YALE UNIVERSITY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Administrative Assistant
Carolyn is the Sr. Administrative Assistant of the office and serves as the principal source of information to students and staff. She schedules and coordinates meetings and appointments for all office staff. Outside of work, Carolyn enjoys spending time with her family, at church and with her grandson RJ.
Emily is a second-year MS student in Health Informatics at Yale School of Public Health. With roots in Shanghai and Hong Kong, Emily has long been enchanted by country life and attended UC Davis for her undergraduate studies in Food Science and Statistics. She's passionate about photography, rock musicals, and cooking, and even holds a ServSafe certificate that says her cooking is trustworthy. Post-graduation, Emily might work as a Data Engineer in the healthcare sector. However, her ultimate desire is to foster the emergence of Food Informatics, aiming to use technology and information to address and alleviate societal discrepancies in food distribution and access.
Emily joined SAS in early 2023. She received her B.A. in Human Development and Family Studies as well as her M.A. in Educational Psychology from the University of Connecticut. She began working at the Center for Students with Disabilities at UConn as a Graduate Assistant in 2018 and later as a permanent employee where she engaged in student intakes, accommodation provision, and exam administration. At Yale, Emily works with a caseload of students as well. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, taking her dog for walks, and spending time with friends and family- especially when dining out!
Emily works with students in Jonathan Edwards, Saybrook, Grace Hopper, Ben Franklin, Pauli Murray, and the School of Environment.
Eric joined the GSWAT team in the summer of 2023. Eric received his undergraduate degrees in Biology, Environmental Science, and Geology from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, and graduate degrees in Agronomy and Agricultural & Biological Engineering from the University of Florida. Eric's background is in Software as a Service (SaaS) and technology as a tool in sustainable and alternative agricultural systems. Before this, Eric held a research position with the USDA and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), exploring greenhouse gas emissions in the cattle and dairy industries and food insecurity and production in the developing world. At Yale, Eric is a graduate student studying ecotheology at the Yale Divinity School and the Yale School of the Environment.
Felix is currently pursuing a Master of Architecture degree at the Yale School of Architecture, where his design approach is driven by a passion for sustainability, inclusivity, and interdisciplinary collaboration. As the recipient of both the Francis Kere Scholarship and Dean Scholarship, he is dedicated to creating spaces that balance functionality with social and environmental responsibility, benefiting people from diverse backgrounds.
Job Titles:
- Lead Accessibility Assistant
Job Titles:
- Associate Director for Accommodations
Jackie joined SAS in early 2022. She received her B.A in Psychology from Central Connecticut State University and a M.A in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Saint Joseph. She began working in Disability Services in 2015 at Eastern Connecticut State University's Office of Accessibility Services as a graduate student and later as a professional staff member, conducting intakes, supervising the support program designed to foster executive functioning skills and assist students with the adjustment to the college environment. In 2016, Jackie joined UConn's Center for Student's with Disabilities as their Accommodations Coordinator where she over saw the exam administration process, peer notetaking process, course modification process, and managed a team of professional staff and graduate student employees. At Yale, Jackie serves a caseload of students and oversees the exam administration process in the SAS office. Outside of her role at Yale, Jackie enjoys reading and writing, hiking, going to Maine, and spending time with her friends, cats, and horses!
Jacob hails from Iowa and is a candidate for a Master of Divinity degree at the Divinity School. He is also pursuing certifications through the Institute of Sacred Music, Roman Catholic Lay Ministry Program, Educational Leadership & Ministry Program, and a diploma in Anglican Studies. He attended Brown University for his undergraduate study and obtained a Bachelor's degree in Classics and Medieval Studies. He is interested in liturgy, the history of sacred art/architecture, ecumenism, and many other things (that often serve as distractions from his actual course of study). Before coming to Yale, Jacob worked as a communications director for a nonprofit and was in the transportation industry. He looks forward to helping Yale become a more accessible and equitable community.
Jany Xu is currently pursuing a Masters in Architecture at the Yale School of Architecture. She grew up in Dallas, Texas and attended The University of Texas at Austin as an undergraduate where she studied finance. Before coming to Yale, Jany worked as a management consultant in telecommunications and customer experience. In her free time, she enjoys reading, going on walks around campus, and exploring new food places in New Haven. She looks forward to being a part of the SWAT's team's initiatives to make the school accessible and equitable for all.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director for Assistive Technology
Jordan joined SAS in 2021. Hailing from South Jersey, he identifies as and is proud to be a biracial first-generation and low-income graduate. He received his B.A in Classical Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a Masters of Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern California (USC). He started in disability services in 2015 as a Graduate Counselor and transitioned to working as an Assistive Technology Specialist for USC in 2017. Prior to working in the field of accessibility, Jordan served as a psychoth erapist with high school students and provided Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to substance abuse populations. At Yale, he oversees the Student Workers in Assistive Technology (SWAT) Team, which coordinates the delivery, training, and accessibility for assistive technology solutions. Outside of his role, Jordan can often be found debating philosophy with friends, taveling, and watching professional sports.
Jordan directly provides accommodations for students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Jackson Institute.
Kim joined Yale as SAS's director in 2021. Previously, she was part of the University of Connecticut's Center for Students with Disabilities team, where-in addition to her own caseload-she supervised regional campus coordinators and the accommodations and assistive technology teams, and oversaw center outreach activities. Kim has also led projects and programs for state government, education, and healthcare, and taught high school special education. Kim received her M.A. from Chapman University and B.A. from Biola University. When not working, she enjoys time on the water boating with her family and spends time on high school sidelines watching her daughters play sports.
Noel is a current Master of Architecture student at the School of Architecture. He uses his design skillset and curiosity for technology to aid in finding helpful technologies for students. He approaches every problem like a design brief and works to create solutions which are holistic and empathetic.
Sam is currently pursuing a Master of Architecture degree at the Yale School of Architecture, with a conspicuous dedication to becoming a Sustainability Advocate in his field.
Shami joined SAS in 2021. He works with Yale College, graduate and professional students. Prior to joining SAS, Shami worked as an Access Advisor for the Disability Resource Center at Missouri State University where he specialized in working with Deaf and hard of hearing students. Shami also served as an Assistant Coordinator of Disability Resources at Washington University. He earned a MSW from Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis (go Bears!) and a BA from Baku Eurasia University. He grew up in Baku, capital city of Azerbaijan and identified as a first-generation student. Outside of work, Shami enjoys cooking (trying different fish recipes), hiking and spending time with his friends.
Shami works with students in the Health Science Education programs and School of Management.
Susa n Olson DIV'93 joined SAS in 2019 after fifteen years in student affairs work elsewhere at Yale. She has a Master of Divinity from Yale, a Master of Arts in Counseling from Michigan State and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Illinois. Outside of the office, Susan is a fellow and college advisor in Branford College, and an advisor to the University Wide Committee on Sexual Misconduct. In her spare time she enjoys singing, writing, swimming, reading novels of dubious quality, teaching Mental Health First Aid, volunteering for New Haven Reads and The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, and driving her teen-aged daughter to every golf course in the state of Connecticut.
Susan works with students in Morse, Ezra Stiles, Branford, Silliman, Davenport, Berkeley, and Trumbull Colleges. She also works with the Schools of Arc hitecture, Drama, Music, Art, and Divinity.
Tommy is a Master of Architecture student at Yale, with a background in civil engineering. He aims to merge creative design and technical expertise for an interdisciplinary approach to architecture. His experience includes internships in Boston and Yale Facilities, where he developed practical skills while considering how space can empower people. Passionate about inclusivity, Tommy is dedicated to working with the SWAT team to foster a campus environment that enables everyone to thrive.
U Jin is currently pursuing a Master of Architecture degree at the School of Architecture, with a strong interest in early-stage investments and the startup ecosystem. Previously, he had been a Venture Associate at the Tsai Center of Innovative Thinking at Yale (CITY), where he provided support to startup founders in areas such as branding, marketing, and grant writing. He is dedicated to contributing to Yale's ecosystem of inclusivity through the work of the SWAT team.
I am Yuyi Bei from Hangzhou, China. I am currently pursuing a dual degree: Master of Public Health at the Yale School of Public Health and Master of Arts in Religion at Yale Divinity School. I study social behavioral science as well as religion and ecology. Before coming to Yale, I earned a certification in assistive and rehabilitative technology, which is a certificate based on the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). My academic field of interest is the interdisciplinary field of mental health and eco-spirituality for marginalized populations. I am thrilled to work with the Yale SWAT team.