Solanghely Raffo (she/her) is a Survivor Advocate with Sexual Violence Response (SVR). As a Survivor Advocate, Solanghely provides support and case management through an empathetic, anti-racist, intersectional lens by committing to effective and practical crisis intervention, immediate aid, options, referrals, resources, psychoeducation, advocacy, and support services to primary and secondary survivors of gender- and power-based violence.
Prior to joining SVR, Solanghely served the public as the Client Services and Program Coordinator at the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender Based Violence. There, she trained and supervised case managers and intake specialists, supported high-risk/high-profile cases, and managed mainline calls and client walk-ins. She also liaised between the District Attorney's Office, Non-Profit Voces Latinas, and the Queens Family Justice Center on the NYC Polyvictimization project, funded by the US Department of Justice, to provide comprehensive support to victims of violence.
Previously, Solanghely worked in the Immigration Affairs unit for former Congressman Joseph Crowley, guiding the immigrant community on their rights and visa options. She has also contributed to global initiatives with South Africa, Israel, Peru, and UN Women, focused on preventing and addressing femicides and high-risk gender-based violence cases. Her work helped develop policies to enhance responses to gender-based violence in these nations.
A native of Queens, Solanghely proudly embraces her rich multicultural heritage and roots, embodying the vibrant identity of a true global New Yorker.
Olivia is a Training and Intervention Coordinator with Sexual Violence Response. Prior to coming to Columbia, she was the Campus Advocate and Education Coordinator at California State University, Bakersfield. While there she strived to build a department that is rooted in empathy, inclusivity, and a welcoming environment. In addition to her advocacy and outreach work for sexual misconduct, she also advocated for basic needs and mental health resources. She has presented at national conferences on a diverse range of topics including Imposter Syndrome, BLM & Me Too movements, and the intersectionality of dreamers & advocacy services. Olivia relates to her audience through her personal experience in Greek life, student government, and various clubs.
Michele Paolella (she/her/hers) is the Director of Direct Services at SVR where she manages and oversees SVR's direct services and provides supervision for all aspects of survivor-focused service provision across all campuses. Additionally, Michele collaborates with divisions and schools across the university to ensure SVR's efforts are responsive to the varying needs of survivors and co-survivors of sexual violence, intimate partner violence, stalking, technology-facilitated abuse, and other forms of power-based violence.
Michele joined SVR in October 2019 as Assistant Director of SVR's Columbia University Irving Medical Center location where she supported students presenting issues of gender- and power-based violence; facilitated prevention education programming; and planned special events for the medical center community.
Prior to joining Columbia, Michele was the Director of Social Services and Training at Day One, where she delivered and oversaw prevention, awareness, and intervention services for young survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence and their communities. During her time at Day One, Michele developed and managed several new programs, trained thousands of professionals, and spearheaded key partnerships with city institutions and community partners. She also chaired multiple coalitions including the NYC Domestic Violence Task Force Youth Intervention Prevention and Education Services (YIPES) Committee and a group of culturally specific service providers called Advocates for Safe and Empowering Relationships (ASER). Before Day One, Michele worked primarily with LGBTQ+ and HIV-positive youth, as well as youth involved in the criminal justice system.
Linda Wright (she/her) joined Columbia Health in 2024 as an Intake Specialist with Sexual Violence Response (SVR). As an Intake Specialist, she is the initial point of contact for survivors seeking support from Sexual Violence Response for direct services. She helps manage the intake flow of clients and streamlines the support process, ranging from providing immediate crisis assistance/intervention, assigning survivors to Survivor Advocates for longer-term support, to recommending other Columbia Health resources if that is what is needed. Linda assists with triage, scheduling client appointments, facilitates service and safety planning, connects clients to on- and off-campus resources/partners, assists survivors with filing claims (victim compensation, online orders of protection, etc.), and provides information, referrals, and advocacy.
Before joining Columbia, Linda retired from New York City Transit (NYCT) where she served as an Employee Assistance Professional (EAP) and Acting EAP Manager. In her role as an EAP, Linda provided comprehensive case management services, addressing mental health, domestic violence, and various life issues. She ensured compliance with NYCT drug and alcohol assessments and federal regulations while maintaining meticulous case records. As Acting EAP Manager, she supervised the daily operations, coordinated with providers, and led multidisciplinary team meetings. Linda organized domestic violence symposiums, and health fairs, and supported special projects like Safe Talk and Mental Health First Aid. Her extensive experience includes direct services to vulnerable communities, with roles in residential and outpatient treatment programs, shelters, correctional facilities, and various industries.
Linda enjoys dancing, exercising, spa treatments, and traveling. Linda loves, learning, laughing, and enjoying life.
La’Shawn Rivera, M.A. has led Columbia University's Sexual Violence Response & Rape Crisis/Anti-Violence Support Center (SVR) since August 2013. La’Shawn supervises all direct services and prevention-based staff members, oversees all SVR campus-wide events and initiatives, and acts as a liaison to the Columbia campus and the New York City community through her participation in multiple taskforce initiatives and community collaborative committees. She leads a team of 10 full-time staff members as well as peer advocates, volunteers, and casual staff dedicated to the eradication of sexual and gender-based violence.
Prior to joining the team at Columbia University, La’Shawn was the Assistant Coordinator at the University of Central Florida Police Department’s Victim Services Program for 6 years. Her work there focused on providing direct services to survivors and co-survivors of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking, elder abuse, and homicide. During this time, she also coordinated sexual violence prevention education programs on-campus and in the community, supervised and trained full-time Victim Advocates, and managed the volunteer program. During that time, she also served on committees implementing statewide violence prevention initiatives like Talk About It! and Coaching Boys Into Men.
She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Bethune-Cookman University and received her M.A. in Applied Sociology with a concentration in Domestic Violence from the University of Central Florida.
Kaila Eckstein (she/her) joined Sexual Violence Response in May 2022 and serves as a Prevention Coordinator. Prior to joining Columbia University, Kaila worked with Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts and Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts in supporting and organizing the work of volunteers. Kaila is trained as a community organizer and spent over a year working with the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence as their inaugural community organizer.
Kaila studied Public Policy and Political Science with a minor in Social and Economic Justice. Kaila’s love for the field of sexual and interpersonal violence prevention began when she worked as a peer educator and served as co-chair of One ACT at UNC-Chapel Hill, a student-led organization providing training in active bystander prevention of sexual and interpersonal violence. While a student at Chapel Hill she trained as a Delta Advocate, an organization creating peer resources and support for people in Greek Life.
When she’s not being inspired by the work of the students she supports, Kaila enjoys exploring New York, working with embroidery, and buying books she’ll probably never get around to reading.
Golden Brooks (she/her) joined Sexual Violence Response in January 2023 and serves as a Survivor Advocate, providing support and case management through an empathetic, anti-racist, intersectional lens by committing to effective and practical crisis intervention, immediate aid, options, referrals, resources, psychoeducation, advocacy, and support services to primary and secondary survivors of gender- and power-based violence.
Golden began her career in Social Work by interacting with New York City’s Child Welfare system through internships at foster care agencies such as Children’s Aid Society and The New York Foundling. After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked at the Pride Center of Staten Island as a Trans and Gender-Expansive Caseworker. This is where her advocacy work began. Golden fought and advocated for accessible resources for queer people—specifically Trans and Gender-Expansive (TGE) youth. As she embraced the work, she became one of the identified point people for TGE youth on Staten Island. Upon graduating with her master's degree, she stepped into a more clinical role as the Trans and Gender-Expansive Specialist & Counseling Program Coordinator but still maintained her pledge to social justice advocacy within their mental health program.
Debjani Roy is the Director of Training and Prevention at Sexual Violence Response. She designs and executes strategic community-responsive prevention and education programs and initiatives for Columbia students and affiliates. Debjani serves as the creative architect for the design and development of Training, Prevention, and Educational programs, including designing curriculum, facilitating trainings to diverse audiences, and supporting trauma-informed and violence prevention programming based in social justice and the theoretical framework that informs SVR’s work. She oversees the Training and Prevention team and the development, implementation, and evaluation of sexual, gender-based, and power-based violence for primary, secondary, and tertiary training and prevention educational activities.
She has been a thought leader and an advocate for gender equality and justice in the US and UK for over fifteen years. Most recently, Debjani was the Training Director at Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS) and prior to this was the Deputy Director of anti-harassment organization, Hollaback!, where she managed operations, led key initiatives on leadership development and bystander intervention, and contributed to the culture shifts around the issue of street harassment. At Hollaback!, she also co-founded HeartMob, an online platform providing support to victims of online harassment. She has additionally led key culturally specific initiatives as the Program and Development Manager at Manavi, the first organization working to end violence against South Asian women in the United States.
She has expertise in program creation and management, direct service provision, development, training and technical assistance, curriculum development, communications, research, and policy advocacy on issues including domestic violence, street harassment, sexual violence, forced marriage, ‘honor’ based violence, commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking, widows’ rights, and hate violence across the lines of identity.
Debjani’s work and commentary has been featured in several media outlets, including The New York Times, BBC World News, Fox News, The Guardian, NPR, Huffington Post, and Salon.
Her academic publications include South Asian Battered Women’s Use of Force against Intimate Male Partners in the Violence Against Women Sage Journal and a first ever publication: An Introduction to Forced Marriage in the South Asian Community in the United States, published under Manavi and the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. She is an alumni of the Progressive Women’s Voices Class at the Women’s Media Center and is a SheSource expert.
Dallanara (she/her) is a Survivor Advocate with Sexual Violence Response (SVR). Dallanara provides crisis intervention, accompaniment, emotional support, safety planning, and the exploration of survivors' rights and resources, primarily through the 24/7 helpline. She assists survivors presenting issues of sexual violence, gender-based violence, stalking, and other forms of power-based violence. Dallanara works across Columbia Health and the various divisions and schools at the university to coordinate service provision for student survivors and help survivors navigate the on- and off-campus resources and systems aimed at supporting their needs.
Dallanara joined the SVR team as an Intake Specialist, who, as their first point of contact, facilitated outreach, crisis assistance, support, and advocacy for student survivors in need.
Dallanara moved to New York at the early age of 5 from her native country, Colombia, and was raised in Astoria, Queens. She's always had a passion for psychology and understanding human behavior. Dallanara aspires to always lend a helping hand to those in need as society continues to fight the stigma around mental health. She enjoys multiple activities, depending on the season. She most enjoys snowboarding, hiking, swimming, and exploring. Most of all, she spends her quality time with loved ones such as family and friends.
Cintia (she/her) joined Sexual Violence Response (SVR) in August 2022 and serves as the Associate Director of Operations. In this role, Cintia oversees the Direct Services and Training & Prevention operations of the teams at all three locations, working closely with the Senior Executive Director and SVR Leadership team. Cintia also supervises the SVR interns and supports the 24/7 helpline.
Prior to joining Columbia Health, Cintia was an Administrative Manager for the investigations team at Columbia’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action. Cintia has extensive experience in direct services and office administration, in both non-profit and healthcare settings.
Prior to joining EOAA, Cintia was an Anti-Human Trafficking Case Manager where she focused on providing direct services and advocacy for survivors of human trafficking and unaccompanied migrant children. During that time, she conducted trauma-informed training and awareness programs throughout the state of Connecticut. Additionally, she worked in the healthcare system for eight and half years as a Pain Management Patient Coordinator supporting chronic pain patients.
Cintia prides herself on doing humanitarian work. She has volunteered with programs dealing with gender-based violence and violence against children both in Connecticut, where she was trained and received a certification from The Center for Family Justice for the domestic & sexual violence crisis hotline and in her native home country of Cape Verde.
She received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Bridgeport and most recently completed her Master’s Degree at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Christine Janick is the Temporary Training and Onboarding Coordinator for the Sexual Violence Response (SVR) team. Prior to that, she was the Associate Director, Direct Services at SVR. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and has been an advocate for Survivors of Crime for over twenty years.
Christine’s previous position began in 2014 when she joined the Student Health Center at New York University, in a new role at that time as the Director of Sexual Misconduct Support Services. At NYU, she primarily worked confidentially with students providing counseling, support, advocacy, and ran Survivor Support groups. She also partnered with her NYU Title IX Office of Equal Opportunity colleagues to conduct Consent Zone workshops on campus. Christine also provided support to various student groups on campus in a non-confidential role.
Prior to NYU, Christine was the Victim Services Program Coordinator at Bellevue Hospital Center; a program that provides comprehensive services to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and all victims of crime, in order to promote resiliency and recovery in the aftermath of a traumatic victimization. Prior to her fifteen years at Bellevue Hospital, she provided assistance to victims of crime in the Witness Aid Services Unit at the New York County District Attorney’s Office for over five years. Additionally, she began her work in the field volunteering and working in a domestic violence shelter in Rockland County, NY.
Christine obtained her Masters in Social Work from New York University. Additionally, Christine is an active member for many years in the Coalitions and Tasks forces in New York City to support the victims’ right movement. Christine’s focus in her work with survivors is providing a safe space to be empowered by understanding rights and resources, while beginning the healing process of trauma.
Brianna Saldana joined Sexual Violence Response (SVR) in February 2022 as a Survivor Advocate. Brianna has worked at Safe Horizon as a Crime Victim Advocate at multiple NYPD precincts, assisting survivors of Domestic Violence and all victims of crimes for the past three in half years. She has worked with the police officers in performing home visits, and community outreach events. In addition, she worked at the Bronx Special Victim Division alongside detectives in assisting survivors and co-survivors of sexual assault by accompanying them in interviews and providing them with community-based resources.
Currently, Brianna volunteers as a Rape Crisis Counselor at Columbia Presbyterian DOVE Program. Brianna devotes her time to humanitarian volunteer opportunities and in 2018 she traveled to Puerto Rico to assist victims of Hurricane Maria with rebuilding homes and distributing essential items.
Brianna graduated from John Jay College in 2017 with a bachelor's in Sociology and minor in Psychology, also receiving Cum Laude Honors.
Aly Tadros (she/her) joined SVR in 2024. In her role as Assistant Director, Sexual Violence Response at the CUIMC campus, Aly is responsible for outreach, prevention, and direct services programming aimed at ending power-based violence in all its forms. She delivers trauma-informed support to survivors of sexual, gender-based, and intimate partner violence, stalking, and harassment. Her role includes providing crisis intervention and advocacy at the CUIMC campus, as well as supporting SVR’s prevention education work, Peer Advocates, and the 24/7 crisis response team.
Aly Tadros has nearly two decades of advocacy and direct service experience at the intersection of fine arts and social impact.
Prior to Columbia Health, she served as a lecturer and graduate fellow at Queens College, City University of New York, where she developed and implemented anti-racist pedagogical approaches for first-year writing students. Prior to her academic role, Aly was the Special Projects Manager and Community Programs Manager at the Crime Victims Treatment Center in New York City. In this capacity, she supported over 500 on-call rape crisis and domestic violence counselors and forensic examiners across seven major hospitals, scaling the organization's outreach and impact on affected communities. She also created and co-facilitated CVTC's therapeutic writing group for trauma survivors.
Aly is also an accomplished freelance journalist, she has published essays on gender, agency, and consent has been featured in The New York Times, Narratively, and the Brooklyn Rail.
Aly aims to leverage her diverse and creative expertise to advance the university’s mission in supporting trauma survivors through informed, compassionate, and effective responses.
When Aly’s not at CUIMC, you can find her teaching memoir writing at the Manhattan JCC, marathon training, or hiking with Casino, her 85-lb black-lab golden retriever mix.
Sexual Violence Response Directory
Profiles, showing -