ALBANY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Department of Educational Policy & Leadership, School of Education, Department of Sociology
- Professor
Abebe Rorissa is a professor and the Director of the iSchool at the University of Tennessee.
Job Titles:
- Principal of BorderWorks Advisors LLC
Alan Bersin is Principal of BorderWorks Advisors LLC, an organization specializing in cross-border trade, travel and security.
Mr. Bersin was also Superintendent of Public Education in San Diego and served as California's Secretary of Education, as well as a member of the California State Board of Education. Prior to this service, he served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of California for nearly five years and as the Attorney General's Southwest Border Representative.
Job Titles:
- Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus / Department of Educational Policy & Leadership, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Professor & Department Chair
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director for Student Employment
Albert graduated from Gloucester County Community College with an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts, earned a Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Critical Sexualities from Rutgers, New Brunswick, and achieved a Master's of the Arts in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Associate Professor in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland
Education
PhD, Disaster Science and Management, University of Delaware
MS, Disaster Science and Management, University of Delaware
BS, Sociology & Geology (Honors), East Tennessee State University
Alex Greer is an Associate Professor in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany. Dr. Greer earned his Ph.D. in Disaster Science and Management from the University of Delaware, where he worked as a research assistant at the Disaster Research Center.
Dr. Greer conducts interdisciplinary, mixed methods research on a number of topics related to disaster science. His research interests include hazard adjustments, relocation decision-making processes, and organizational culture. He has a number of ongoing projects, including a National Science Foundation funded study exploring earthquake adjustment in Oklahoma, a Quick Response project studying buyouts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, and a study funded by the International Association of Fire Chiefs investigating organizational culture and leadership in the fire service.
He has presented this research at a number of venues, including the International Sociological Association (ISA) World Congress of Sociology, Northern European Conference on Emergency and Disaster Studies, Southern Political Science Association, Midwest Political Science Association Meeting, and the Natural Hazards Workshop. He has published in a number of outlets, including recent publications in Risk, Hazards, and Crisis in Public Policy, the International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, and Housing Policy Debate. His work has been cited by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and National Public Radio, among others. He has engaged in quick response fieldwork after a number of events, including the Pawnee earthquake of 2016, Moore tornado of 2013, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Department of Educational Theory & Practice, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant / Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Alexis Bhagat is a writer and cultural producer based in Albany, NY. He is currently the Executive Director of the Friends & Foundation of the Albany Public Library.
He joined the Library in 2016 after serving in a variety of artistic and literary consultant capacities both in the Albany, NY and New York, NY regions. He has contributed to numerous exhibitions, readings, performances and publications as both a curator and organizer over the past 25 years.
Mr. Bhagat holds a BA in Liberal Arts from Goddard College in Vermon and is currently pursuing a Masters in Library and Information Sciences (MLIS) at UAlbany.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean for Personnel and Planning
Job Titles:
- Director of Student Engagement and Pathways into Education ( PIE ) Center
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Assistant Professor for the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland
Education
PhD, Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo
MES, Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo
BS, Geography (Honors), Sanit Mary's University
Amber Silver is an Assistant Professor for the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity. She received her Ph.D. in Geography and Environmental Management from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. Her primary research interests focus on how individuals and groups make decisions before, during, and after high-impact weather. More specifically, she is interested in the roles that public attention, risk perception, and communication play in protective action decision making during extreme events. Her most recent research has focused on the ways that new technologies, including social media, influence how individuals obtain, interpret, and respond to official and unofficial warning information.
Dr. Silver has shared the findings of her research in local, national, and international conferences and symposiums, including The World Weather Open Science Conference, the American Meteorological Society's annual conference, and the Association of American Geographer's conference. Her research has also been published in related journals, including Meteorological Applications, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, and Journal of Environmental Psychology.
Additionally, Dr. Silver has recently joined the communications task force of the High Impact Weather (HIWx) working group of the World Weather Research Programme of the World Meteorological Organization. This ten-year project aims to understand and improve the communication of weather information to different end-users in order to promote appropriate protective actions.
Job Titles:
- Lecturer / Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Education
Ed.D. Curriculum Development and Instruction, Liberty University
M.A. Teaching and Learning, Liberty University
B.A. Psychology, Saint Leo University
Angel Ford joined the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC) at the University at Albany in July 2023. She arrives with a diverse set of professional, teaching, and research experiences including positions as an Assistant Professor of Educational Research, and as a researcher in several higher education programs and partnerships. In 2019-2020, Dr. Ford was a Fulbright Scholar to Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, teaching and conducting research. While she was in Ethiopia, she also taught PhD research courses in Information Science for Jimma University where she continues to support their growing Information Science program.
Previous to entering the field of higher education, she served in K-12 classrooms and as a K-12 administrator and prior to that she served as an aircraft electro-environmental technician in the U.S. Air Force, where she enjoyed working on A-10, F-15, and F-16 aircrafts.
Her education includes an Ed.D. in Curriculum Development and Instruction and a M.A. in Teaching and Learning from Liberty University, a B.A. in Psychology from Saint Leo University, and an A.S. in Aircraft Systems Maintenance Technology. She has also completed several courses for a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Program Evaluation from Old Dominion University.
She currently (2023-2025) serves as the past president of the International Society for Educational Planning https://isep.info/. She also serves as a support to the Fulbright organization for the orientation of individuals about to embark on their experiences abroad. She is currently on a three-year tenure on the Fulbright Specialist roster where she hopes to complete projects related to building human capacity in research methods and scholarly communication in sub-Saharan Africa.
Her research interests are closely tied to areas of equity both within the United States and internationally. These interests include improving learning environments; students and educator motivations, aspirations, well-being, and persistence; fair and equitable partnerships and collaborations; global social justice in scholarly communication, and the benefits of cross-disciplinary/national and international investigations. Dr. Ford will be establishing a research lab within CEHC based on her current research focus on global epistemic justice in scholarly communication.
Job Titles:
- Graduate Assistant / Education
Anna is currently pursuing her PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University at Albany. She has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University at Buffalo.
Avinash Backwani '17, MD, is the VP and Associate Chief Medical Information Officer for Community Health Systems (CHS) in Franklin, TN that owns, leases or operates 83 affiliated hospitals and 1,000 outpatient sites in 16 states.
Prior to joining CHS, Dr. Bachwani served as the VP, Chief Physician Executive and Chief Medical Information Officer at Ellis Medicine where he was also working as a physician in the emergency department since 2006. At Ellis, he was instrumental in implementing Cerner Millennium, an enterprise-grade Electronic Health Record System and led efforts to apply information and technology to deliver healthcare services across the organization and in the community.
Dr. Bachwani completed his residency at Ellis' Family Medicine Residency Program in 2005 (former St. Clare's Hospital). He was board certified in Clinical Informatics in 2013 with the first batch of physicians across the country. He earned his Ph.D. in Information Science from the University at Albany with a primary specialization in Health Informatics and secondary specialization in Decision and Policy Sciences.
He was named a Fellow of the American Medical Informatics Association in 2021.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Department of Educational Theory & Practice, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Assistant Professor in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland
Education
PhD, Political Science, University at Albany
MA, Political Science, University at Albany
BA, Political Science, Binghamton University
Brian Nussbaum is an assistant professor in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany. He focuses on cybersecurity and cyber threats, terrorism and terrorism analysis, homeland security, risk and intelligence analysis, and critical infrastructure protection. He also serves as a fellow of the Cybersecurity Initiative at New America, an affiliate scholar at the Center for Internet and Society (CIS) at Stanford Law School, and a senior fellow with the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security (CCHS) at George Washington University.
Dr. Nussbaum formerly served as senior intelligence analyst with the New York State Office of Counter-Terrorism (OCT), a part of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES). He oversaw both terrorism and cyber threat analysis efforts at New York's designated state fusion center, the New York State Intelligence Center (NYSIC). Dr. Nussbaum served as a subject matter expert on international terrorism and helped to create NYSIC's Cyber Analysis Unit (CAU). He worked for almost a decade in New York State's homeland security agencies and was the author and project lead on the New York State risk-based funding formula, a formula that was used to distribute over $300 million dollars in Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) funds between 2006 and 2014.
Additionally, Dr. Nussbaum served as the first-ever Visiting Professor of Homeland Defense in the Strategic Wargaming Division at the Center for Strategic Leadership and Development, part of the United States Army War College in Carlisle, PA (2012-2013). As such, he has experience in wargaming, simulation, and professional education incorporating interactive and active-learning techniques.
Dr. Nussbaum's work has appeared in numerous books and journals including Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Global Crime, and the Journal of Applied Security Research.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor Emeritus
- Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Professor and Chair Department of Cybersecurity
- Professor and Chair Department of Cybersecurity / College of Emergency Preparedness
Education
Ph.D. Systems and Information Engineering, University of Virginia
M.S. Industrial Engineering, University of the Philippines
B.S. Industrial Engineering, University of the Philippines
Ariel Pinto is a Fulbright awardee, innovator, author, research director, and mentor. Previously, he was in the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering at Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA, USA), a visiting scientist at FM Global, a research fellow at the Software Industry Center at Carnegie Mellon University, and at the Center for Risk Management of Engineering Systems at the University of Virginia. Ariel has written textbooks, journal articles, and presented numerous times in the subject of Risk for both academics and practitioners. He earned his doctorate degree in Systems and information Engineering from the University of Virginia and master's and bachelor's degrees in industrial engineering from the University of the Philippines.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Assistant Professor Division Director, School Psychology / Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Carey Hatch is the Interim Dean of University Libraries. Prior to his appointment at the University at Albany, he served as Senior Associate Provost for Academic Services in the State University of New York (SUNY) System Administration Office. He brings 37 years of higher education leadership experience to the University Libraries. Carey holds a B.A. in Philosophy from SUNY Brockport and an MLS from the University of Maryland.
Job Titles:
- Department of Educational Theory & Practice, School of Education
- Professor Emeritus
Job Titles:
- Associate Teaching Professor
Job Titles:
- Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Job Titles:
- Department of Educational Theory & Practice, School of Education
- Professor
Job Titles:
- Director of Research
- Director of Research at Emma Willard School
Caroline Buinicky is currently the director of Research at Emma Willard School. Ms. Buinicky has built their Makerspace, revamped their research program, and led multiple technology and reading-focused initiatives. She loves her position at Emma as it is the perfect culmination of her passions for educating girls, making, reading, and digital citizenship.
During her time at both UAlbany and Emma Willard, Ms. Buinicky has served on the organizing committee for the New York Celebration of Women in Computing (NYCWiC). Most recently, as the Program Chair for the last three conferences. She loves bringing the magic of NYCWiC to women, and the folks who support them.
Job Titles:
- Lecturer / Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Visiting Assistant Professor, Interim INF PhD Director
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Career Education
- Education
Cathy manages the team that provides all the career advising. In addition, she also does presentations on professional etiquette, networking and personal branding, diversity issues, Clifton Strengths for Students, MBTI and other career related topics. Before coming to the University, she worked for IBM and other computer companies. She has over 20 years' experience working in the computer industry as an engineer, marketing manager, and corporate coach. She is a certified in MBTI, Clifton StrengthsFinder, and as a Life Coach.
Job Titles:
- Esri 's Director for Public Safety Business Development
Chris Albert is Esri's Director for Public Safety Business Development. He leads a team responsible for sales and business development support to national, state and local government public safety organizations globally. His team is also responsible for private sector security and business resilience sales.
Mr. Albert has been with Esri since 2003, supporting a broad range of customers in the defense, intelligence and public safety communities. He has also served in various technical, sales and management roles during his tenure at Esri. Prior to joining Esri, he worked as a GIS Analyst and Project Manager at an engineering firm in Buffalo, New York.
Mr. Albert holds a master's degree in Geography from the University at Buffalo and a bachelor's degree in Biology from SUNY Fredonia.
Job Titles:
- Director, Computing Facilities
Job Titles:
- Interim Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration
Job Titles:
- Interim Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
Job Titles:
- Department of Educational Policy & Leadership, School of Education
- Distinguished Professor
Job Titles:
- Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
- Professor
Job Titles:
- Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
- Professor
Job Titles:
- Academic and Administrative Coordinator, Human Development Major / Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor Emeritus
- Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Department of Educational Policy & Leadership, School of Education
- Professor
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Department of Literacy Teaching & Learning, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Department of Literacy Teaching & Learning, School of Education
- Professor Emeritus
Job Titles:
- Professor of English Education
Education
PhD in Computer Science, Ontario Tech University, Canada
MITS in IT Security (Health Data Security) Ontario Tech University, Canada
BA in Information Technology York University, Canada
Dr. Benjamin Yankson joined the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity (CEHC) at the University at Albany in 2019. Dr. Yankson is currently an Assistant Professor and a Graduate Program Director in the Department of Cybersecurity at the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity (CEHC). He is also the Director of CEHC HackIoT Lab, and founder of Global CyberTech Exchange: A nonprofit project that aims to create and train the future pioneers of cyberspace through knowledge exchange among and between countries, universities, businesses, communities, and individuals.
Dr. Yankson's current research focuses on Privacy and Security of Small Scale IoT security for vulnerable populations (Children's Smart Toys), Operational Security (OPSEC) risk, Digital Forensics, Cybersecurity Compliance, and Cybersecurity Capacity building. He conducts technical and interdisciplinary research that uses mixed methods to address complex Privacy and Cybersecurity problems. His research touches many vibrant and exciting areas in Cybersecurity, Privacy, Information Science, and Complex systems. His Privacy research focuses on addressing privacy, safety, and security risks in small-scale consumer IoT devices (such as children's AI-enabled toys, smart home devices, etc.) using privacy preservation approaches. His Cybersecurity compliance work focuses on adopting new automated approaches that help organizations meet cybersecurity and data privacy compliance requirements such as GDPR, HIPPA, PHIPA, PIPEDA, FERPA, FISMA, COPPA, and other data privacy laws. His OPSEC research and practice centers around design, threat and vulnerability analysis, operationalization of secure control for I.T. Infrastructure, OPSEC awareness, and helping organizations meet ever-changing Cybersecurity requirements.
Over the years, Dr. Yankson gained valuable international experience, which informs his research, teaching, and international collaborations. He was a visiting international Ph.D. scholar at Feng Chai University in Taiwan (2019), Shizuoka University in Japan (2018), and a Research Scientist at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates (2017). Over the last 4yrs, and as of 2023, Dr. Yankson research has led to the publication of over 30 peer-reviewed scholarly articles in high-impact journals and conferences, including but not limited to Internet of Thing Engineering and Cyber Physical Human Systems (IF 5.9), The Journal of Supercomputing(IF 3.3), British Journal of Edu Technology (IF 6.6), Spring Nature International Journal of Information Security(IF 3.2), ACM International Conference on Availability, Reliability, and Security(ARES), and Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences etc. Dr. Yankson frequently speaks to the media about his research, including appearances on ABC News 10, RGB News 6, WAMP Radio, and Spectrum News 1.
Before joining academia, Dr. Yankson spent over 15 years in the Information Technology and Cybersecurity industry and held various technical and leadership roles, including serving as an Application Security Manager for Critical Care Information System (CCIS), I.T. Operations Manager, Help Desk Incident Manager, Systems Specialist, Technical Coordinator, Technical Lead, and Senior Security Consultant. His field experiences greatly inform his research and experiential learning focus teaching style in the classroom.
Dr. Yankson is involved in several initiatives on campus, including supporting DEI initiatives for underrepresented groups in Cybersecurity, serving as Chair of Council Academic Assessment (2021-2023), Member of the Senate Executive Committee (2022-2023), and Senator (2022-2023). He seeks to mentor and is actively engaged in programs to improve access for minority populations in Cybersecurity.
Job Titles:
- Program Delivery Manager
- Program Delivery Manager for FEMA Region 3
Elizabeth Buchanan is a program delivery manager for FEMA Region 3. Prior to joining FEMA, she served as a closeout specialist for CohnReznick LLP in Austin, Texas, helping clients to finalize their public assistance projects with FEMA. In addition, she worked with Hagerty Consulting where she managed an emergency warming shelter during the Texas winter storms, supported data management efforts, and created and reviewed eligible FEMA projects for clients.
Ms. Buchanan graduated in 2019 with a double major in EHC and Communications. During her time as a student, she surpassed CEHC's training hours requirement by accumulating more than 300 trainings hours. She completed an internship and study abroad program for five months, participated in numerous prospective student events, and worked as an RA on a freshman quad for three years.
Her experiences as a CEHC student solidified her passion for emergency preparedness work, and one month after graduation she became a team leader with FEMA Corps. There, she led a team through different rounds of emergency management-based community service and was chosen to lead a composite team in Saipan, CNMI helping FEMA respond to super typhoon Yutu. She plans on dedicating the rest of her career to public service and helping strengthening communities before, during and after disasters.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Department of Educational Policy & Leadership, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Director of Communications
Job Titles:
- Visiting Assistant Professor, EMH Training Director
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Department of Literacy Teaching & Learning, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Applied Learning
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Outreach and Promotion
Job Titles:
- Division Director, Educational Psychology and Methodology
Job Titles:
- Graduate Advisor & Lecturer II / Department of Educational Policy & Leadership, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Commissioner for the Office of Central and Information Services
Glenn Marchi received his PhD in Information Science with a specialization in decision support systems. A chief information officer (CIO), military officer, and adjunct professor, he believes the interdisciplinary PhD program provided him the technological skills to excel in his field as a practitioner, researcher and educator.
Over the course of his career, he has served as programmer, systems analyst, certified project management professional (PMP), and has held director-level positions at Mercy College, Diageo and IBM. He was a military first responder to the World Trade Center terrorist attack and was later deployed to Iraq as a battalion commander with the 42nd Infantry Division, U.S. Army where he was awarded the bronze star medal. Since July 2016, Dr. Marchi has served as the Commissioner for the Office of Central and Information Services for Dutchess County Government in Poughkeepsie, New York which has been ranked #1 county in the nation for digital transformation and innovation.
He believes that CEHC's unique interdisciplinary PhD program prepares you to make a difference as a leader shaping the world of technology management and research in the private and public sectors.
His advice to those in pursuit of this degree: "Aspire to be a lifelong learner in your field. Build a professional network and continue to ask questions all the time to keep learning and growing."
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Development
Hannah is currently pursuing her dual masters degree in Social Work and Criminal Justice from the University at Albany. She has a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from the SUNY Oneonta.
Job Titles:
- President and CEO of the Griffiss Institute
Heather Hage is president and CEO of the Griffiss Institute (GI), a leading national nonprofit talent and technology accelerator for the United States Department of Defense.
In her position, she leads the expansion of the GI's portfolio of international talent and technology development programs, and the standup of Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate's new "over the fence" R&D and incubator facilities at Innovare Advancement Center in Rome, NY.
Prior to joining the Griffiss Institute, Ms. Hage served the State University of New York for 17 years, where she oversaw innovation and partnerships for the SUNY System.
A graduate of Hamilton College and Albany Law School, where she was managing editor of the Journal of Science and Technology, her professional background includes media relations, telecommunications, IP management and corporate transactions.
An adjunct faculty member at Albany Law School and SUNY Polytechnic Institute's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Ms. Hage is the recipient of various honors and awards, including SUNY's 2015 Woman of Excellence award for outstanding service, exemplary support of women in leadership, and a distinguished career.
Job Titles:
- Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
- Professor
Job Titles:
- Department of Educational Policy & Leadership, School of Education
- Professor
Job Titles:
- Department of Educational Theory & Practice, Department of Communication, School of Education
- Distinguished Professor
In her role, Jackie manages the day to day activities at the front desk, ensures friendly customer service and supervises our work study students. Jackie is very passionate about organization and customer service and applies these strong skills while training and supervising.
Jacques Bastien is a serial entrepreneur, college professor, and the CEO of Boogie Brands; the company behind boogie.co, shade.co, nappy.co, and Snappy Booth. He is also the founder of a children's education company called Dahlia & Friends where they publish books, worksheets, and animated videos that teach children ages 2-8 about life.
After the last 13 years starting, growing and selling multiple businesses, Mr. Bastien now helps entrepreneurs do the same.
He earned a BS in Information Science with minor in Business at the University at Albany. It was here that he launched boogie in his college dorm room during his sophomore year.
Jagdish Gangolly served in a variety of faculty roles at the undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. levels at the University at Albany from 1979 - 2011. Most notably he served as the Vincent O'Leary Associate Professor Emeritus of Informatics and the Director of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Information Science at UAlbany.
During his years as a professor, he was also involved in curriculum development and led the creation of the academic concentration in Accounting Information Systems within the MS Accounting Program, the graduate program in Forensic Accounting and oversaw the accreditation of the University's curriculum in Information Assurance by the National Security Agency.
An accomplished researcher and author, Dr. Gangolly holds a degree in Mathematical Statistics from the Faculty of Commerce at the University of Bombay, India; a master's degree in Operations Research from the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta, India; and a Ph.D. in Operations Management from the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta, India; and a Ph.D. in Accounting & Quantitative Methods from the Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh. He is also a Certified Internal Auditor.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Department of Literacy Teaching & Learning, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Director of Academic Success
- Director of the Academic Success
Jane Kessler is the Director of the Academic Success division. She provides leadership for the team of librarians engaged in collection development, special collections and archives, reference, instruction, scholarly communication services, outreach and marketing, and user experience. Previously, she served as the Director of Collections. Prior to becoming a librarian and joining the University at Albany Libraries, she worked in corporate finance. Jane has a B.S. from Lehigh University, an M.B.A. from Rutgers University, and an M.L.S. from the University at Albany.
Job Titles:
- Division Director, Counseling Psychology Director of Master 's Programs, Counseling Psychology / Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Lecturer II / Department of Educational Theory & Practice, School of Education
Jeffrey D. Stern currently serves as superintendent, Emergency Management Institute at FEMA.
Previously he led the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, where he was responsible for disaster and homeland security preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts across the Commonwealth.
For more than three decades Dr. Stern served in local, state, and federal government positions, in the private sector, and in academia, including presidential appointments as a White House Fellow at the Department of the Interior and the White House Homeland Security Council, and as Executive Director of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, the advisory board to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Dr. Stern received a BA in Government from the College of William and Mary, an MPA from the American University School of Public Affairs, and a PhD from the Virginia Tech Center for Public Administration and Policy. He also attended the Naval Postgraduate School Executive Leaders Program, is a Certified Emergency Manager, a National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer, and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.
Jennie K. Meeker is Head of Regulatory Business Operations (RBO) for Global Regulatory Affairs (GRA) at IFF.
Ms. Meeker is a seasoned regulatory affairs, policy and operations professional with multi-industry experience spanning food & beverage, animal health & husbandry, and pharmaceutical applications. In her current role, she leads a team that develops and maintains performance and productivity infrastructure for GRA.
Prior to its merger with IFF, Ms. Meeker served as RBO Leader at DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences and was previously responsible for the global food enzymes and animal nutrition regulatory program within DuPont's Industrial Biosciences. Before joining DuPont, she held positions of increasing responsibility for several multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Virbac, Novartis Animal Health, AstraZeneca, and Schering Plough Animal Health. Ms. Meeker began her career in Washington, DC working on behalf of the animal production and food industries.
Ms. Meeker holds a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Colorado State University, a Master of Science in Animal Science from The Ohio State University, and a Master of Public Administration from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director for Employer Relations
Education:
Jermaine graduated from University at Albany with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Master of Arts in Liberal Studies.
Job Titles:
- Director of Professional Development and Continuing Education
Job Titles:
- Project ACCESS Project Manager and Evaluator Research Fellow, Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology & Senior Research Associate, the Research Foundation for SUNY
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Employer Relations
Education:
Jessica is proud two-time UAlbany alumna. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Anthropology and Masters of Arts in Communication.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Department of Educational Theory & Practice, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Dean of Undergraduate Education and Vice Provost for Academic Innovation & Student Success
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Field Education
Job Titles:
- Department of Literacy Teaching & Learning, School of Education / 518 - 442 - 5106
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Department of Educational Theory & Practice, School of Education
Jonathan Rochelle is the VP of Instructors at LinkedIn.
An entrepreneur and technology product manager, he is currently the VP of Instructors at LinkedIn.
Most recently Mr. Rochelle consulted in the field and worked with Zapier, a workflow automation company. Prior to that, he spent 14 years as Director of Product Management at Google where he launched the Google Apps for Education product team, as well as Google Classroom, Google Expeditions, Google Forms & Quizzes, and Jamboard.
Prior to joining Google in 2005, Mr. Rochelle co-founded and sold two technology start-ups - ITK Solutions, a technology consulting firm, and 2Web Technologies, a software product company. He also spent 15 years as a software engineer and engineering team manager, primarily at JP Morgan & Co., across a broad set of financial service businesses.
Mr. Rochelle earned his BS in Computer Science from the University at Albany.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Department of Educational Theory & Practice, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Lecturer / Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Director of the Collections
Kabel Stanwicks is the Director of the Collections and Discovery Division, which is made up of the Access Services, Acquisitions Services , and Resource Management departments. He previously served as the Head of Access Services and the Head of Circulation & Media Services in the University Libraries. Prior to joining the University at Albany, he worked at the University of Connecticut Libraries and Yale University Libraries. Kabel holds a B.A. in Music from the University of Connecticut and an M.S.I.S. from the University at Albany.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of School Leadership and Development / Department of Educational Policy & Leadership, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant to the Dean
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Department of Educational Policy & Leadership, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor Division Director, Special Education
Job Titles:
- Assistant Vice President for Administration
Job Titles:
- School of Education, Center for Behavioral Health Promotion and Applied Research
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Department of Educational Theory & Practice, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Director
- Senior Research Scientist
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Department of Literacy Teaching & Learning, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Visiting Assistant Professor / Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Department Coordinator / Department of Educational Policy & Leadership, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Lecturer / Department of Educational Policy & Leadership, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Field Education / Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Department Coordinator / Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Chief Safety Officer
- Chief Safety Officer of the Manchester Transit Authority
Michael Apollo currently serves as the chief safety officer of the Manchester Transit Authority in Manchester, NH. In this role, he works collaboratively with transit agency employees, external partners, and the public to ensure the safe and secure operation of public transportation in New Hampshire's largest city.
He served as an EMT with the Larchmont Volunteer Ambulance Corp for nearly six years and worked as a medical logistician supporting a New York City COVID-19 field hospital, utilizing concepts and strategies he learned while a student at UAlbany. The COVID-19 pandemic thrust him into frontline public health emergency response roles in Queens, NY, Washington, D.C., and Nashua, NH.
Mr. Apollo graduated from UAlbany with a BA in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity and Journalism in December 2019.
Mr. Apollo was active in public engagement efforts while a student at UAlbany including post-Hurricane Maria service learning in Puerto Rico; an internship with the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.; PIRE research in Taiwan; and an internship at NPR member station WAMC. Additionally, Mr. Apollo was a contributing writer and photographer for the Albany Student Press, served as president of UAlbany's International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and received the Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence.
Job Titles:
- Dean Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of the Information School at the University of Washington
Michael Eisenberg is Dean Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of the Information School at the University of Washington and was the founding dean serving from 1998 to 2006. He was a key player in the information field as one of the five founders of the information school's movement and iSchools organization.
Known as an innovator and entrepreneur, Dr. Eisenberg's work focuses on information & technology literacy, virtual worlds, and library information and technology programs, K-20. He is co-author of the "Big6 approach to information problem-solving" - the most widely used information literacy program in the world. A prolific author (nine books and dozens of articles and papers), he has worked with thousands of students-pre-K through higher education-as well as people in business, government, and communities to improve individual and organizational information and technology access and use.
Dr. Eisenberg holds both a BA and an MLS from the University at Albany, a CAS in Information Science and a PhD in Information Transfer, both from Syracuse University.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean of Public Engagement and Enrollment
Job Titles:
- Department of Educational Policy & Leadership, School of Education
- Professor
Job Titles:
- Acquisition Associate
- Talent Acquisition Associate
Monique Wade started her professional career at PwC in their Cloud& Digital practice but recently pivoted into talent acquisition. She currently serves as a Talent Acquisition Associate for PwC's entry-level talent identification team.
She is also the Education Lead for PwC's Cloud & Digital practice's Functional and Industry Application Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Network.
Ms. Wade has participated in several prestigious programs including Google's Computer Science Summer Institute and the Harvard Business School's Virtual Venture in Management Program.
She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University at Albany '21 with a BS in Informatics, a concentration in Data Analytics and a minor in Leadership. She was a Spellman Scholar and the recipient of the President's Award for Leadership's Outstanding Senior Award.
While at UAlbany, she held several leadership positions including serving on the executive board for the United Nations Association and the Student Philanthropy Council as well as serving as a Purple and Gold Ambassador with the Alumni Association. She is a member of two honor societies, the Chi Alpha Epsilon Honor Society and Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society. Ms. Wade pays-it-forward by mentoring UAlbany students and speaking about potential career paths and opportunities.
Job Titles:
- Thompson Strategic Consulting
Mr. Thompson's distinguished public and private sector experience has made him an international leader and trusted adviser to presidents, heads of state, governments and corporations. Mr. Thompson was a Team Leader of the Obama/Biden Transition and served as a Commissioner on the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Prior to the FTC, Mr. Thompson worked for Treasury Secretaries Lloyd Bentsen and Robert Rubin, serving as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Policy. Before going to Washington, Thompson worked for Governor Mario Cuomo, serving as Acting Executive Director, Secretary and General Counsel of the New York State Housing Finance Agency, (HFA), the State of New York Mortgage Agency, (SONYMA), New York Medical Care Facilities Finance Agency, (MCFFA), and their sister agencies.
Mr. Thompson is a graduate of Columbia College and Columbia Law School and received his MPA from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.
Job Titles:
- CEO of Thompson Strategic Consulting
Mozelle Thomson is CEO of Thompson Strategic Consulting providing innovative legal, policy and business advice to innovative companies like Facebook, Samsung, Disney and many startups.
Job Titles:
- Professor and Director of Doctoral Training, Counseling Psychology / Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education, Psychological Services Center
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director of Career
Education:
Noah graduated from St. Lawrence University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Master's degree in Counseling from The College of St. Rose.
Olivia BenAoumeur '24 is a student in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany.
She previously worked as an instructor and camp counselor at Code Ninjas in 2019 and 2020 in Clifton Park, where she taught local elementary and middle school students the foundations of programming through block-based code by building video games.
This background helped prepare her for Peer Education at UAlbany, where during Fall 2021 she taught alongside Professor Lenore Horowitz CINF 108, Programming for Problem Solving, using the Python Language to teach the foundations of programming to her peers.
Currently, Ms. BenAoumeur serves as the Community Manager Intern at the UAlbany Innovation Center under the Office of Community and Economic Development at UAlbany. The UAlbany Innovation Center is one of several incubators part of Innovate518 located in the Capital Region looking to connect, mentor, network, and grow entrepreneurs, founders, and startup companies in the area.
Ms. BenAoumeur is also a member of the University at Albany Honors College, and is pursuing a BS in Informatics with a Software Development concentration and a double minor in Computer Science and Art.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Finance for Grants and Contracts
Job Titles:
- Manager of Finance and Operations
Job Titles:
- Department of Literacy Teaching & Learning, School of Education
- Professor Emeritus
Reg Harnish is CEO of OrbitalFire Cybersecurity.
A nationally recognized cybersecurity veteran, investor and advisor, Mr. Harnish oversees OrbitalFire's vision, strategy and growth for simplifying automating and solving security challenges for small businesses.
Prior to his current role, Mr. Harnish has served in a variety of capacities as the Founder and former CEO of GreyCastle Security, the CEO of Slingshot Cyberventures, an Executive Vice President at the Center for Internet Security, and the CTO of Autotask.
A fellow in the National Cybersecurity Institute, a member of the Forbes Technology Council and a board advisor to numerous cybersecurity start-ups, Mr. Harnish has been in the field for nearly two decades. He is a nationally recognized speaker, accomplished author and his expertise has been featured in media outlets such as Time, Forbes, The Washington Post, CBS Nightly News and CIO Magazine.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Academics and Operations / Department of Literacy Teaching & Learning, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Founder and CEO of Alexis Networks
Rick Parimi, is Founder and CEO of Alexis Networks. His organization uses an AI Service platform to help companies with predictive insights. Alexis
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Founder and CEO of G & H International Services Inc
Robert Greenberg is the Founder and CEO of G&H International Services Inc., based in Washington, DC.
He has been working with federal, state and local governments to support the emergency management and first responder community for more than three decades. He has devoted his career to developing and implementing strategies and programs, conducting enterprise and technology assessments, developing and implementing technical solutions and building partnerships and working with decision makers at all levels of government to enhance community resilience. Among his initiatives, Mr. Greenberg helped develop the National Institutes of Justice Technology Assistance Center program and helped lead the National SAFECOM program to improve communications interoperability and the national Virtual USA information sharing initiative. Under Mr. Greenberg's leadership and guidance, G&H has won numerous awards for their innovations to enhance situational awareness, information sharing and decision support, including from federal, state and local governments.
Mr. Greenberg has served as an advisor to many federal government organizations and several law enforcement agencies including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, the National Institutes of Justice, the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC), the Consortium for Emergency Services Technology (CEST), and the National Public Safety Telecommunications Consortium (NPSTC), among others. He has received recognition for his services from DHS S&T, the U.S. Secret Service, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the International Association of Fire Chiefs, among others.
Mr. Greenberg is a lifelong learner having attended, but not graduated several Universities including the University of Wisconsin, Madison; George Mason University (where a study of his was used as part of the post-cold-war intelligence assessment overseen by Robert Gates), the University of Washington and the University of Wisconsin again. He is devoted to his family - his wife Freyda, daughter Sara, son-in-law Nick and Shiba Inu Kangi. Among his outside achievements Mr. Greenberg co-led an effort to create the Women's Professional Soccer League which is the forerunner of the current professional league and several not-for-profit organizations dedicated to helping at risk youth.
Job Titles:
- Co - Chair of the Department of Homeland Security 's ICT Supply Chain Risk Management Task Force
- Senior Vice President of Cybersecurity & Innovation With the US Telecom Association
Robert Mayer is Senior Vice President of Cybersecurity & Innovation with the US Telecom Association (USTelecom) with responsibility for leading cyber and national security policy and strategic initiatives. He is the current Chairman of the Communications Sector Coordinating Council (CSCC), which represents the broadcast, cable, satellite, wireless and wireline industries in connection with the DHS and public-private partnership activities across the U.S. government.
Mayer also serves as co-chair of the Department of Homeland Security's ICT Supply Chain Risk Management Task Force, which is now in its third year and focuses on developing strategic and operational best practices to manage supply chain risk. He also co-leads the Counsel to Secure the Digital Economy (CSDE), which consists of 15 global ICT infrastructure providers who have joined forces to drive solutions that enhance the cyber resiliency of the global digital ecosystem.
Mayer was appointed to the FCC Communications Security Reliability and Interoperability Council (CSRIC V), after having led a 100-person team of cybersecurity professionals that produced a landmark report to adapt the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to the broadcast, cable, satellite, wireless and wireline industries.
Prior to US Telecom, Mayer served as the top telecommunications official for New York State as Telecom Director of the New York Public Service Commission. In that capacity, he led several major initiatives including regulatory reform efforts and he created a new agency department that focused exclusively on network reliability and public safety matters. Prior to this appointment, Mayer was the lead regulatory practitioner in the Telecommunications and Cable Group at KPMG Consulting and was a consultant with Deloitte Consulting. Before that, Mayer worked as an analyst in the international telecommunications divisions of Chase Manhattan Bank and JP Morgan.
Mayer served in the US Air Force supervising intelligence and communications operations at NATO Headquarters, Southern Europe in Italy. He received his BA from University at Albany, his MA in Information Management from Central Michigan University, his MBA from Boston University, and his JD from New York Law School.
Job Titles:
- Dean of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
- Dean of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity / College of Emergency Preparedness
Job Titles:
- Eastern Region Director for Social Action for Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc
Education:
Roberto received his Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies form Syracuse University, which afterward, he received his Masters of Education in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University, as well as, a graduate certificate in Non-Profit Management. Additionally, Roberto received a Masters of Theology with an emphasis on Discipleship Ministries and Administration.
Roberto is the Eastern Region Director for Social Action for Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. In this role Roberto provides leadership to thousands of members in states ranging from Maine to Virginia, and including the U.S. Virgin Islands in the areas of social and political action. A proud Afro-Latino, Roberto traces his roots back to Quisqueya, West Africa and Spain. His favorite sports teams are the Syracuse Orange, Dallas Cowboys, NY Knicks, and NY Yankees!
Job Titles:
- Regional Director, Capital Region, NYS Master Teacher Program
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Department of Educational Policy & Leadership, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Manager of Contracts and Grants Development
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Career Education
Education:
Sarah has two Bachelor of Science degrees from SUNY Brockport (Sociology and Communication) and a Master's in Student Affairs Administration from the University at Buffalo.
Job Titles:
- Department Coordinator / Department of Educational Theory & Practice, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director for Accreditation and Student Success
Job Titles:
- Assistant for Communications
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant II / Department of Educational Policy & Leadership, Department of Literacy Teaching & Learning, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Eminent Research Professor / Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Department of Literacy Teaching & Learning, School of Education / 518 - 442 - 5102
Job Titles:
- Director of Organizational Development for Blizzard Entertainment
Steve Derrick is the Director of Organizational Development for Blizzard Entertainment in Albany.
In this position, Mr. Derrick is focused on supporting Blizzard Entertainment's talent base with professional training and development programs.
Mr. Derrick worked in film and advertising, creating storyboards and illustrations before taking a position in at Vicarious Visions as a Texture Artist in 1999. As a video game developer over the past 22 years, he has held many positions, including Lead Artist, Art Group Manager, Chief of Staff.
He holds a degree in Painting and Drawing from the University of Utah, a degree in Computer Animation from the Art Institute of Phoenix.
Mr. Derrick also serves as the community liaison and has established strong relationships with regional and national education institutions such as the Chamber of Commerce, school business advisory councils, Boces, the NY Game hub, and organizations that help build a STEM ecosystem in the Capital Region, as well as with higher education institutions.
Job Titles:
- Chief of Staff and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Job Titles:
- Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, Department of Educational Policy & Leadership, School of Education
- Professor
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor SOE Director of Equity & Inclusion
Taylor is a graduate assistant in the office. She is happy to help you critique your resume, learn how to search for jobs and internships, explore majors and build essential skills for career success.
Thomas Ruller, '86, '90, is the Assistant Commissioner and State Archivist at the New York State Education Department. He has held this post since November 2015. Prior to serving as the State Archivist, he held various positions within the State Archives and the State Education Department, beginning in 1988 when he was initially hired as a Senior Archivist in the State Archives.
Prior to his service with New York State, Ruller worked as an Archivist at the Alabama Department of Archives and History where he had the privilege of visiting every county courthouse in the State as part of a team that developed records management guidance for local governments across Alabama.
He is proud of his service as a local government historian, serving as the Deputy City Historian for his hometown of Gloversville, NY in the late 1970's through 1983.
He received a BA in History and an MLS in Information Science, both from the University at Albany.
Tina Tarquinio is Director, IBMZ Platform Product Management. Under her leadership, the team has introduced new offerings leveraging the strengths of the multi-billion-dollar annual business platform, addressing new client demands and markets, and fueling innovation for the world's most critical systems.
In her time at IBM, she has held both technical and leadership roles, across multiple offerings and disciplines. A certified Product Manager and IT specialist, she has authored industry publications around high-performance computing, and received patents for her work.
An IBM Corporate Service Corps Alumni, she participated in a highly selective program performing pro-bono consultancy work in Krakow, Poland in 2017. She is an active volunteer in local schools, and loves encouraging students at all levels to study sciences, including her role as an advisory board member for two colleges focused on STEM degrees.
Ms. Tarquinio graduated from the University at Albany with a double major in Mathematics and Computer Science, and in 2020 completed a specialty program at Wharton Business School.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of IT and Facilities
Tony Ventura is an undergraduate student studying Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany. He's also pursuing a minor in Japanese language and another in Chinese. He is currently a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps Inactive Ready Reserve.
Prior to enrolling at UAlbany, he spent 10 years on active duty. Aboard Camp Lejeune, NC, he managed the security and disposition of U.S. Government funds as a member of Combat Logistics Regiment-27. He also instructed Marines in combat marksmanship for Weapons Training Battalion.
In 2018, Mr. Ventura transferred to the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan. There, he was the Finance Lead on an NCIS fraud operation targeting the theft of government funds in the Pacific region. Additionally, he instructed Marines in advanced water survival for amphibious combat environments.
In 2019, he deployed to Darwin, Australia with Marine Rotational Force-Darwin. As a Disbursing Chief, he was responsible for the security and optimization of U.S. Department of Defense financial assets in support of joint military exercises in Oceania.
Mr. Ventura was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant in 2020. He left active duty in 2021 and enrolled at UAlbany to pursue a career in federal law enforcement.
Job Titles:
- Online Program Manager & Lecturer / Department of Literacy Teaching & Learning, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Career Education
Job Titles:
- Dean of the School of Education Professor / Department of Literacy Teaching & Learning, School of Education
Job Titles:
- Visiting Assistant Professor / Department of Literacy Teaching & Learning, School of Education / 518 - 442 - 3302
Job Titles:
- Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education
- Professor