or has served on national committees for multiple professional associations including the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA); the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA); the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA); and the University Network on Collaborative Governance (UNCG). She also serves on the boards for the Food Bank of Central New York and the Syracuse Onondaga Food System Alliance (SOFSA) and was a co-Founder of the Indy Food Council, a food policy council for the 9th largest US city.
Heather Coleman
Heather Coleman is an Associate Professor of Biology at Syracuse University. She received her Ph.D. from University of British Columbia and was a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellow at Queensland University of Technology. Heather is currently Associate Chair and Director of Undergraduate Studies for Biology and Chair of the Senate Instruction Committee. She serves as Coordinator for the International Union of Forest Research Organization’s Working Group on Molecular Biology of Forest Trees, and is a member of the Scientific and Industrial Advisory Board for the Department of Energy funded Center for Bioenergy Innovation and an editor for Tree Physiology.
Research in the Coleman Lab focuses on understanding how plant cell walls are formed and the various internal and external factors which influence their characteristics. Current projects in the lab include mapping the transcriptional regulation network of hemicellulose production, understanding subfunctionalization of gene duplicates in poplar, and determining the impact of mycorrhizal fungi on poplar growth, physiology and cell wall development.
Melinda Dermody
Melinda Dermody is the Interim Associate Dean for Academic Success at Syracuse University Libraries. She has over 25 years of academic library experience, serving in leadership roles for the majority of that time. In her current role, Melinda leads the areas of Access & Resource Sharing, Information Literacy, and Learning and Academic Engagement. These units support the success of students and faculty in many ways, including instruction and information literacy, research assistance in person and virtually, and provision of access to collections, study spaces and technology items and support. In her previous role, Melinda served as Department Head of Access & Resource Sharing at the Libraries. Prior to joining Syracuse University, Melinda held positions leading library service areas at several other universities and colleges. Melinda holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English from The Ohio State University and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Texas at Austin. She is also President of the Board of Trustees of the Community Library of DeWitt and Jamesville.
Amanda Eubanks Winkler
Amanda Eubanks Winkler is a Professor of Music History and Cultures, and Chair of the Department of Art and Music Histories. She received her Ph.D. in Musicology from University of Michigan.
Prof. Eubanks Winkler's research focuses on English music of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and twentieth centuries. She was a long-term fellow at the Folger Shakespeare Library (2001–2002) and served as the Co-Investigator on Performing Restoration Shakespeare, a project funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council, UK (2017-2020). She has published on a broad range of topics, including the relationship among musical, spiritual, and bodily disorder; performance and pedagogy; musical depictions of the goddess Venus; the gendering of musical spirits; music and Shakespeare; and the intersection of music and politics. She has also engaged with performance studies and practice-based research, including workshops that staged excerpts of Davenant's Macbeth and Gildon's Measure for Measure (Folger Theatre, Washington DC) and Middleton's The Witch (Blackfriars Conference, Staunton, VA). As part of the Performing Restoration Shakespeare project, she served as music director for a workshop of the Restoration-era Tempest (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare's Globe, London) and more recently she co-led a workshop for scholars and served as a consultant for a full professional production of Davenant’s Macbeth, staged at the Folger Theatre, Washington DC. She is a General Editor for The Collected Works of John Eccles (A-R Editions) and has published two volumes of Restoration theatre music. Her two most recent books are Music, Dance, and Drama in Early Modern English Schools (Cambridge University Press, 2020), which was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Diana McVeagh Book Prize competition by the North American British Music Studies Association, and Shakespeare in the Theatre: Sir William Davenant and the Duke's Company, co-authored with Richard Schoch (Arden Shakespeare/Bloomsbury, 2021). Her next project is a book which situates Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals from the 70s and 80s within a social and political context.
Heidi Hehnly
Heidi Hehnly’s laboratory addresses the cellular mechanisms connecting cilia formation, polarity formation, membrane traffic, and the centrosome, in the context of a developing tissue. As a postdoc with Dr. Stephen Doxsey (UMASS Med, 2010-2014) and a collaborative postdoc with Dr. John Scott (HHMI, UW, 2014-2015), Dr. Hehnly developed an innovative means to study centrosome biology and its role in cell polarity and primary cilia formation. Using biochemical and microscopic approaches, she found that Rab11, best known for its role in the control of endosomes, is localized to mother centriole appendages, a structure that functionally defines the “older” centriole of the centriole pair (Hehnly et al. Current Bio 2012). She went on to identify the molecular linkage that connects these two organelles in vitro (Hehnly et al. Current Bio 2012, Hehnly & Doxsey, Dev Cell 2014). In Dr. Hehnly’s lab her and her team investigate the nature of this interaction in vivo using the model organism Danio rerio (Rathbun L et al. Nature Comm. 2020, Curr Bio 2020, Krishnan N et al. LSA 2022). In addition, her group is identifying mechanisms for the centrosome proteins gamma-tubulin, Gravin, cenexin, ninein, Cep215, and/or pericentrin in polarity formation, embryogenesis, and cardiovascular development (Chen, Hehnly et al. Current Bio. 2014, Hehnly et al. eLife 2015, Colicino et al. MBoC 2018 and 2019, Rathbun et al. Nature Comm 2020, Curr Bio 2020, Aljiboury et al. MBoC 2022). She has successfully managed projects funded by the NIH, and the Department of Defense. Two Ph.D.s and one masters student have graduated from her lab and moved on to postdoctoral positions (Ph.D.s) or a position at Invitrogen (Masters), and she is currently mentoring four graduate students, multiple undergraduate students, two technicians at different stages of their careers, two postdoctoral fellows, and directs the Microscopy Core at SU called the Blatt BioImaging Center. Dr. Hehnly has helped to enrich the academic and social environment at SU by co-founding with Dr. Boryana Rossa the Syracuse Bio-ART mixer.
Alicia Madden
Alicia Madden has been with Syracuse University since February 2021 as Director of Finance and Administration for the School of Information Studies. In July, Alicia will transition to the Maxwell School to serve as Senior Director of Budget and Administration. Prior to joining the University, Alicia spent six years at the City of Syracuse as Director of Financial Operations where she oversaw the centralization of city finances and creation of a new department. She previously worked as a Budget Analyst for the New York State Division of Budget, as well as for the State Senate and Assembly. Alicia earned her Masters of Public Administration from the Maxwell School in 2010 and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Political Science from Marist College. She lives in the Strathmore neighborhood of Syracuse with her husband, Kyle, and her two little girls – Eleanor and Florence.
Katherine McDonald
Dr. Katherine (Katie) McDonald is a Professor of Public Health and the Associate Dean of Research in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics at Syracuse University. Dr. McDonald received her B.S. with Distinction in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in French from Cornell University and her Ph.D. in Community and Prevention Research Psychology with a minor in Statistics, Methods and Measurements from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. McDonald’s scholarship uses socioecological theory and action research to understand and promote the inclusion of individuals with disabilities. Her current research encompasses two core areas of inquiry: ethical, legal, and social issues in research with adults with intellectual disability and community-engaged research on disability disparities.
Dr. McDonald is a Fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Chair of Syracuse University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), and a Deputy Editor for Autism in Adulthood. Dr. McDonald previously lived in community with individuals with and without intellectual disability.
Pam Mulligan
As Executive Director, Alumni Engagement, Pam leads the New York City based alumni engagement team and provides the strategic direction for alumni engagement programming, communications, and partnerships in the New York metro area, Syracuse University’s largest alumni base. Pam collaborates with event, advancement, and academic unit teams in creating and implementing effective vehicles for engaging Syracuse University’s alumni, donors, parents, friends, current students, and prospective students and establishing lifelong relationships with them. Pam also manages a portfolio of alumni donors and prospects.
Pam earned dual bachelor’s degree from the Newhouse School in TRF Management and the Maxwell School in Political Science. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Corporate & Public Communications from Seton Hall University and a Juris Doctor from Seton Hall Law School. Before returning to SU, Pam practiced law for ten years and worked in direct marketing and fundraising with many of the most well-known non-profit organizations, theatre groups, and publishers in the country.
Pam currently co-leads the Alumni Relations Campus Council, serves as Vice President of the AEA Diversity Council Executive Committee, leads the NYC National Campaign Council’s Engagement and Participation Committee, serves as staff liaison to the SU Alumni Association Board of Trustees Philanthropy Committee, and sits on the AEAC Corporate Engagement Committee and the Faculty/Staff Giving Committee.
Pam believes strongly in volunteerism and has served the Syracuse University community as an alumni volunteer for many years as an Admissions Representative, Alumni Club Leader, and as Vice President of the Syracuse University Alumni Association Board of Directors. Pam continues her volunteer leadership in the community as a foundation trustee.
Shikha Nangia
Shikha Nangia is an associate professor and director of the Bioengineering Graduate Program in the Biomedical and Chemical Engineering department at Syracuse University.
Nangia’s research group focuses on studying blood-brain barrier using theoretical and computational techniques. The goal is to enable the transport of drug molecules across the blood-brain barrier, which has been the biggest impediment for finding a cure for brain related ailments such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. This project was funded through the NSF-CAREER award.
Additionally, her group focuses on computational multiscale modeling of nanomaterials, including nanomedicine, drug delivery nanocarriers, and nano-bio interactions. The goal of this research is to design efficient nanosized drug delivery carriers to target cancer tumor cells that hold the key to a new era of cancer treatment. To achieve their research goals they are developing quantitative approaches for characterizing interaction of nanoscale entities with living matter (serum, cell-membranes, cells). The group’s computational approaches are directed to analyze these complex nano-bio interactions in an effort to design safe and smart drug delivery nanocarriers.
Jane Read
Jane Read is an associate professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment and director of the Maxwell School’s Environment, Sustainability and Policy Integrated Learning Major at Syracuse University. Read served as president of the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science in 2021-2022 and remains on the executive committee through 2023. She holds degrees from the University of London (B.S. environmental science 1987; M.S. surveying 1990) and a Ph.D. in geography (1999) from Louisiana State University. She has served on the faculty at Syracuse University since 1999.
Read specializes in geographic information systems, remote sensing, land use and land cover, and human-environment interactions. Much of her research has focused in the neotropics, including Costa Rica, Brazil and Guyana, although she has also studied historical land changes in the Adirondacks of New York state.
Read has published on applications of GIS and remote sensing to land-use and land-cover changes, selective logging operations, indigenous hunting patterns and uses of traditional knowledge in vegetation mapping using remote sensing imagery and identification of multiple-use tree species in Guyana.
Read teaches courses in introductory and advanced GIS/GIScience, remote sensing, global environmental change, tropical environments and spatial storytelling, and advises graduate students within her realm of expertise. She is interested in strategies to support faculty, and improve curriculum, student engagement, and diversity in STEM/geospatial sciences.
Carol Ruffin
Carol J. Ruffin oversees academic advising, career development, and student success services for undergraduate and graduate students within the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Before joining the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Dr. Ruffin served in a variety of leadership roles in the public, private/non-profit, and the proprietary sectors of higher education. Her decades long higher education career includes progressive responsibilities in the areas of academic advising, student services, continuing education, student and family engagement, and enrollment management. Dr. Ruffin has shared her expertise with other institutions while serving as a peer evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). She has successfully completed three MSCHE institutional site visits in the past three years.
Dr. Ruffin believes that it is her responsibility as a leader to ensure that those that she impacts have a fair opportunity to utilize their talents, resources, skills and/or abilities to benefit the institution they are connected to; focusing on students but also supporting other constituents and key stakeholders. Her ultimate goal is to positively affect the greater good and/or those she works with and works for which include; her students, faculty, staff and the administration as well as the interconnected global community at large.
Dr. Ruffin earned a bachelor of science in marketing and a master of science in education from St. John’s University and a doctor of education in executive leadership from St. John Fisher College.
Stephanie Salanger
Stephanie Salanger began as director of communications at Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) and Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA) in 2017, bringing with her more than 30 years of experience in marketing communications agency and corporate communications roles, covering strategic communications, public relations, media relations, and corporate social responsibility in a variety of business industries.
Salanger is responsible for driving the national strategy of both the IVMF and OVMA as well as enhancing the reputation of the Syracuse University brand with regards to its imperative of supporting military-connected audiences. She spearheads the communications and design team to deliver impactful messaging and reputation management for the 13 national training programs within the entrepreneurship, community engagement, education and research pillars of the IVMF and the student veteran strategy and experience on campus for the OVMA.
Salanger previously held senior-level communications roles at Eric Mower and Associates, Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications. She managed the development and execution of Time Warner Cable’s national Connect a Million Minds STEM Initiative in the Northeast – a national program challenging parents, mentors, students and employers to increase involvement in after-school STEM-related activities. Her STEM in Sports initiative and STEM Regional Science Festival received telecommunications industry Beacon Awards in 2014 and 2015 and she was awarded several Public Relations Society of America and American Advertising Federation awards for her community engagement and public relations efforts on behalf of a variety of former clients.
Yutaka Sho
Yutaka Sho’s research and practice investigate the roles of architecture in the global development industry and in post-atrocity reconciliation and rebuilding processes. Sho has practiced, researched, and taught in the US, Rwanda, and Japan.
Sho is a partner and co-founder of nonprofit architecture firm General Architecture Collaborative (GAC) that works with underrepresented communities to build aesthetically engaging spaces while using the construction sites for end-user training. GAC’s work includes self-build homes funded by the 2012 Arnold Brunner Grant which received the 2014 EDRA Great Places Award; the Masoro Health Center which was recognized by AIA Virginia, Dazeen, Architizer, SARA NY and Architecture Masterprize in 2020; and the Masoro Learning and Sports Center in 2021 which has been recognized by SARA NY and Architizer. GAC is currently working on the masterplan and design of 22-acre campus for Kigali International Community School, Rwanda Housing Project to survey and document 370 rural homes with architecture students from University of Rwanda and Syracuse, among others. GAC was the recipient of Best of Practice Award for Architect (Small Firm) in the Northeast by The Architect’s Newspaper in 2021, and was named the Game Changers by the Metropolis Magazine in 2020.
Sho received MArch from Harvard Graduate School of Design and Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Bachelor of Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design. Sho is a current doctoral candidate at the University of Tokyo.
Saba Siddiki
Saba Siddiki is an associate professor of public administration and international affairs and a senior research associate in the Center for Policy Research. Her research focuses on policy design, collaborative policymaking, institutional theory and analysis, and regulatory implementation and compliance. She has studied these topics in the contexts of food and environmental policy.
Her research has been published in leading public affairs journals, including the Policy Studies Journal, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Public Administration Review, Public Administration, among others. She is also the author or editor of multiple books, including “Institutional Grammar: Foundations and Applications for Institutional Analysis.”
Siddiki received a Ph.D. in public affairs from the University of Colorado Denver in 2011. She currently serves as associate editor for Policy Design and Practice.
Danielle Smith
Danielle Smith is a professor of African American studies in the College of Arts and Sciences and the director of the Renée Crown University Honors Program. Professor Smith teaches coursework focusing on global public health, environmental sustainability and issues of social justice and human rights.
Smith’s core research areas include refugee migration and resettlement, reconciliation and reconstruction in post-conflict societies, and disaster response and management, with particular focus on Africa and its diasporas.
Smith has presented her work nationally and globally. Her research and writings have been published in scholarly journals including the Journal of Health and Social Policy, Global Public Health, Economic Development Quarterly, Development and Society, Journal of Black Studies and Liberian Studies Journal.
Emily Stokes-Rees
Emily Stokes-Rees is Director of the School of Design and the Iris Magidson Endowed Professor of Design Leadership. In addition to a holding a doctorate in Material Anthropology, Emily is a museum professional with close to twenty years of experience in a variety of positions, from exhibition development and interpretation to education and collections management. Her research centers on evolving ideas around cultural citizenship and representation in postcolonial Asia, though more broadly she is interested in how museums and their collections might act as agents for social change. Recent publications include a book on postcolonial museums in Asia (Rowman and Littlefield International, 2019) and a number of journal articles on museums in Japan, Macau, and Canada. Emily is currently Chair of the Senate Agenda Committee, and serves on a number of museum and professional boards. She also recently completed a 2-year term as editor of the journal, Museum Anthropology. Emily has taught courses on cultural heritage preservation, professional practice, curatorship, and interpretation for the Graduate Program in Museum Studies – she loves all the hands-on, creative aspects of what she does, and treasures every moment spent working with collections both in the classroom and the gallery.
Erika Turner
Erika Turner is the Assistant Director of the Science, Tech, and Entry Program (STEP) at Syracuse University. She is a native of Syracuse, NY, and a lifelong educator with over twenty years of experience. Her current focus is working with diverse populations in Higher Education. Turner is dedicated to all-inclusive support and development of students while supporting the institutional mission and encouraging self-discovery.
Robin Wade
Robin Wade is the executive director of digital at Syracuse University. She has over 30 years of experience in digital and print industries with a background of leadership, communications, marketing, social media, writing, design, and technical expertise in both the public and private sector
Eliana Abu-Hamdi, Ph.D.
Eliana Abu-Hamdi, Ph.D. recently joined the School of Architecture in the newly created Associate Dean for Research (ADR) position where she will lead strategic efforts to promote and increase scholarship, creative work, and sponsored research; assist in cultivating faculty research projects; and work to develop innovative, collaborative and entrepreneurial initiatives within the School of Architecture.
As an experienced architectural practitioner and educator, Abu-Hamdi is a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Architectural Historians (SAH), as well as the Society for American City and Regional Planning History (SACRPH). Before coming to Syracuse, she was the Program Manager for the Global Architectural History Teaching Collaborative (GAHTC)—an Andrew W. Mellon global humanities research grant, housed in the Architecture Department at MIT—and was a Visiting Associate Professor at Pratt Institute. Abu-Hamdi also taught courses on Global Poverty, the Ethics of Development, and the History of Urbanism and Global Cities at Hunter College in Manhattan, and Global Urbanism at Boston Architectural College.
An urbanist, designer, and Middle Eastern/Global South scholar, Abu-Hamdi’s work has been published in a number of journals and edited volumes. Her research on architecture and development in Jordan contributes to the debates on the political economy of urbanism in developing cities, thereby establishing a connection between their geopolitical histories and urban present.
Abu-Hamdi received her Ph.D. and Master of Science degrees in Architectural History from UC Berkeley with a designated emphasis in Global Metropolitan Studies, as well as a Master of Architecture degree from the NewSchool of Architecture and Design.
Simone Adams
Simone Adams (She/Her) earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Spelman College and a Master of Arts from Syracuse University’s Marriage and Family Therapy program. Originally from Fresno, CA, Simone is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in NY state with 18+ years of clinical and leadership/supervisory experience in a range of professional settings including community non-profit, juvenile justice, child welfare, college mental health and private practice. She is also an Approved Supervisor with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists. She currently serves as an Assistant Director at Syracuse University’s Barnes Center at the Arch Counseling Center, an adjunct professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy graduate program at Syracuse University and has owned a private practice for the last 13 years where she currently provides clinical supervision and consultation to mental health professionals/clinicians in the Syracuse community. Because of her training as a MFT, she believes in the healing power of relationships and believes in the significant impact community systems and relationships can have on our overall health and wellness. Simone is passionate about social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion and feels committed to supporting the mental health of the Black community. She is a member of the DEIA committee in the Barnes center, has led a work group to create resources to support staff of color in Barnes, and facilitates a BIPOC group supervision for clinicians of color in the counseling center. Simone is also very aware of the risk of experiencing burn out given the intensity and depth of the work she does and because of this, she is passionate about her own self-care and overall health and wellness. She enjoys spending quality and intentional time with friends and family, traveling, knitting, and physical activity such as yoga, Pilates, volleyball and pole fitness.
Shannon Feeney Andre
Shannon Feeney Andre is the executive director of communications for the Student Experience division where she leads a team responsible for strategizing, creating and implementing communication efforts for divisional and departmental student-focused initiatives, services and programs. Shannon began her career at the United Way of Central New York where she managed and promoted children’s literacy initiatives and volunteerism efforts in the community. Since returning to the University in 2011, Shannon has held engagement and communications-focused roles within the division. Originally from New Jersey, Shannon is a two-time alumna of Syracuse University, earning a bachelor’s degree in public relations and political science and a master’s degree in communications management from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Carlota Deseda-Coon
Carlota Deseda-Coon has served as the Director of Academic Advising in the College of Arts and Sciences and The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs since 2018. Her focus is on nurturing relationships between the advising team and students, faculty, and parents and families, developing data-driven strategies to improve undergraduate student satisfaction and time-to-degree completion. She is passionate about developing policies and initiatives that promote sense of belonging, empower self-agency, and maximize opportunities for students’ during their academic journey. She previously held various roles in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, including Director of Student Success, coordinator of the Museum Studies program, and curriculum and publications specialist. Two decades of experience have provided her with a broad perspective into the world of academia.
Carlota has a long history of seeking and promoting collaboration between different offices at Syracuse, and has served in a number of committees at the college and University levels. She is committed to creating inclusive environments for students and colleagues, and has developed a comprehensive training program for onboarding advisors, to provide students with quality services and rooted in cultural awareness and respect.
Carlota earned her M.A. in Museum Studies from Syracuse University, and her undergraduate degree in design from her home country, Venezuela. She is currently pursuing doctorate studies at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies.
Emily Dittman
Emily Dittman currently serves as the Interim Director at the Syracuse University Art Museum. She earned her M.A. in Museum Studies and a M.S. degree in Library and Information Studies from Syracuse University, and her B.A. in History, with a minor in English, from Allegheny College.
With nearly twenty-years’ experience in cultural institutions, Dittman began her nonprofit career in Washington, DC as a Curatorial Assistant at the Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs Division, specifically working with the Swann Collection of Cartoons and Caricature Art. At the Syracuse University Art Museum, Dittman has held several positions ranging from Collections Assistant to Exhibition Manager. In her current position, which will transition back to Associate Director this fall, she leads the operations and strategic planning of the Syracuse University Art Museum, managing a staff of full-time and part-time employees, oversees the budget, grants, and fiscal management, leads the collections care team, and directs the marketing and communications strategic plan. Dittman also works closely with the University’s Advancement and Engagement team as a fundraiser for the museum and liaison for the Museum’s Advisory Board. Dittman is a faculty member of the graduate program in Museum Studies at Syracuse University, where she teaches the Collections Management course, as well as serving on the Board of Directors as Treasurer for Point of Contact.
Melanie Domanico
Melanie Domanico is the Assistant Director of Disability Access in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. In this role, Melanie has oversight of staff and faculty accommodations and assists with overall campus accessibility. Melanie utilizes an equity-based approach to workplace accommodations to address the individual needs of each employee. Melanie co-facilitates workshops on reasonable accommodations, combating-ableism and microaggressions with Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Center for Disability Resources colleagues. Melanie serves on the Accessibility Assessment Committee, which provides a review process for Information Communications Technology procurement requests, and the Information Communications Technology Accessibility Policy Council, which provides oversight of the policy’s implementation. She also serves on the Disability Access and Inclusion Council’s Evacuation Planning and Disability Event Planning Committees.
Melanie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Binghamton University and a Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Hofstra University. Melanie has over 23 years’ facilitating workplace accommodations with prior experience in supported employment and insurance.
Maithreyee Dubé
Maithreyee Dubé leads the Enrollment Services function in collaboration with program leaders and field partners at Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). The Enrollment Services team consists of a set of cross-functional subject matter experts who assess the entrepreneurial, education and training needs of veterans and military family members to identify the best program(s) which will meet those needs and prepare them for the journey. She also gives her passion to mentor and guide military connected entrepreneurs.
Dubé served as the inaugural Staff Representative to the Syracuse University Board of Trustees; in this role, she informed the board about staff profiles, needs, ideas and sought to bring staff capabilities to the forefront.
As the founder and Principal of Lasting Leaders, LLC, Dubé consults with organizations to coach senior leaders (the C-Suite) to elevate focus on the ‘people’ part of the triple bottom line (people, planet, and profit).
Dubé serves as an advisory board member for The Gifford Foundation in Syracuse, New York. She leads the board development committee and serves on the program committee.
Prior to joining the IVMF in October 2015, Dubé worked at Syracuse University’s School of Education for three years where she worked with faculty in the Teaching and Leadership department; she collaborated with the department chair and senior assistant dean to streamline processes within the department and the school to make the program administration efforts more efficient and provide a better experience for graduate students.
Before returning to Syracuse University, Dubé worked with New Horizons of Syracuse and Rochester where she was responsible for development and facilitation of classes in leadership and professional development.
Dubé holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the Whitman School of Management; a Certificate of Advanced Study in Conflict Resolution at Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs; and, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology; each degree is from Syracuse University. She is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and Golden Key Honor Society.
Kirsten Elleby
Kirsten Elleby joined the athletics department staff as deputy athletics director and senior woman administrator in March 2022. Elleby came to Syracuse after six years as associate athletics director for student-athlete enrichment and senior woman administrator at the University of New Orleans. She also held athletics administrative roles at Atlantic Coast Conference member, Wake Forest University, and Coppin State University.
At Syracuse, Elleby serves as the liaison to the University’s Title IX Office, oversees gender equity initiatives, the athletics production/ACC Network unit and has specific sport oversight responsibilities, including women’s basketball, softball and volleyball. She represents Syracuse Athletics with her fellow ACC SWA’s at the conference level, and serves on several conference committees, including the ACC Women’s Basketball Committee, ACC Field Hockey Committee, ACC Women’s Tennis Committee, and the ACC Infractions & Sportsmanship Review Committee.
At the University of New Orleans, Elleby served on the executive leadership team and was responsible for the management and advancement of academics, NCAA compliance, student-athlete development, community outreach, and sports medicine. As SWA, she was a key decision-maker involved within the department and was responsible for managing student-athlete well-being, gender equity and Title IX issues. She served on the Southland Conference awards committee and was the Advisory Council liaison to the conference SAAC and the women’s volleyball head coaches.
A member of a military family which moved often while growing up, including stops in Fort Bragg, NC, Heidelberg, Germany, and Baltimore, MD, Elleby completed her B.A. in economics from Spelman College and her M.S.Ed. in sports management from Old Dominion University. Elleby is a 2021 graduate of the prestigious NCAA Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute. She is also a member of National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA), Women Leaders in College Sports and completed the NACWAA/HERS Institute for Administrative Advancement program in 2009. Elleby is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society.
Elleby resides in Jamesville with her daughter, Angely.
Sara Garvey
Sara Garvey has been at Syracuse University for nearly seven years with almost four years at Whitman as the Director of Corporate Relations and three years in a central relationship management role. Prior to her time at SU she worked in industry for over 11 years in various corporate communications roles for Time Warner Cable. Sara was recently elected to the national NACRO board and serves in other local board roles currently.
Amanda Griffin
Amanda Griffin oversees annual and special events for the Newhouse School. Since joining Newhouse in 2014, she has worked on several large-scale fundraising and cultivation events, including the dedication of the Newhouse Studio and Innovation Center with Oprah Winfrey in 2014 and the 50th anniversary gala in New York City the following year. Her team executes the annual Mirror Awards competition, Toner Prizes Celebration, Newhouse School Convocation ceremony and the Leaders in Communications speaker series as well as other school events.
Additionally, Amanda has planned and executed alumni engagement events, including alumni receptions at the Sundance Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, as well as Syracuse University’s yearly Orange Central and Family Weekend events for the Newhouse School.
Amanda's career began in Manhattan at O, The Oprah Magazine during its launch. Prior to her tenure at Newhouse, she honed her event management skills as the assistant manager of corporate events at Sesame Workshop producer of the famed Sesame Street program.
She lives in Syracuse with her husband Sean and children, Claire, Riley and Cooper.
Chandice Haste-Jackson
Chandice Haste-Jackson was appointed Associate Dean of Falk College Student Services in 2022. An associate teaching professor in Falk’s Department of Human Development and Family Science (HDFS), Haste-Jackson previously held several HDFS positions, coordinated the first year Gateway course in Falk College, was chair of the Dean’s Committee on Diversity and Inclusion and is a University Senator. In 2021-22, Haste-Jackson served as interim director of the First-Year Seminar course, collaborating with faculty, administrators, and students across the University to develop and deliver the new course.
With experience in international settings, faith communities, non-profit administration, women’s issues, and youth development, she has a track record of bringing people together to solve problems and address community needs at the local, national, and international level. She sits on several university committees and is well known for her calm, supportive and inspirational leadership.
Haste-Jackson earned a Ph.D. in child and family studies from Syracuse University, an M.S. in behavioral sciences from Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma, and a B.A. in cultural anthropology from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.
Candace Hayden
Candace Hayden serves as the executive director of major events at Syracuse University where she leverages strategic vision, creativity and cross-functional leadership skills to guide the events team in designing experiences that reinforce the university’s educational and philanthropic goals. Over nearly two decades, Hayden has collaborated with colleagues to conceptualize and produce memorable premiere events that have advanced the missions of various organizations in the Tri-State area and Central New York.
During her tenure at Syracuse University, Candace utilizes her extensive project management, interpersonal relationship-building and event production expertise to implement innovative and impactful experiences that fosters engaging communities of first-class researchers, leaders and innovators whose impact is felt locally and around the world.
This proud Philadelphia native, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in 2004 and a Master of Science in Communications degree from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 2023.
Quality time spent laughing with family and friends, nurturing her houseplants and embracing new opportunities for personal and professional growth are essentials that keep her centered.
Dawn R. Johnson
Dawn R. Johnson is Associate Professor of Higher Education, in the School of Education. Her research focuses on the effects of the campus racial climate and classroom climate on the persistence and sense of belonging of under-represented students of color in STEM, particularly for women of color. Dr. Johnson’s scholarly work in this area includes serving as a co-principal investigator for the Upstate NY Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation grant (funded by the National Science Foundation) and founding member and lead faculty for the WiSE Women of Color in STEM program at Syracuse University. She also co-founded the Critical Quantitative Research Group with her colleagues in the School of Education. Her work has been published in Review of Higher Education, Journal of College Student Development, Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, New Directions for Institutional Research, and in several book chapters. Dr. Johnson currently serves as an Associate Editor for The Journal of Higher Education and is among 13 currentSenior Scholars for ACPA-College Student Educators International. Dr. Johnson earned her Ph.D. in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland, M.Ed. in Counseling and Psychological Services from Springfield College, and A.B. in Anthropology from Bowdoin College.
Déirdre Joyce
Déirdre Joyce is Head of Digital Stewardship and the Digital Library at Syracuse University Libraries, where she started as the Metadata Services Librarian in 2017. Her department is responsible for enhancing organization-wide focus on a variety of specialized, digital activities and the necessary infrastructure to ensure persistent access to the Libraries’ unique digital collections. As the inaugural department lead, Déirdre supports the campus community by efficiently managing the Libraries’ digital collection initiatives through the entire digital curation lifecycle. She is also instrumental in identifying infrastructure platforms and processes that enable the Libraries’ to showcase and share its archival materials. Her work has expanded to include cross-campus collaboration, for example projects with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, La Casita and other partners. She was elected to serve on the University Senate beginning in 2023. Her previous digital collections and archival experience includes serving as Project Coordinator for New York Heritage Digital Collections and as founding Project Manager for the Empire Archival Discovery Cooperative for the Empire State Library Network. Prior to moving to Upstate New York, she worked as the University Archivist at the University of Texas at Tyler. She received both her master’s degrees in History and Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Elizabeth Kubala
Elizabeth Kubala is a Teaching Professor and the Executive Director of the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic (VLC). At Syracuse University, Kubala oversees VLC operations, supervises student attorneys in representation of veterans, teaches the Veterans Legal Clinic Seminar, and supports veteran community relations.
Kubala joined the College of Law from the Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families, where she served since 2015 as a Senior Director, managing the delivery of programs and services across the nation for service members, veterans and their families.
She retired from the U.S. Army at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel following 22 years of active service. She served in numerous staff and leadership positions throughout her military service, with her last assignment as a Military Judge while stationed at Fort Drum, NY.
Kubala received her commission as a military intelligence officer from West Point. Following graduation, she served as a platoon leader, company executive officer, and battalion intelligence officer at Fort Hood, TX. Selected for the Army’s Funded Legal Education Program, she attended law school and then transitioned into the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps.
As an Army lawyer, Kubala initially served as an administrative law attorney, ethics counselor, and prosecutor at Fort Hood. Later, while assigned to the Pentagon, she served as a legal advisor to the Army Inspector General, and then as a legal advisor to the Army Staff in the Office of the Judge Advocate General. From the Pentagon, she performed public affairs duties as the media spokesperson for the Military Commissions trials at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. During an overseas tour in Germany, she served as the Executive Officer for the U.S. Army Europe’s legal office. For her final assignment in the Army, she presided over military courts-martial cases as a Military Judge at Fort Drum.
Appointed by the Secretary of the Army, Kubala continues to advise and support Army leaders by serving as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) for Upstate New York. She also serves on the West Point Association of Graduates Advisory Council which provides advice to the governing body of the Association of Graduates at the United States Military Academy.
Locally Kubala serves as a Board Member of the Veterans Health Research Institute of Central New York, which conducts, promotes and supports the medical research and education activities of the Syracuse, Canandaigua and Bath VA Medical Centers and advances the wellbeing of veterans and the general public by these endeavors.
Kubala earned her L.L.M. in 2005 from the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School; J.D. in 2000 from the University of Missouri, Kansas City; and B.S. in 1993 from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
She is married to Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Mike Kubala and they have three children. Her oldest son Zachary is a Syracuse University Army ROTC alum and a 1LT in the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas. Her middle son Joshua is at Syracuse University on an Army ROTC scholarship and plays football for the Orange. Her daughter Lindsey plays soccer and golf in high school.
Jing Lei
Jing Lei is a Professor of Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation (IDD&E) and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Education. She served as department chair of IDD&E from January 2017 to December 2022. Her research interest focuses on how information and communication technology can help prepare a new generation of citizens for a globalizing and digitizing world, including digital citizenship, emerging technologies for education, technology supported subject learning, the design of digital learning environments, and social, cultural and psychological impact of technology.
Laura Machia
Laura Machia is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Syracuse University. She received her Ph.D. in social psychology from Purdue University. Her research focuses on the factors that contribute to relationship success and failure, with a particular emphasis on the role of psychological needs and support in relationships. Her research has shown that the reasons why people decide to leave a relationship are not simply the inverses of the reasons why people stay in a relationship, and she has identified a number of signature cognitive processing techniques that people use when they are considering leaving a relationship. Ultimately, her work aims to promote fulfilling relationships and smooth relationship transitions, both of which play integral roles in improving people’s overall well-being and reducing their loneliness. She currently serves on the editorial boards of several journals (Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, and Personal Relationships), has previously served as an associate editor at Personal Relationships, and is a fellow of the Society for Experimental Social Psychology. At Syracuse, she teaches courses on social psychology, social dilemmas, and close relationships.
Anh Murphy
Anh Murphy is an educator specialized in student development and academic affairs. Her experience includes working with undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students in order to help them achieve their academic, personal, and professional goals. She currently works at Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management as an academic counselor for the online graduate business programs.
Anh received her B.A.from Ithaca College, and her graduate degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (M.Ed.) and Syracuse University (M.S. I.D.D.E). She is currently working on her doctoral studies at Syracuse University's School of Education. Anh Murphy is a mother, wife, student, and lover of noodles.
Melissa Pepling
Melissa Pepling is a Professor of Biology and currently serves as Department Chair. She received her BS in Biology from Cornell University and MS in Biology from Adelphi University. She earned her PhD in Genetics at the State University of New York, Stony Brook for her work with Dr. Peter Gergen on the molecular biology of embryogenesis in the fruit fly. Melissa went on to Dr. Allan Spradling’s lab at the Carnegie Institution of Washington for her postdoctoral investigations into mammalian oocyte development. Research in the Pepling lab focuses on signaling pathways important for establishing the ovarian reserve required for fertility using the mouse model. Work in her lab has been funded by grants from NIH and NSF. Dr. Pepling has served as Associate Editor for the Biology of Reproduction Journal and as a standing member of the NIH CMIR study section, and currently chairs the Syracuse University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and the Society for the Study of Reproduction Awards Committee.
Abby Perer
Abby Perer is an Associate General Counsel in the Office of University Counsel. In that role, Abby defends the University against threatened and filed legal claims, assists with regulatory compliance, and counsels University administrators on various legal and policy issues ranging from federal anti-discrimination laws to student and employee conduct. Prior to joining Syracuse, Abby was an associate in the New York City offices of DLA Piper LLP where her practice centered on commercial litigation and regulatory and criminal investigations. Hailing originally from Pittsburgh, PA (Go Steelers!), Abby is a long-time New Yorker, receiving her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and B.A. from Hamilton College.
Rachel Razza, Ph.D.
Rachel Razza, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) Department in Falk College. Her work explores associations among different facets of self-regulation, biological and contextual predictors of self-regulation, and implications of various self-regulatory skills for children’s academic competence and psychological wellbeing. Her SELF research lab also examines mindfulness-based practice as a potential intervention strategy to enhance self-regulation and reduce the negative impact of trauma among children, youth, and adults. Dr. Razza also serves as Associate Director for the Contemplative Collaborative, Coordinator for the Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies minor, and Co-Director for the HDFS Graduate program.
Jennifer L. Ross
Jennifer L. Ross is an award-winning biophysicist studying the organization of the microtubule cytoskeleton and enzymes using high-resolution single-molecule imaging techniques. Ross earned her B.A. in Physics and Mathematics from Wellesley College in 2000, her Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2004, and was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine from 2004-2007. She started as a professor of physics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2007 and was tenured and promoted In 2013. Ross is a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). She is also a Cottrell Scholar, and winner of the Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award from the Biophysical Society. As a Cottrell Scholar, Ross pioneered innovative, hands-on teaching techniques for active learning courses that have been adopted around the world. She is also known as an advocate for women and under-represented groups in physics and science fields. Ross has held a number of leadership positions in the research community including serving as the Secretary-Treasurer and Chair of the Division of Biological Physics at the American Physical Society and as a Council member for the Biophysical Society Council. In June 2020, Ross was named the chair of the Physics Department at Syracuse University.
Amy Schmidt
Amy Schmidt is the Assistant Director for the undergraduate Citizenship & Civic Engagement major, which entails supporting students in their community placements, student advising and managing the CCE office. Amy is from Syracuse and has spent many years working in the Central New York nonprofit sector, both professionally and as a volunteer. She earned a master of public administration (MPA) with a focus on nonprofit management from the Maxwell School, and was selected a John Ben Snow and Vernon Snow Fellow in Nonprofit Management. Prior to returning to Maxwell, Amy worked at local organizations including Home HeadQuarters, the Everson Museum of Art, and the Central New York Community Foundation. She currently resides in Pompey with her husband and two children.
Bei Yu
Bei Yu is a Professor and the PhD Program Director at the School of Information Studies. Her research areas are Natural Language Processing and Computational Social Science. Her recent work focuses on using machine learning and natural language processing techniques to improve science information quality, such as developing NLP methods for identifying exaggerated claims in science papers and press releases.