Team Bios
Gail Ader-Fecci
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school? What's your degree in?
Glassboro State College - B.S. Political Science
Where are you from?
East Rutherford, NJ (born in Brooklyn)
When did you start working at NYU?
January 9, 2012
What is your role in the Center for Student Life?
Administrative Aide - Budget Unit
What do you love most about your job in three words?
Working with students
Pick a NYC anthem.
"Autumn in New York" by Billie Holiday
When I'm not at work, you can find me at...
The theatre, either broadway or off-broadway
Tava Bingham
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school? What's your degree in?
University of Texas at Austin - B.A. Women's and Gender Studies
University of Central Florida - M.A. Educational Leadership
University of Alabama - Ed.D. Higher Education Administration
Where are you from?
All over! Army Brat
When did you start working at NYU?
May 5, 2019
What is your role in the Center for Student Life?
Associate Director for Club Life, Director of Operations
What advice would you give to first year students?
Step outside of your comfort zone and try something new! Find your passion areas!
Describe your relationship with the MTA in three emojis.
🙃👀🤷🏾♀️
Favorite back to school supply?
RSVP pens (fine point) & my Passion Planner
Annie Cassutt
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school & what's your degree in?
Iowa State University - B.S. Public Relations and Event Management and currently pursuing my M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs at NYU
Where are you from?
Manchester, IA
When did you start working at NYU?
September 2, 2021
What's your role in the Center for Student Life?
Graduate Assistant for Media and Communications
What is your #MondayMotivation song?
Let's Groove by Earth Wind and Fire
Favorite back to school supply?
Fresh Planner
If you were a student at NYU, which club would you be most excited to join?
The Journal of Sustainability
Where would you take family for dinner in New York City?
The Olive Garden in Times Square
Coolest celebrity spotting in the city?
Kyle Mooney from SNL and Noah Reid who plays Patrick on Schitt's Creek!
When I'm not at work, you can find me at....
A local coffee shop in Brooklyn
Theara Coleman
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school & what's your degree in?
Howard University- B.A. English Lit/Minor Africana Studies
Where are you from?
Brooklyn
When did you start working at NYU?
September 28, 2020
What's your role in the Center for Student Life?
Graduate Assistant for Club Life
What is your favorite NYU tradition?
I don’t have one yet, but I'm excited to find a favorite!
What advice would you give to first year students?
Take advantage of everything within your reach! Immerse yourself in the experience!
What advice would you give to graduating students?
Make time for yourself, no matter what!
Describe NYU in three words.
Innovative, Diverse, and Welcoming
What is your #MondayMotivation song?
Literally anything by Lizzo will put me in my happy place!
NYC, the big apple! Red or Green?
Red
Describe your relationship with the MTA in three emojis.
😷📱👀
What do you love most about your job in three words?
Working with students!
Favorite back to school supply?
Pens and brand new books (they smell amazing)!
If you were a student at NYU, which club would you be most excited to join?
I am a student at NYU! Personally I'm excited about the many group yoga activities!
Horoscope?
Capricorn Sun, Pisces Moon, Leo Rising
Where would you take family for dinner in New York City?
My family always gather at Wo-Hop, a family style Chinese restaurant!
What's your NYC anthem?
“No Sleep Till Brooklyn” by Beastie Boys
Coolest celebrity spotting in the city?
Jon Stewart used to get coffee where I worked in Tribeca when I was in HS
Yankees or Mets?
Yankees
Identity to me is...
complicated.
Before I was at NYU I was...
a HS English teacher in Florida!
The best $1 slice of pizza can be found at...
St. Marks!!
When I'm not at work, you can find me at....
In Brooklyn, probably Fort Greene park reading!
Sherrill Collins
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school? What's your degree in?
New York University - B.A. Humanities
Where are you from?
New York
When did you start working at NYU?
October 29, 1990
What is your role in the Center for Student Life?
Program Administrator, Program Board
What advice would you give to first year students?
Take advantage of leadership workshops, make connections, and use work and volunteer opportunities at NYU to strengthen your resume.
If you were a student at NYU, which club would you be most excited to join?
Program Board, Organization of Black Women
When I'm not at work, you can find me at...
Home writing or at a gymnastic meet with my daughter.
Sharai Dottin
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school & what's your degree in?
Williams College - B.A. History, Concentration in Africana Studies and certificate in Spanish
Where are you from?
Boston, MA
When did you start working at NYU?
September 29, 2020
What's your role in the Center for Student Life?
Graduate Assistant for International Student Engagement
What is your favorite NYU tradition?
I'm a first year Master's student so I have yet to experience any of the great traditions but am looking forward to doing so!
What advice would you give to first year students?
Don't just do things to please others, or that you think you should be doing. Be bold and follow your heart and your passions, no matter what they are! At the same time, take care of yourself and don't bite off more than you can chew!
What advice would you give to graduating students?
The saying that the world is your oyster is so true. No matter who you were in undergrad or what you did, there is always room for growth and change in the next chapter. Embrace it.
Describe NYU in three words.
Textured, fresh, illuminating
What is your #MondayMotivation song?
Motiv8 by J. Cole
NYC, the big apple! Red or Green?
Green
Describe your relationship with the MTA in three emojis.
😅😅😅
What do you love most about your job in three words?
That I'm new and I feel like I have so much to learn and discover about NYU and the international student population, and I'm so fortunate that this job will allow me to do so. I also love mentorship and connecting with undergrads, and highly consider myself a wanna be Gen-Z-er.
Favorite back to school supply?
PLANNERS
If you were a student at NYU, which club would you be most excited to join?
The Collective
Horoscope?
Capricorn/Sagittarius cusp (but I strongly identify as a Capricorn)
Where would you take family for dinner in New York City?
Anywhere with pad thai
What's your NYC anthem?
"Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" by Alicia Keys
Coolest celebrity spotting in the city?
I'm from Boston and I saw Lamar Odom and his kids at a movie theater downtown during the NBA playoffs when I was in high school.
Yankees or Mets?
Mets
Identity to me is...
Everything.
I am...
Blackity-Black Black. And Black feminist.
Before I was at NYU I was...
a community outreach apprentice at a theater company, and before that I was a Fulbright ETA in Colombia!
The best $1 slice of pizza can be found at...
Tell me so I can go there as soon as I move to the city!
When I'm not at work, you can find me at....
anywhere there's sun, grass, a slight breeze and a good playlist.
Helena Francis
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school? What's your degree in?
New York University - B.A. Social Sciences
Where are you from?
Brooklyn, New York
When did you start working at NYU?
February 16, 1999
What is your role in the Center for Student Life?
Administrative Aide
What advice would you give to first year students?
Explore career opportunities that will enable you to make a positive difference.
What do you love most about your job in three words?
Comraderie, student-focus, program-driven
Coolest celebrity spotting in the city?
Spike Lee
David Gonzalez
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school? What's your degree in?
University of Toledo - B.A. Journalism
Bowling Green State University - M.A. College Student Personnel
Where are you from?
Amherst, Ohio
When did you start working at NYU?
August 31, 2016
What is your role in the Center for Student Life?
Assistant Director, Fraternity & Sorority Life
What advice would you give to graduating students?
The real world is only as scary as you make it: prioritize, meet new people, and take advantage of any personal professional, and social opportunities to explore your new life!
What do you love most about your job in three words?
Student, Colleagues, Keurig-Coffee-Machine
When I'm not at work, you can find me at...
Local coffee shop.
Dory Gurinsky
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school & what's your degree in?
NYU - B.S. Psychology and I am back now pursuing a master's in Higher Education and Student Affairs from NYU.
Where are you from?
Austin, Texas
When did you start working at NYU?
July 20, 2020
What's your role in the Center for Student Life?
Fraternity & Sorority Life Graduate Assistant
What advice would you give to first year students?
Your first year goes by much faster than you think - take advantage of what NYU has to offer! You won't regret it.
Describe NYU in three words.
Limitless, accepting, formative
NYC, the big apple! Red or Green?
Red
Describe your relationship with the MTA in three emojis.
🥴🤔😕
Favorite back to school supply?
Mechanical pencils - it takes me back to my k-12 school days.
Coolest celebrity spotting in the city?
Kit Harrington & Rose Leslie, Sarah Silverman & Michael Sheen, Sebastian Stan, James Franco, the list goes on!
When I'm not at work, you can find me at....
Walking around NYC! It is one of my favorite things to do - I love to explore new streets and places.
Nanci Healy
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school? What's your degree in?
Indiana University - B.A. Broadcast Journalism
Where are you from?
Northport, NY
When did you start working at NYU?
Septemer 4, 2012
What is your role in the Center for Student Life?
Assistant Director, Student Media & Communications
What is your favorite NYU tradition?
Commencement
What do you love most about your job in three words?
Working with students
If you were a student at NYU, which club would you be most excited to join?
Cheese Club and Washington Square News
Alpha Kuyateh
Where did you go for your undergrad?
Univeristy of North Carolina Greenboro - B.A. General Music
Where are you from?
Wake Forest, NC
When did you start working at NYU?
June 6, 2021
What is your role in the Center for Student Life?
Graduate Assistant for Welcome Programs and Class Activities Board
What is your #MondayMotivation Song?
"I Smile" by Kirk Franklin
NYC, the big apple! Red or Green?
Green
Favorite Back to school supply?
A new backpack
What do you love most about your job in three words?
Working with students
Horoscope?
Leo
Identity to me is...
Everything. Own every part of who you are because there is nobody else in the world like you!
If you were a student at NYU, which club would you be most excited to join?
One of the many acapella groups
When I'm not at work you can find me...
My apartment, hibernating or playing my PlayStation
Lukas La Rivière
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school & what's your degree in?
Warren Wilson College - B.A. Philosophy
New York University - M.A. Social & Cultural Analysis
Where are you from?
New Jersey, Vermont, North Carolina
When did you start working at NYU?
June 22, 2015
What's your role in the Center for Student Life?
Assistant Director, Club Life
What is your favorite NYU tradition?
Club Fest & NY(Drag)U
What advice would you give to graduating students?
Club can be careers! Don't forget to mention the experience you have running or being a part of clubs when listing your skills and experience to employers.
What do you love most about your job in three words?
So many clubs!
Marlene Lillo-Smith
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school? What's your degree in?
New York University - B.A. Business with a concentration in Economics
NYU - M.A. Higher Education and Student Affairs
Where are you from?
Santiago, Chile
When did you start working at NYU?
June 23, 2008
What is your role in the Center for Student Life?
Budget Assistant
What is your favorite NYU tradition?
Grad Ally
What advice would you give to graduating students?
It is time for you to take your online reputation seriously. Hiring managers will look it up!
Describe NYU in three words.
Global. Research. Purple.
Leticia Lynch
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school & what's your degree in?
Ithaca College - B.S. Applied Psychology
NYU - Pursuing M.A. Higher Education & Student Affairs
Where are you from?
New York
When did you start working at NYU?
July 6, 2020
What's your role in the Center for Student Life?
GA for Welcome Programs and Class Activities Boards
What advice would you give to first year students?
Honor your process. Everyone is on a completely different path from your own. As long as you're doing something (no matter how big or small) to move toward your goal, you're already doing an incredible job. You deserve to be here!
What advice would you give to graduating students?
Trust the process. What is meant for you will find you! I believe in you!
What is your #MondayMotivation song?
Truth Hurts by Lizzo
NYC, the big apple! Red or Green?
Red
Describe your relationship with the MTA in three emojis.
🥴🕶🤗
Favorite back to school supply?
Gel pens!
If you were a student at NYU, which club would you be most excited to join?
UNICEF@NYU
Horoscope?
Pisces
I am...
a proud first-generation college student and now graduate student! I'm happy to give advice and answer any questions!
Dani Moreira
Where did you go for your undergrad?
Wesleyan University - B.S. Neuro, Econ and Public Health Majors
Where are you from?
New Jersey
When did you start working at NYU?
September 1, 2020
What is your role in the Center for Student Life?
Graduate Assistant for Graduate Life
What is your #MondayMotivation Song?
Anything Ariana Grande
NYC, the big apple! Red or Green?
Green (bonus points if there's almond butter and cinnamon on it)
Horoscope?
Taurus
Where would you take family for dinner in New York City?Lil Frankie's
Bianca Phillips
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school & what's your degree in?
University of Florida - B.A. Anthropology
Boston College - M.A. Higher Education
Where are you from?
Pensacola, FL
When did you start working at NYU?
January 5, 2021
What's your role in the Center for Student Life?
Program Administrator for Welcome Programs and CAB
What advice would you give to first year students?
Take in absolutely every moment and cherish all of your experiences at NYU.
What is your #MondayMotivation song?
Probably Tie Me Down by Gryffin and Elley Duhe or Body by Meg Thee Stallion
NYC, the big apple! Red or Green?
Red
Describe your relationship with the MTA in three emojis.
😤🤪🤯
What do you love most about your job in three words?
the students!!!
Favorite back to school supply?
A new planner/journal and pens
Horoscope?
Aquarius
What's your NYC anthem?
“Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z with Alicia Keys
Yankees or Mets?
Yankees
Before I was at NYU I was...
living in Boston
When I'm not at work, you can find me at....
a music festival
Stephen Polniaszek
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school? What's your degree in?
New York University - B.A. Literature
Royal Holloway College, University of London - Theatre Credits
Auburn Theological Seminary - Course Work
Where are you from?
Buffalo, NY
When did you start working at NYU?
September 27, 1969
What is your role in the Center for Student Life?
Assistant Director, Club Life
Describe NYU in three words.
City as classroom
If you were a student at NYU, which club would you be most excited to join?
Minetta Review
Coolest celebrity spotting in the city?
Mick Jagger in E&L sound booth
Shannon Rush
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school & what's your degree in?
Elon University - Elementary & Special Education
New York University - M.A. Higher Education and Student Affairs
Where are you from?
Lenox, MA
When did you start working at NYU?
August 28, 2019
What's your role in the Center for Student Life?
Graduate Assistant for NYU Service & Leadership
What is your favorite NYU tradition?
Kimmel Stairs during NYU Welcome
What advice would you give to first year students?
Try something (a class, an event, a club) your high school self would have never done!
What advice would you give to graduating students?
Enjoy every moment!
Describe NYU in three words.
Washington Square Park
What is your #MondayMotivation song?
NPR Up First
NYC, the big apple! Red or Green?
Red
Describe your relationship with the MTA in three emojis.
🥴🕶🤗
What do you love most about your job in three words?
Students, Mentors, Grads
Favorite back to school supply?
Post-it Notes
If you were a student at NYU, which club would you be most excited to join?
UNICEF@NYU
Horoscope?
Gemini
Where would you take family for dinner in New York City?
Roberta's
What's your NYC anthem?
"Welcome to New York" by Taylor Swift
Coolest celebrity spotting in the city?
Jennifer Hudson in the park!
Yankees or Mets?
Mets
Before I was at NYU I was...
Working full-time at a YMCA Resident camp in NH
The best $1 slice of pizza can be found at...
Joe's Pizza
When I'm not at work, you can find me at....
Somewhere outdoors!
Eena Singh
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school? What's your degree in?
University of California, Los Angeles - B.A. Anthropology with a minor in Education
New York University - M.Ed. Higher Education & Student Affairs
Where are you from?
Born in India, spent most of my life in LA, California
When did you start working at NYU?
July 24, 2017
What is your role in the Center for Student Life?
Assistant Director, Welcome Programs & CAB
What advice would you give to first year students?
Take the time to explore - classes, majors, clubs, internships, food, places (everything)! The experience you have during your first year can often define your college career so I encourage all first-year students to take an active role in shaping your college experience by taking advantage of all the incredible opportunities presented to you at NYU.
What is your #MondayMotivation song?
It changes every week - but usually, anything from Beyonce is an any day motivation song! :)
Before I was at NYU I was...
In LA, eating some In-N-Out (which I really miss) :(
Cameron Terry
Where did you go for your undergrad?
Univeristy of Oklahoma- B.A. Modern Dance Performance
Where are you from?
Atlanta, GA
When did you start working at NYU?
August 15, 2021
What is your role in the Center for Student Life?
Graduate Assistant for Club Life
Describe NYU in three words...
Under the arch
NYC, the big apple! Red or Green?
Green
Favorite Back to school supply?
Airpods
Audrey Underwood
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school? What's your degree in?
New York University - B.A. Humanities
Where are you from?
The South, but I grew up in New York
When did you start working at NYU?
October 15, 1990
What is your role in the Center for Student Life?
Budget Manager
What is your favorite NYU tradition?
Strawberry Fest
What advice would you give to first year students?
Be yourself
Describe your relationship with the MTA in three emojis.
☺️🐌 ☹
Isabella Villacampa
Where did you go for your undergrad/grad school? What's your degree in?
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo - B.S. Business Administration
Indiana University - M.Ed. Higher Educations and Student Affairs
Where are you from?
Vacaville, CA
When did you start working at NYU?
May 24, 2014
What is your role in the Center for Student Life?
Associate Director, Commuity Engagement, Welcome Programs
What is your favorite NYU tradition?
Student Leadership Retreats
Describe NYU in three words.
I heard someone describe NYU students one time as "Memes, Politics & Brunch"
If you were a student at NYU, which club would you be most excited to join?
International Filipino Association