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Are you or were you a student here? If so, undergraduate or graduate? If not, where did you go to school? What did you study?
I am not and was never a student here – I wouldn’t last a day! I’m an educator, through and through. I have a B.A. in Psychology and Musical Theater from Washington University in St. Louis, an M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from New York University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from New York University.
Do you or did you work here? If so, in what capacity? For how long?
I came to Stevens in December of 2015 as the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs.
Where are you from? Where were you born?
I grew up in Livingston, NJ, but after college I moved to New York City and never looked back! That is, until I found out I got the job at Stevens and my husband convinced me to move to the suburbs. Now I live in Maplewood, NJ in a house, which is still weird for me. I’m very much a city person.
What is one of your favorite memories from your experiences here?
My favorite day is, hands down, new student move-in day. It just never gets old for me to see our newest students arrive and become a part of the Stevens family. I'm honored to be able to have an impact on what their first day of college feels like, and I love the energy that my team has as they welcome our new students.
What is your favorite book?
My favorite book is The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. It’s been my favorite book for many years because I love how it flips the historical perspective and tells a biblical story from the lens of a traditionally overlooked woman. More recently, Anita’s daughter was a Resident Assistant who I supervised, so I’ve been lucky enough to get to know Anita, which makes the book even more important to me.
What is your favorite movie?
I like to laugh at movies, and the main person I like to laugh at is Will Ferrell. So really anything with Will Ferrell makes me happy.
What is your favorite TV show?
I actually rarely watch TV. I don’t have the attention span for it – there’s always something better I should be doing. The only show I was ever truly into watching was 24 with Kiefer Sutherland.
Do you have a pet? What kind?
I officially hate all animals, but my kids begged for some fish, so I begrudgingly agreed to that. But I refuse to clean the tank!
What is your favorite food?
I am enamored with Mexican food. I eat it pretty much every day. All I need is a taco and I’m a happy woman.
If you could be anything other than what you are what would it be?
Since I was a musical theater person for my whole existence before I found my professional home in Student Affairs, there is still a big part of me that wishes I were Barbra Streisand.
Who is your favorite person?
My husband! His team at work refers to him as the ‘gentle giant’ because he’s 6’5” but works with preschoolers as a clinical psychologist. He’s really wonderful with kids, both at work and with our children. He also laughs at my jokes.
What makes you laugh?
My kids are really the funniest people I know. They’re 4 and 7 years old and they have adult vocabularies. My four year old also thinks he's Danny Zuko from the musical Grease and wears a black leather jacket to preschool, which cracks me up and pretty much everyone who sees him. The things that come out of both of my kids' mouths make me laugh really hard.
Whom or what do you admire?
I have no interest in being a lawyer or a judge, but I find myself in awe of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. I am quite pleased to be reading bedtime stories about their achievements to my children.
What do you like or love about Stevens? What are you passionate about here?
I love the students at Stevens. They’re ultimately why I come in every day and do my job. Since our students are so incredibly talented and motivated, they are a pleasure to serve. I also think Stevens is a place with a lot of potential for the future, which makes my creative juices flow and keeps my job interesting as I dream up and develop new initiatives and ideas for our students.
Why do you feel proud you are associated with this university?
I am so proud to be associated with an institution that is genuinely dedicated to excellence and innovation. I see those ideas carried through in so much of what happens behind the scenes, and I see those values in our students as well.
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