Staff Directory

Zenzile (she/her) is a Coordinator at Disability Services. She joined Columbia Health in January 2023. In her role, Zenzile serves on Student Case Management team; serves as Coordinator/Case Manager for a cohort of students with disabilities providing ongoing support, specialized services, and coordination of accommodations; evaluates medical, psychological, and psycho-educational documentation to identify reasonable disability accommodations; provides guidance to faculty, administrators, and students regarding disability and accommodation issues; works with instructors and academic departments to implement students' approved academic adjustments and accommodations.

Outside of work, Zenzile enjoys cooking and baking vegan recipes, spending time with her family and friends, dancing and listening to music, and watching cooking tutorials. Zenzile is an avid tennis fan and enjoys watching tennis matches.

Zeenat (she/her) joined Sexual Violence Response in February 2023 and serves as a Prevention Coordinator. She provides trainings and workshops to students in the Columbia community, particularly the New Student Orientation Program at the beginning of Fall, Spring, and Summer terms, and any requested trainings throughout the year, covering issues such as IPV, consent, and bystander intervention. 

She has over 8 years of experience in training, program development, and implementation. She has been committed to helping diverse communities of youth and adults develop skills to make informed decisions for their health and well-being around violence prevention, sexual and reproductive health,- and healthy relationships. Her unique perspective as an immigrant gives her insight into the many health inequities and challenges faced by people from different cultural and faith backgrounds. Through her experience, she has seen firsthand how comprehensive and culturally competent preventative education can promote positive health outcomes, and she is committed to ensuring that this education is accessible to all.

Zeenat started her journey at South Asian Youth Action, where she focused on the topics of consent, body image, and self-empowerment. She broadened her knowledge and skills around sexual and reproductive health at Planned Parenthood North Central States. There, she led culturally specific peer education programs for adults and implemented a parent education program focused on strengthening relationships by fostering age-appropriate conversations around sexual health. Her previous role at Day One allowed her to focus on early relationship abuse prevention by providing programs around healthy relationships to middle school youth.

Zeenat is a lover of music festivals, true crime podcasts, binging TV shows, spending time with loved ones, and as a native Minnesotan, finding every chance to be out in green spaces and the water.

Yvette Rhea-Burg joined Columbia Health in 1999. She is a scheduling coordinator at Medical Services.

In 2019 she completed her Masters degree in Human Resource Management.

When she is not at work she enjoys traveling the world, kick boxing, yoga and testing out new vegan recipes.

Yushi Wang joined Columbia Health in 2021 as a licensed clinical social worker. Prior to Columbia, Yushi worked as a bilingual psychotherapist at Rutgers University Counseling Center. Yushi has also worked in the psychiatric emergency room at Rutgers University, where she provided psychiatric evaluations and crisis counseling to children, adolescents and adults. She has also worked in other settings including psychiatric hospitals, prison, and intensive in-home therapy.

Yushi believes in a strengths-based and person-centered approach in working with her clients. She has experience working with a variety of issues, including first-generation immigration issues, multiculturalism, depression, anxiety, OCD, relationships, adjustment issues, crisis counseling and intervention. She is passionate in serving ethnic minority students, first generation immigrants, and international students. Yushi is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Yonette Douglas joined Columbia Health in 2012.

Dr. Yaniv Phillips joined Columbia Health in 2004. Prior to Columbia, he was a senior clinical psychologist and supervisor at North Central Bronx Hospital, where he worked with HIV patients and their families, men with sexuality concerns, and couples. Yaniv earned his B.A. at Tel Aviv University, Israel and his M.A. and Ph.D. at Adelphi University Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies. He completed his internship at the Karen Horney Clinic. He continued on to complete specialized training at the advanced couples and family therapy program at the New York University Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis.

Dr. Phillips’ professional interests include couples therapy, the psychology of immigration, relationship issues, and men’s experience of intimacy and sexual health. He sees individuals and couples for psychotherapy, and conducts experiential workshops for couples on enhancing relationships, as well as offering ongoing intensive workshop on procrastination. A member of the Counseling and Psychological Services' Outreach Team, Yaniv is bilingual, fluent in English and Hebrew.

Wendy (she/her) joined Columbia Health in 2011. In her role as Administrative Coordinator at Disability Services, Wendy serves on the administrative team, handles hiring and payroll for part-time employees, including note-takers, graduate assistants, and exam proctors, oversees administrative responsibilities for the department, and coordinates vendor contracts and payments for services.

Wendy loves traveling to new and interesting places both domestically and internationally.

Dr. Weiyen Chung joined Columbia Health in 2019. She received her Psy.D. from William James College, M.Med.Sc. from The University of Hong Kong, and her B.A. in Biology from Boston University. Prior to joining Columbia Health, Weiyen completed her pre-doctoral training at Astor Services for Children & Families in their outpatient and day treatment programs located in the Bronx. She also completed clinical externships at a public high school as well as both outpatient and residential settings, treating patients with adjustment issues, family and relationship conflict, depression, anxiety, self-harm behaviors, survivors of physical and sexual abuse, and veterans with substance use issues.

Weiyen’s clinical interests include neurodevelopmental disorders (Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), trauma, anxiety, depression, and acculturation. In her clinical work, Weiyen strives to create a safe and collaborative environment while integrating mindfulness and cognitive behavior therapy strategies. 

Wardeh Hattab is a second-generation Arab-American clinical social worker. Prior to joining Columbia Health in 2020, Wardeh worked in psychiatric emergency rooms at Kings County Hospital and Bellevue Hospital. She has also worked in the inpatient detox and inpatient adult psychiatric units, and medical emergency room at Bellevue Hospital and at community mental health clinics where she treated children, couples, and families as well as adult patients. Wardeh served as a mental health volunteer with The Syrian American Medical Society in 2016 providing consultations to clinical staff working with Syrian refugees in Jordan.

Wardeh’s professional interests include cross-cultural counseling, Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) communities, Muslim communities, trauma work, LGBTQ+ students, sex therapy, students managing chronic medical conditions, and grief and bereavement.

Vivian joined Columbia Health in 2022 as a Survivor Advocate at Sexual Violence Response (SVR).

As a Survivor Advocate, Vivian provides objective, empathetic, knowledgeable, and supportive intervention assisting a survivor, co-survivor, or bystander in securing the necessary information, services, referrals, and follow-up care that may be required based on an individual’s experience. Vivian’s processes of healing begin with a strength-based model and mindfulness.

Prior to joining SVR, Vivian worked collaboratively with non-profits, local businesses, private and local institutions, New York City, State, and Federal Government, she initiated and provided advocacy, mediated, and problem solved on behalf of constituents. She also served as a Constituent Services Liaison for Council Member Helen Rosenthal for two terms in efforts to connect with and deliver for Manhattan’s diverse community and constituency. Vivian played an intricate role in helping sexual assault, intimate partner abuse survivors, seniors, and transient individuals and families with housing options, safety planning, and need-based services. 

In a previous role, Vivian supervised case management staff and helped develop the internal staff training while serving as the Director of Social Services for a Domestic Violence Shelter in NYC. In addition to her career experiences working with Intimate Partner Violence, Vivian assisted students in residential, social, and educational activities when she served as a Resident Assistant while an undergraduate student.

After earning her undergraduate degree, she worked as a caseworker/crime victims advocate for families who fled their homes due to domestic violence. She later went on to obtain her master's in social work with an emphasis on Case Work from Yeshiva University-Wurzweiler School of Social Work. She joined the Center Against Domestic Violence (now merged with Urban Resource Institute) to continue to provide an array of services to individuals and families who experienced intimate partner violence.

Dr. Vincent Kiefner is a licensed psychologist at Columbia Health. Vincent earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at Pennsylvania State University and his M.Ed. in College Counseling from the University of Delaware. He completed his B.A. in Psychology at Temple University where he also participated in the Honors Psychology program.

Vincent has a keen interest in college student mental health having served in different roles at four institutions of higher learning since 2003. He has experience in a broad range of counseling center activities, including, among others, crisis intervention, administrative evaluations, and outreach.

Vincent works from a psychodynamic framework but also incorporates multicultural, client-centered, cognitive-behavioral, and motivational interviewing approaches into his practice. He feels it is a privilege to work with college students as they represent a unique population with special interests and challenge. While Vincent is comfortable with a wide variety of client populations and presenting concerns, he has particular expertise working with first generation students, artists, architectural students, students who identify as GLBTIQ, international students, relationship issues, trauma, and body image concerns.

Vincci Ho joined Columbia Health in 2022. Prior to her role as a Financial Analyst, she worked in payroll and human resources in the Department of Computer Science. She received her Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology from New York University in 2018.

Tyler joined Alice! Health Promotion as the Health Promotion Specialist for Peer Education & Outreach in October 2023. In her role, she coordinates educational initiatives facilitated by the CU Well Peer Leaders; develops and facilitates curriculum for Alice! Direct Services; and supports opportunities for learning around general health and well-being for individuals and communities.

Prior to joining Columbia, Tyler's work focused primarily on education around various topics of health and well-being, including sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence prevention, interpersonal relationships, and more. She aims to empower others to make informed decisions about their health and well-being through a comprehensive, evidence-based lens and practice healthy behaviors in their own lives.

Originally from Westchester County, Tyler is looking forward to living in and exploring New York City. When not at work, she enjoys reading a good book, trying new cafes and eating pastries, and spending time with her friends and family.

Tonia Lesesne joined Columbia Health in 1991.

Teshiro Aldonza joined Columbia Health in 2013 and became the Director of Information Technology in 2022. Prior to joining Columbia Health, he worked at the Educational Alliance as a systems and database administrator. Teshiro grew up in St. Lucia and worked as a forest ranger before migrating to New York.

His interests include technology, sports, nature, hiking, running, and everything related to forests. He sometimes jokes that the forest is his natural habitat.

Dr. Kazmi joined Columbia University in 2020. She is a board-certified Family Physician and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Center for Family and Community Medicine, Columbia University.

Prior to joining Columbia University, Dr. Kazmi was Medical Director with New York University Abu Dhabi. She has extensive global experience and is committed to providing the highest level of health care in culturally diverse and college health populations.

Tania Holguin is a Health Services Assistant at Medical Services.

Tamika supports the Senior Vice President and Associate Vice President & Chief of Administration along with other members of the senior team. She serves as a central resource on the Administration team by scheduling meetings, managing complex schedules, and ensuring a smooth flow of communication with the senior team. In addition to being the main point of contact on Administrative projects and assignments, Tamika also provides leadership and management for other Columbia Health-wide projects, events, and initiatives. She also supports activities relating to compliance and the accreditation process.

Prior to joining Columbia Health, Tamika was an Executive Assistant at Student Financial Services at Columbia University where she cultivated cross-departmental relationships, administered high-level support to the Associate Vice President, implemented initiatives for CUIT (Columbia University Information Technology), led planning for department initiatives like team day and staff retreats, for example, and more.

Tamara Hawkins (she/her) provides primary care to students while including the promotion of health and prevention of disease, as well as evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of acute and chronic illness and acute medical issues. Tamara conducts focused evaluations of patient health history and performs physical examinations for complex, acute, critical, and chronically ill patients or as indicated by the patient's reason for the visit. 

Tamara enhances wellness by focusing on lifestyle medicine such as stress management and using food as a source of healing while also addressing acute and chronic healthcare concerns. Her focus is supporting her patients to feel vibrant and energetic.

Tamara Hawkins began her career in Maternal/Infant Health focusing on Lactation and Women’s Health as a source of equitable and primary care. She now uses Functional Medicine to treat the root causes of illness and restore healthy function through a personalized experience.

Tahshann Richards, DO, MPH, is a Board-certified Family Physician with a special interest in reproductive health, behavioral health, and osteopathic manipulative medicine. Dr. Richards joined Columbia Health in 2015.

She received her medical degree from UMDNJ School of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her Family Medicine residency training at St. Barnabas Hospital. She later served as the Family Medicine Residency Associate Director and as a staff physician in both the Adolescent & Family Medicine Departments.

Holding a Master’s Degree in Public Health from The George Washington University and through securing a Teen Pregnancy Prevention grant from the NYC Department of Health, Dr. Richards assisted in developing the Teen Health Center as well as creating youth development programs during her tenure at the Union Community Health Center, Bronx NY.

Dr. Richards has served as the Clinical Care Team Leader of the Riverside Practice Team at Columbia Health for the past 2 years. She is the current President of the Empire State Medical Association. Dr. Richards remains committed to improving the overall health of the Columbia University community as well as the health of those living in underserved communities.  She enjoys spending time with her family and 14 year old son.

Sylvie Nyamu is a Program Specialist for Epidemiology Surveillance at Columbia University. In this capacity, she works collaboratively to design and implement surveillance techniques to monitor and control infectious disease transmission. She previously worked as a Contact Tracing Manager at Columbia University. In that role, she coordinated disease surveillance efforts through systematic implementation of outbreak control measures, including overseeing case investigations and tracing undertakings. She continues to support contact tracing efforts.

Prior to joining Alice! Health Promotion, she managed clinical research initiatives in Infectious Diseases and Emergency Medicine. Sylvie's primary research interests include epidemiology and pathogenesis of zoonotic infectious diseases, the deployment of interventions for infection control, and the use of electronic laboratory reporting for disease surveillance and population health management.  

In her free time, Sylvie is an avid runner, explores hiking trails, practices yoga, and cherishes travelling with friends and family. She also enjoys getting lost in a good book.

Dr. Sunita Mohabir joined Columbia Health in 2023.  She received her Ph.D. from the City University of New York and her B.A. from Columbia University School of General Studies.  Prior to Columbia, Sunita worked as a supervising psychologist at North Central Bronx Hospital and was co-director of the psychology externship program at NCB.  Her roles included working on adult/geriatric inpatient psychiatric units, emergency room, and supervising/mentoring doctoral students.  She completed her doctoral internship at North Central Bronx Hospital.  Her graduate training included work in Behavioral Health at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. 

Sunita’s professional interests include acculturation, diversity issues, first generation issues, professional development, and women’s issues.  As a graduate of the School of General Studies, she has a keen interest in working with students in the program. 

Steven Veach joined Columbia Health in 2009. Prior to joining Columbia, he was employed as the Enrollment/COB Manager at University Health Plans in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Steven joined Columbia Health in 2021. He has 12 years of experience in healthcare and higher education environments, with primary roles for EHR administration and project management. His goals are to provide solutions and better ways to work with technology and understand operations. 

Steven enjoys breaks from Information Technology with non-technical books, hiking, and live music.  

Dr. Steven Carter joined Columbia Health in August 2021. Prior to joining Counseling and Psychological Services, he completed a pre-doctoral internship at Pace University’s Counseling Center. Throughout his doctoral training, he engaged in clinical externships at NYU Counseling and Wellness Services, New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, and New York Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center’s Adult Outpatient Unit. His dissertation research focused on exploring the frequency and severity of discrimination experienced by multiracial individuals by developing and piloting the Multiracial Microaggressions Scale (MMS).  

Steven has extensive experience working with college-aged students, as well as children, adolescents, and adults. His training has primarily concentrated on psychodynamic theory with focuses on interpersonal and relational approaches. He has also received dedicated training in dialectical behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and multicultural theory. He is committed to using these approaches when working with a diverse student population to address stressors such as adjustment, racial/ethnic identity development, depression, anxiety, acculturation, and interpersonal challenges.  

Stephanie Reyes (she/her/hers) joined Columbia Health in 2023 as the Student Support Specialist. 

In this role, Stephanie primarily fields and manages incoming student, parent, and staff questions and concerns regarding immunization compliance and more broadly provides general information regarding Columbia Health services. Additionally, she collaborates with other Immunization Compliance staff and administrators across the University to help students understand requirements and submission deadlines.

Prior to joining Columbia Health, Stephanie’s roles were centered around providing support and leadership across various fields including social work, human services, and customer service. 

Stephanie is a local to New York City (born and raised!) and is passionate about community development and advocacy and is eager to help those around her in any way she can. While earning her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Women's and Gender Studies at Syracuse University, she was driven by a deep desire to create opportunities for marginalized individuals and founded an organization geared towards decreasing the high school dropout rates in the community school district.

Dr. Sowmya Kshtriya (she/her/hers) is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia Health. She conducts intakes, individual psychotherapy, co-leads group therapy, and partakes in drop-in hours for undergraduate and graduate students across campus.

Sowmya earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Genetics and Psychology from the University of Toronto, her Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology at Teachers College Columbia University, and her Ph.D. degree in Clinical Psychology from Montclair State University.

Prior to joining CPS, Sowmya was trained in a variety of clinical settings and worked with diverse populations including children, adolescents, and young to older adults with trauma, depression, anxiety, and chronic and persistent mental illness. Sowmya completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Manhattan Psychiatric Center working with acutely traumatized adults with severe mental illness. In addition, she completed three clinical externships working with incarcerated individuals with PTSD and other mental disorders at Rikers Island Correctional Facility, provided treatment for young adults with attachment and relationship issues at the Institute for Psychoanalytic Training and Research, and worked with adolescents with acute and chronic mental health issues at the SCO Family of Services.

Sowmya identifies as a Global Citizen and her research interests include investigating psychological trauma in the context of natural/human-made disasters, trauma resilience, recovery, meaning-making, post-traumatic growth, spirituality, and global mental health. Her clinical interests include working with PTSD/trauma survivors, young adult mental health, attachment, relationship, adjustment, and existential issues. Her treatment approach is primarily integrative, and she utilizes a modality that best suits her clients including psychodynamic, gestalt, cognitive behavior therapy/CBT, recovery-oriented cognitive therapy/CTR, and dialectical behavior therapy/DBT-based interventions. 

Sophia Savory joined Columbia Health in 2003.

Sonia (she/her) joined Columbia Health in November 2022. In her role as a program coordinator, Sonia serves on the Student Case Management team; serves as Coordinator/Case Manager for a cohort of students with disabilities providing ongoing support, specialized services, and coordination of accommodations; evaluates medical, psychological, and psycho-educational documentation to identify reasonable disability accommodations; and provides guidance to faculty, administrators, and students regarding disability and accommodation issues; works with instructors and academic departments to implement students' approved academic adjustments and accommodations.

In her free time, Sonia enjoys cheering for the New York Giants, shopping, and spending time with her friends, family, and cats.

Siobhan (she/her) joined Columbia Health in October 2022. In her current role as Intake and Registration Specialist, she serves on Disability Services' Intake & Registration team; guides prospective and current Columbia students through the registration process, providing individualized guidance regarding disability documentation and accommodation requests; conducts intake interviews, advises, and orients students on accessing appropriate support services; and refers students to appropriate campus and community resources.

In her spare time, Siobhan enjoys cooking, playing music, and going for long walks. Her travel goals include visiting as many of the National Parks as possible.

Shirley Matthews joined Columbia Health in 2009. Prior to Columbia, Shirley was the director of counseling services at Seton Hall University. She received her B.A. from Hamilton College, M.A. in organizational psychology from Teachers College at Columbia University, and a Ph.D. from New York University. Shirley completed her doctoral internship in psychology at Gouverneur Hospital and Bellevue Hospital in New York City.

First and foremost, Shirley sees herself as a generalist who is deeply interested in the developmental issues of young adults. Additional areas of focus include community level mental health interventions, positive psychology, and the development of intuitive eating strategies as a means of developing optimal weight, health and fitness. Shirley also has a strong interest in developmental and acculturation issues, especially those of professional women of color. She also specializes in the treatment of individual, group and relationship counseling.

Dr. Sherina Persaud is a clinical psychologist at Columbia Health. Prior to joining as full-time staff, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Counseling and Psychological Services. Sherina completed a pre-doctoral internship at Mount Sinai Beth Israel with rotations in neuropsychology, child and adolescent psychology, inpatient and outpatient treatment for adults. She has also completed clinical externships working with women’s perinatal mental health, crisis intervention, substance use disorders, and community mental health in both Spanish and English.

Sherina earned her B.A. in psychology at Barnard College and her M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from The New School for Social Research. She has comprehensive research and clinical experience in sexual and gender identities, trauma-related disorders, substance abuse, attachment theory, and with families who have used assisted reproduction to conceive.

Working from a primarily psychodynamic perspective, Sherina aims to approach treatment in an open, nonjudgmental way to integrate various techniques to best fit the needs of the patient. At Counseling and Psychological Services, Sherina is on the trauma team as well as the sexual and gender identity issues team and the multicultural concerns team. Her professional interests include multicultural and racial issues, sexual and gender identity, women’s health, trauma-related disorders, mindfulness and substance abuse.

Shayra joined Columbia Health in 2022. At the core of Shayra's role of Immunization Compliance Manager, she manages the Immunization Compliance team which supports students as they onboard the University by helping them to meet university requirements for immunization. She is a key partner to academic colleagues by interpreting and communicating related policies and procedures to help students learn about and comply with public health mandates related to immunization clearance and registration. Shayra adheres to New York State and University mandates regarding immunization status and reporting for all students on the Morningside and Manhattanville campuses along with select affiliates.

Prior to joining Columbia Health, Shayra was a Community Liaison with the U.S. House of Representatives where she supported the Office of Congressman Jose E Serrano. In this role, she liaised with local, state, and federal officials and the community by attending and speaking at community meetings and events on behalf of the Congressman. Shayra led the Congressman’s initiative for 2020 Census complete count, planned and executed events aimed at creating better relationships and assistance to the community, and more.

Shaye Samp joined the Alice! Health Promotion team in February 2023 as a Health Promotion Specialist. In her role, Shaye oversees the day-to-day content management and logistics of the Go Ask Alice! health Q&A website.

Prior to joining the Alice! team, Shaye worked with the Peace Corps as a Health Education Specialist in Shinyanga, Tanzania. There, she worked on a variety of projects related to health education and ultimately fell in love with interacting with youth while providing them with sexual and reproductive health education.

Shaye grew up in Southeastern Idaho, before moving to New York City in the summer of 2020. When not at work, Shaye can be found traveling, enjoying food and/or live music with friends, having lengthy phone conversations with family, or curled up on the couch watching TV with her cats (Janie & Binx).

Serena (she/her) joined Columbia Health in February 2018. In her role as Senior Coordinator, Serena serves on Student Case Management team; serves as Coordinator/Case Manager for a cohort of students with disabilities by providing ongoing support, specialized services, and coordination of accommodations; evaluates medical, psychological, and psycho-educational documentation to identify reasonable disability accommodations; provides guidance to faculty, administrators, and students regarding disability and accommodation issues; works with instructors and academic departments to implement students' approved academic adjustments and accommodations.

Serena enjoys spending time with her family at Loon Lake, hiking the Adirondack Mountains, kayaking, and reading a good book on the beach. She's looking forward to exploring museums, markets, and restaurants in her new Manhattan home.

Sarah (she/her) joined Columbia Health in May 2023. As a Coordinator at Disability Services, she serves on the Student Case Management team; serves as Coordinator/Case Manager for a cohort of students with disabilities by providing ongoing support, specialized services, and coordination of accommodations; evaluates medical, psychological, and psycho-educational documentation to identify reasonable disability accommodations; provides guidance to faculty, administrators, and students regarding disability and accommodation issues; works with instructors and academic departments to implement students' approved academic adjustments and accommodations.

Sarah enjoys spending afternoons at local parks with her family and dog, going to concerts, and cooking. She considers herself an “aspiring beachgoer” and an amateur architecture and interior design buff.  

Sarah Albrecht (she/her) joined the Alice! Health Promotion team in January 2023 as the Well-Being & Coaching Specialist before transitioning into her current role as the Health Promotion Specialist for Wellness Coaching. As a board-certified wellness coach, Sarah partners with students to explore their wellness goals and co-creates tailored plans to help them flourish in and out of the classroom.

Before joining Columbia Health, Sarah coordinated and facilitated a virtual health and wellness coaching program for family child care educators through the University of Delaware and provided support for several research and evaluation projects. 

Sarah is originally from Delaware and moved to Brooklyn with her partner and two cats in the summer of 2022. When not at work, Sarah loves baking, taking spin classes, and scouring the city for the best chocolate croissant.

Sara Kaplan joined Columbia Health in 2022. Prior to joining Counseling and Psychological Services, she completed her pre-doctoral internship at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. Throughout her clinical training, Sara gained clinical experience through clinical externships at New York University Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis, Bellevue Hospital Center, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, and Long Island University’s Psychological Services Center.

Clinically, Sara works primarily from a relational psychodynamic perspective, and she believes that the trust and safety of the therapeutic relationship is essential for therapy to be successful. Sara also has received training in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based approaches to treatment. She believes that flexibility is key in therapy and works to individualize treatment to fit each of her patient’s unique needs. Sara is interested in helping students navigate a variety of issues, including those related to identity and self-esteem, disordered eating and body image difficulties, relationship concerns, anxiety, depression, and trauma.

Sara Berger joined Columbia Health in 2005. Prior to Columbia, Sara was an administrator of outpatient and residential treatment programs. She also provided administrative and quality assurance consultation to a variety of mental health agencies, including the New York State Office of Mental Health.

Sara's professional interests include the administration of clinical programs to ensure that they remain responsive to the populations they serve and provide their client populations with highest level of clinical care. While Sara is licensed to practice social work, she uses her training to enhance her role as a full-time administrator at Counseling and Psychological Services.

Roseann Neuberg joined Columbia Health in 2007. She began her career in women's health, working at several hospitals, two birthing centers, as well as Planned Parenthood. She transitioned to student health, where she worked at the Fordham University Health Service for 12 years. She enjoys the diversity of student health, and focuses on education and prevention as integral parts of treatment.

Rosanna joined Columbia Health in 2016 supporting purchasing in Medical Services and became the Manager, Purchasing for Columbia Health in 2023.  

Rocco joined Alice! as the Health Promotion Specialist for Substance Use and Recovery in September 2023. They support the BASICS program, the Responsible Community @ Columbia (RC@C) initiatives, and recovery initiatives on campus. Rocco also offers conversations with students seeking education, prevention, and reflection around their relationship with substance use and recovery.

Rocco is cross-trained to support students through other Alice! initiatives such as sexual and reproductive health (e.g. STI testing, PrEP/PEP, birth control consultation) and health education (e.g. sleep, stress, and time management). They are a Certified Health and Wellness Coach (CWHC), offering students the opportunity to reflect on their dimensions of well-being. Additionally, they are a Tobacco Treatment Specialist and Naloxone trainer through Columbia's Opioid Overdose Prevention Program.

Previously, they were a graduate student working as the Substance Use Prevention Specialist for Columbia Health. When not working, Rocco enjoys finding a new book and exploring different cafes around the city.

Dr. Robert Bernales joined Columbia Health in 2020. He is a board-certified physician specializing in primary care and preventive medicine and is also trained in osteopathic manipulative medicine. Prior to Columbia Health, Dr. Bernales practiced as an attending physician with the Long Island FQHC in several locations throughout Nassau County, New York. He completed his residency training at Nassau University Medical Center, a Northwell Health affiliate.

After working in public health and pharmaceutical market research, Dr. Bernales turned his attention to a career in medicine. He received his medical degree from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, a master's degree in public health from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and his undergraduate degree from the Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Bernales is a native of Syracuse, New York and an alumnus of Christian Brothers Academy. In his spare time he enjoys family, travel, and community service.

Dr. Rick O’Keefe joined Columbia Health in 2004. Prior to Columbia, Rick worked in academic family medicine with a focus on increasing the quality and access to care for underserved communities in urban areas. O’Keefe developed programs that care for marginalized and LGBT adolescents in school-based and street settings.  

As part of Columbia Health, Rick is a member of the men's health team, serves as medical advisor for GHAP (Gay Health Advocacy Project) and facilitates the Integrative Medicine Workgroup. He earned an M.A. in Social and Organizational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2015.

Dr. Richard J. Eichler has a long affiliation with Columbia, having earned his BA, MS, MPhil, and PhD at Columbia. He joined what was then the Columbia College Counseling Service in 1986 as a staff psychologist. Since 1992, Richard served as director and subsequently executive director of the Counseling and Psychological Services division of Columbia Health.

While completing his PhD, Richard trained at a Veterans’ Administration clinic and at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he completed his internship in clinical psychology. Among other professional activities early in his career, he worked on a research project on sex role socialization in nursery schools and day care centers, reflecting a long-standing interest and commitment to gender equality. Prior to joining the Columbia Health team, he provided psychotherapy to a culturally diverse population at Bronx Municipal Hospital Center and concurrently studied the delivery of health care services for disabled and chronically ill children at the Preventive Intervention Research Center for Child Health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. 

Richard has taught numerous undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral courses in psychology and psychotherapy, including classes in human development at Columbia College and classes in psychodynamic psychotherapy and developmental psychopathology at Teachers College. He has also taught courses and seminars in adolescent development and college mental health practice at the Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Training Program of the William Alanson White Institute.

Dating back to his time at the Veterans Administration, he maintains an ongoing interest in the welfare of military veterans. Other areas of particular professional interest include: psychological opportunities and pitfalls of adolescence and young adulthood; early intervention and prevention strategies; the impact of cultural variables on personal development; evolving relationships through the lifespan; social injustice and trauma; psychological obstacles to academic and career success; and the application of psychoanalytic thinking to brief therapy.

Richard is also especially versed in helping students with learning disabilities navigate university life, and helping young adults and their parents renegotiate their evolving relationships. He is a frequent speaker at professional conferences and community events, addressing various topics such as transitioning to college, the social and emotional concomitants of learning disabilities, improving access to mental health care, and suicide prevention.

Richard has served as a consultant to the College Mental Health section of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, and in collaboration with its membership, co-authored a paper in response to mental health crises on college campuses. He has also served on the Clinical Advisory Board of the Jed Foundation. He is currently on the Editorial Board of the Journal of College Student Psychotherapy.

Renee Gibbs joined Columbia Health in 2020 after nine years of psychology practice in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Gibbs provided treatment and led program development efforts in eating disorder treatment and training, including serving as the national lead trainer and consultant for the Eating Disorder Initiative. In addition to eating disorder treatment, Dr. Gibbs's work has included multidisciplinary therapy for gender transition and gender dysphoria, program development for severe and persistent mental illness, and delivery and adaptations of dialectical behavior therapy. Her primary career goals are to improve multidisciplinary care and psychotherapeutic outcomes for eating disorder patients and increase access to eating disorder treatment in public health settings.

Dr. Gibbs completed her doctoral degree at Seattle Pacific University in 2011 and training experiences in public mental health and VA settings. Her interests outside of work include her family, international travel, and dance.

Dr. Regina Lara joined Columbia Health in 2008. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City, and her Medical Degree at the University of the East – Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, also in the Philippines. She came to New York City for her residency in general adult psychiatry at Beth Israel Medical Center. Afterward she completed her two-year fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine/Mount Sinai Hospital. 

Lara worked as an attending physician on the child/adolescent inpatient unit, as well as medical director for the Child/Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic and Integrated Family Care Program at the  Mount Sinai Hospital. She also worked for two years as a child psychiatrist with the Staten Island Mental Health Society.

Lara enjoys the opportunity to engage with young adults  who are discovering and developing their identities while also navigating the challenges of an exacting academic institution. She is as interested in working with issues of adapting to a new country or culture while remaining steadfast in holding important traditions and beliefs. While working with her will usually entail the use of medications, whether for anxiety, or depression, or ADHD, she always emphasizes that incorporating non-pharmacologic practices and cultivating meaningful and healthy relationships are essential for anyone to achieve true mental and psychological health.

Ramona Lanzo joined Columbia Health in 1994. Prior to Columbia, Ramona worked as a laboratory technologist in various medical facilities and hospitals. She has been in the laboratory services field since 1985. Ramona attended Bronx Community College, where she majored in medical laboratory technology, and Lehman College with a concentration health services administration. 

Rafaela De La Huerta, FNP, joined Medical Services in May 2022 as a member of the Amsterdam Practice Clinical Care Team. Rafaela provides primary care services for students with a focus on health promotion and education, providing treatment for acute and chronic injury and illness, and comprehensive reproductive and sexual health services including offering long-acting reversible contraception.  

Prior to joining Columbia Health, Rafaela worked as a Family Nurse Practitioner in community health in the Bronx, New York, serving the healthcare needs of patients across the lifespan, including in-school-based health centers where she focused on adolescent reproductive health. She began her career as Paramedic/Firefighter and later in Nursing and it was in these roles that she became acutely aware of health care disparities/social determinants of health and the need to prevent illness and injury with access to primary care.

When she isn't working, she enjoys outdoor sports, traveling, spending time in nature, and time with family.

Rachel Turkel (she/her) joined Columbia Health in 2023. Prior to joining Columbia, she worked for several global health non-profit organizations, which included work in mental health, malaria prevention, and digital health technologies. Rachel earned her Master of Science in Public Health (M.S.P.H.) from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, with a focus on Social and Behavioral Interventions.

Rachel’s professional interests include behavior change communications, health systems, bioethics, and cultural competency. She is passionate about the need for continuous quality improvement in healthcare settings to provide recipients with quality care.

Rachel Rush joined Columbia Health in fall 2016. Prior to Columbia, Rachel worked as a social worker at Bellevue Hospital in both the Psychiatry Walk-in Clinic and the Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic, where she assisted individuals in getting connected to mental health resources. She also provided triage and crisis management services, conducted individual and group psychotherapy, and supervised graduate social work and psychology students. 

Prior to Bellevue Hospital, she worked at the Center for Comprehensive Health Practice, where she provided individual and group psychotherapy to individuals with primary substance use disorders.  She received her M.S.W. in clinical social work from New York University and her B.A. in religious studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Rachel also received her seminar in field instruction certification from the Hunter School of Social Work in 2014, and her certificate in relational psychotherapy/psychoanalysis from the Stephen Mitchell Center for Relational Studies in 2015. 

Rachel’s professional interests include assisting individuals in connecting to mental health services that match their clinical and financial needs, as well as the intersection of spirituality and psychotherapy, identity development, mindfulness for stress reduction, and group psychotherapy.

Patricia Coleman is a Registered Nurse at Medical Services.

Padma Entsuah is the Director, Well-Being and Health Promotion at Alice! Health Promotion. She joined the team in June 2015 as a Health Promotion Specialist before transitioning to Senior Health Promotion Specialist. In these roles she supported a number of the peer-led initiatives such as the ROAR @ Columbia Facilitators, the Columbia Health Peer Ambassador Network, and the Keeping Our Community Healthy Ambassadors. She also helped create and facilitate the “Well-Being and the First Year Experience” Physical Education course. Currently, Padma oversees the Health Promotion strategy functional area within Alice!, working to create a campus culture centered around well-being.

Originally from Maryland, Padma has lived throughout the East Coast. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, staying active, traveling, and exploring all the great food New York City has to offer.

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.  

Dr. Nonso Enekwechi joined Columbia Health in 2016. Nonso completed his residency in psychiatry at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center. He also completed his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at New York-Presbyterian Hospital of Cornell and Columbia Universities, with a focus on child and adolescent public psychiatry.

Nonso earned his medical degree from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, and masters of public health degree from the University of Iowa College of Public Health. In addition to his position at Columbia Health, he is also a child and adolescent psychiatrist at New York City Children’s Center.

Nicole joined the Alice! Health Promotion team in September 2020 as the Manager of Operations. In her role, she supports the operational, communication, recruitment, and administrative needs of the Alice! team. This includes collaborating with her team to increase efficiencies, streamline processes, and build communication pathways both within Alice! and across units of Columbia Health towards our vision of integration.

Prior to joining the team at Columbia, she was the Program Coordinator for the College of Arts & Sciences Career Development Office at Cornell University. There she focused on marketing, communications, operations, and supporting student career needs. At Cornell, she was also a facilitator for the Enhanced Assess Acknowledge Act program, a sexual assault resistance program for first-year college women. Her health promotion work has focused mainly on sexual violence prevention and hazing prevention.

Originally from central Alabama, Nicole has made her way up the east coast—previously living in Charlottesville, VA and Ithaca, NY—now enjoys living the city life in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with her husband (her high school sweetheart!). In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing and yoga; creating art, especially photography and drawing; and exploring the sights, sounds, and tastes of the city. 

Nicole Vigoda Gonzalez, Psy.D., joined Columbia Health in 2017. Prior to joining Counseling and Psychological Services, Nicole completed a pre-doctoral internship at Jacobi Medical Center with rotations in neuro-pediatric developmental psychology, medical rehabilitation, and inpatient and outpatient treatment for adults. She has also completed clinical externships working with survivors of trauma, cross-cultural issues, crisis intervention and community mental health with English- and Spanish-speaking populations.

Nicole earned her B.A. and M.A. in anthropology from the Universidad de los Andes in her hometown of Bogota, Colombia. Later, she completed an Ed.M in psychological counseling at Teachers College, and a Psy.D. in clinical psychology at Rutgers University. In her clinical work, Nicole uses a primarily psychodynamic approach, yet strives to create an individualized treatment that best fits the needs of the patient. As a bicultural and bilingual woman, Nicole pays particular attention to aspects related to cultural identity that may impact the treatment. In addition to English, she is fluent in Spanish.

Ngozi Okezie joined Columbia Health in 2007. Prior to Columbia, Ngozi was a staff psychiatrist in outpatient mental services and the director of child and adolescent outpatient services at Saint Vincent's Hospital, Westchester. She was also an assistant professor of psychiatry at New York Medical College.

Ngozi attended Bryn Mawr College and Yale University School of Medicine. She completed her psychiatry residency at University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and went on to do further advanced training in child and adolescent psychiatry at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. She then completed a research fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry, concentrating on child mental services delivery. Ngozi's professional interests include ADHD, mood disorders and cultural issues.

Nelson (he/him) joined Columbia Health in 2023. As Systems Analyst, Non-Clinical, he provides leadership as the IT staff expert on business needs and support for the Non-Clinical departments of Columbia Health (Administration, Alice! Health Promotion, Disability Services, Sexual Violence Response) and others using shared non-clinical systems; analyzes, recommends, and tracks utilization of hardware/software and makes recommendations for business process improvement; provides project management for Non-Clinical Division IT needs and participated in strategic planning and budgeting; coordinates and facilitates ongoing support, including serving as liaison to internal and external IT partners and vendors; provides direct training and support; supervises Non-Clinical IT Coordinators and monitors IT related budgets. 

When not at work, Nelson enjoys sports, cooking, and open source technologies.

Nelly (she/her) joined Columbia Health in July 2022. In her role as Accommodations Manager, Nelly coordinates non-exam accommodations for students, including note-taking, housing accommodations, and service and assistance animals; coordinates accommodations for students, guests, visitors, and alumni attending University sponsored programs and events; and provides guidance to faculty in facilitating the coordination of academic and classroom accommodations.

Her interests include reading and playing online games, solving crossword puzzles, and trying new food. She enjoys baking, cooking, and spending time with her cat.

Nedzad joined Columbia Health in 2022 as an IT Support Specialist. He has a tech based-background personally and professionally. His experience revolves around coding and supervisory experience, but his main focus has been on building and maintaining computers for friends, family, and most importantly, his career as an IT professional.

He graduated from Rutgers University with a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and Informatics. During his time there, he worked at the computer labs as a student supervisor where he led a team of over 100 consultants across 3 different labs on campus. This experience led him to his role at Columbia University Information Technology (CUIT), where he was responsible for all computers and printers for students and ensuring everything was in working order at all times. Supporting organizations’ IT infrastructure has been his bread and butter for many years now, and he draws satisfaction from solving his client’s IT issues and making a positive impact on their day when he resolves a problem, especially ones that have been bothering them for a while.

When he isn’t solving IT issues at work, you can find him working on his latest computer build project (not to mention the 20+ that he’s already built from scratch). In his free time, he’s either playing video games with friends or he’s working on his next goal at the gym.

Myriam Marques joined Columbia Health-Medical Services in August 2020 as Assistant Nurse Manager. Prior to Columbia she was the Campus Health Nurse and Wellness Coordinator at Manhattan School of Music.

Her professional background includes more than 30 years as a community and public health nurse in the USA, Brazil and Belgium.

She had developed extensive clinical Nursing expertise in primary care settings and had served diverse populations in New York City: immigrants of all backgrounds, youth, women, schoolchildren, LGBTQ + community, adults and performing artists.

Myriam’s professional interests include the organization of health services, College Health, Integrative Nursing, Sexual & Reproductive Health, Wellness and Health Education.

Growing up in Brazil, she received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Science of Nursing at the Federal University of Minas Gerais. She also received a Master’s in Public Health from the Universite Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium.

Besides being a nurse Myriam volunteer for human rights, access to healthcare and environmental protection social organizations.

Dr. Motoni Fong Hodges joined Columbia Health in 2015. Prior to Columbia, Motoni taught at Teachers College as a lecturer and adjunct assistant professor. Motoni completed her doctoral internship in counseling psychology at the University of Oregon Counseling Center, a postdoctoral fellowship on feminist psychodynamic psychotherapy at Stony Brook University Wo/Men’s Center, and psychoanalytic training at the William Alanson White Institute.

Motoni’s professional interests include acculturation and marginalization, and working with international students, students of color, and LGBTQ students.

Monica Kunkel joined the Columbia Health team in 2018, after serving as Director of Nursing at Brown University Health Services for 19 years. She is excited to live and work in New York City, and to be able to spend time with her grandson Arlo.

Michele Paolella (she/her/hers) is the Assistant Director of SVR at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, joining the team in October of 2019. Michele has been working with teenage and young adult survivors of violence for over fifteen years. 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.​​​​​

Michele (she/her) joined Columbia Health in 2020. In her role as Learning Specialist, Michele facilitates individualized sessions and small group skill-building workshops that support the development of compensatory strategies and academic skills for registered DS students, specializes in working with students on organizational skills, time management, and study strategies, note-taking skills, exam preparation and other areas of academic concerns. Michele serves on the Disability Services leadership team

In her free time, Michele enjoys doing yoga, reading, singing, walking her dog Val in Astoria Park, and spending time outdoors. 

Michele Goldman joined Columbia Health in 2020. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology with a concentration in traumatic stress from Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, IL. Prior to joining Columbia, Michele completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Hampton Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in Hampton, VA. She then accepted a full time staff psychologist position at Veteran’s Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare System, Brooklyn Campus.

Michele has also worked in a variety of settings including residential treatment programs, schools, prisons, and rehabilitation/medical units. Her clinical interests have focused on issues related to trauma, relational patterns, anxiety, depression and Veteran specific issues. Due to the fact that she has worked with individuals across the age span and from multiple settings, Michele approaches treatment in a nonjudgmental way, focused on meeting the individual where they are, integrating techniques to best fit the needs of each person. She will often incorporate a mindfulness-based approach in her work with students.

Dr. Michael Perez Sosa is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Counseling and Psychological Services of Columbia Health.  Prior to joining CPS, he completed his pre-doctoral internship at NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx. Michael received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the City University of New York and his B.A. in Psychology and Religion from Columbia University School of General Studies. 

Michael has clinical experience in a variety of treatment settings such as community mental health, college counseling, consultation liaison, partial hospitalization, and psychiatric inpatient and outpatient units.  He is interested in working with all students and particularly those suffering from anxiety, depression, trauma, abuse, chronic stress, relationship challenges, difficult family dynamics, severe mental illness, and multicultural/acculturation challenges.

Michael identifies as a contemplative psychotherapist grounded in a psychodynamic relational approach.  He incorporates insights gleaned from neuroscience, polyvagal theory, and Madhyamika philosophy interwoven with contemplative methods such as mindfulness and compassion meditation practices, skill building, psychoeducation, breath work, and imagery.

Dr. Michael McNeil joined Columbia Health in 2006.  In addition to leading Administration he is the Program Director for Columbia's Opioid Overdose Prevention Program (#787) and has a faculty appointment in SocioMedical Sciences at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health. Michael also serves as the Vice Chair of the American College Health Foundation.

Prior to joining Columbia, Michael led the health promotion office and was an adjunct faculty member at two other universities. He has been involved with a number of professional organizations including the American College Health Association, NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, The BACCHUS Network, and the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing.

Michael holds a B.A. in Sociology, an M.S. in Health Education, and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership. Michael spent the first 12 years of his life living outside the United States. To date he has lived in six countries on four continents. When not working, Michael is an avid traveler (50+ countries on all seven continents and all 50 states), a consumer of good coffee, a commercial aviation enthusiast, and (very) amateur stand-up comedian.

Michael (he/him) joined Columbia Health in 2022. As Assistant Manager at Disability Services, Michael serves on the Testing Team; manages the daily exam schedule at Disability Services; supervises undergraduate accommodated exam administration and implements testing accommodations for students with disabilities; and assists in the recruitment, training, and supervision of student staff, including exam proctors and graduate assistants.

Outside of work, Michael enjoys running, reading science fiction and fantasy books, and traveling.

Dr. Mercedes J. Okosi joined Columbia Health in 2023. She received her Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology) at The Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) at Rutgers University. She completed a doctoral internship at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and West Hospitals. Prior to joining Columbia, she held a position as clinical director of the Safe Mothers, Safe Children Initiative at New York University’s McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research where she led a program for women in the child welfare system experiencing PTSD. Dr. Okosi has experience in a variety of settings including inpatient and outpatient hospital settings, schools, community organizations, and private practice.

Much of Dr. Okosi’s work has been focused on the impact of trauma on marginalized populations including those within the African diaspora, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. Dr. Okosi also uses an integrative and patient-centered approach to work with patients managing a range of issues including mood disorders, anxiety, difficult relationship patterns, and identity.

Mengpin Zhang joined Columbia Health in 2023. Prior to joining Counseling and Psychological Services, she completed her pre-doctoral internship at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Throughout her clinical training, Mengpin gained clinical experience through clinical externships at Psychiatric Institute of Washington, the George Washington University Center Clinic and Culpepper Gardens.

Clinically, Mengpin works primarily from a psychodynamic perspective, and she likes to explore the relationship between a person’s internal world and external world of significant others. Mengpin also has received training in dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), Lacanian and feminist therapy. She believes that flexibility is key in therapy and works to tailor the treatment to each of her patient’s unique needs. Mengpin is interested in helping students navigate a variety of issues, including those related to childhood and relational trauma, relationship concerns, multicultural issues, as well as disordered eating and body image difficulties.

Melissa (she/her) joined Columbia Health in November 2021. In her current role as Student Services Coordinator, she serves on the Registration & Intake team; guides prospective and current Columbia students through the registration process, providing individualized guidance regarding disability documentation and accommodation requests; conducts intake interviews, advises, and orients students on accessing appropriate support services; refers students to appropriate campus and community resources.

When not at work, you can find Melissa watching documentaries, trying different restaurants, and traveling to new places with her friends and family.

Dr. Melanie Kressel is a Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow.  She conducts individual and group psychotherapy with undergraduate and graduate students.  She also conducts drop-in hours, intakes, and outreach events across campus.

Throughout her doctoral clinical training, Melanie has worked in a variety of settings including university counseling centers, hospitals, as well as psychoanalytic institutes. Prior to her doctoral training, she also completed a masters in mental health counseling, earning a specialization in working with individuals experiencing eating and weight concerns.

Melanie has extensive experience working with college aged students as well as adults. She primarily approaches her work from a relational psychodynamic framework, providing a warm supportive space and valuing the importance of the therapeutic relationship. She also believes in collaboration and flexibility in order to tailor treatment to meet the unique needs of each individual. Melanie’s clinical interests include anxiety, depression, adjustment issues, interpersonal and relationship difficulties, eating disorders, as well as weight/body image concerns.  

Dr. Melanie Bernitz is the Senior Vice President for Columbia Health. She joined Columbia Health in 2016 and served as Associate Vice President and Medical Director through early 2021. Previously she served as the Executive Director of the Student Health Service at Columbia University Medical Center. Prior to that position, Dr. Bernitz was a resident, chief resident, and faculty member in Columbia’s Center for Family and Community Medicine. Growing up in the United Kingdom, she received both her bachelor’s degree in psychology and a degree in medicine at University College London. She then received her master’s degree in public health at Columbia University.

Dr. Bernitz's professional experience includes teaching and training of medical students and residents as well as inpatient and outpatient primary care. She is an associate professor of clinical medicine in the Center of Family and Community Medicine and remains committed to ensuring that college students have direct access to high-quality, timely medical care.

Dr. Mary O'Brien joined Columbia Health in 1993. Prior to Columbia, Mary worked as the associate director of the emergency room at St. Luke's Hospital. 

Mary (she/her) joined Columbia Health in January 2022. In her role as Coordinator, Mary serves on Student Case Management team and serves as Coordinator/Case Manager for a cohort of students with disabilities by providing ongoing support, specialized services, and coordination of accommodations. She evaluates medical, psychological, and psycho-educational documentation to identify reasonable disability accommodations;  provides guidance to faculty, administrators, and students regarding disability and accommodation issues; and works with instructors and academic departments to implement students' approved academic adjustments and accommodations.

Mary enjoys reading, running, trying new ice cream flavors, and spending time with her family and friends.

Mary Anne Segal joined Columbia Health October 2019. Prior to coming to work at Columbia University, Mary Anne was a school nurse at Lighthouse Guild School for 15 years providing nursing care for students aged 5-21 with vision impairments and multiple disabilities. She has also had a 20-year professional relationship at the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center providing nursing care to a medically complex population.

Mary Anne is a life-long New York City resident and enjoys the vibrant energy of the city.

Martine Duplan joined Columbia Health in 2017.

Maria Narimanidze (she/her) is a clinical psychologist who joined Columbia Health in 2023. Prior to joining as full-time staff, she spent 5 years working at Mount Sinai West’s Center for Intensive Treatment of Personality Disorders (CITPD), where she conducted individual and group psychotherapy, as well as supervised psychology externs, interns, and psychiatry residents.

Maria earned her B.A. in psychology from New York University, her M.A. in psychology from Adelphi University, and her Psy.D. in clinical psychology from Long Island University (LIU) – Post. During her training at LIU, Maria completed clinical externships at Jamaica Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, and her pre-doctoral internship at Manhattan Psychiatric Center (MPC). Following her internship, Maria stayed on to work at MPC for 2 years as an inpatient psychologist.

Maria believes in working collaboratively and holistically, providing care that is trauma-informed and culturally responsive through a psychodynamic lens, incorporating aspects of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and mindfulness skills as needed. She is also a certified group psychotherapist and particularly enjoys running structured and process groups on a variety of topics, including mindfulness, intimacy and interpersonal relationships, and conflict, as well as DBT skills.

Her professional interests include multicultural and racial issues, acculturation, trauma, interpersonal conflict, struggles with identity and sense of self, and ADHD. As an immigrant herself, she is particularly interested in helping international students and those recent to the U.S. adjust to life at Columbia and in NYC more broadly.

Margaret B. Walker joined Columbia Health in 1986. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from The Derner Institute at Adelphi University, M.A. in French Poetry and Counseling Psychology from Tufts University, and B.A. from Boston University. While at Tufts, she taught French to undergraduates and worked for two years as an intern at the Tufts University Counseling Center. She completed her doctoral internship in clinical psychology at The Bronx State Psychiatric Center.

Maggi's interests have always focused on late adolescent development. She is particularly interested in the issues associated with leaving home for college and forming a separate identity from parents, which was the subject of her doctoral dissertation. She specializes in individual, couples, and group counseling, ADHD screening, body image issues and relationship issues.

Marcia Stern joined Columbia Health in 2019. Prior to joining Columbia she worked as a Military Sexual Trauma Counselor for the Department of Veterans Affairs Readjustment Counseling Service, providing individual and group therapy. Marcia has supervised numerous treatment and clinical research projects including a treatment effectiveness trial for children and adolescents exposed to the events of 9/11 at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the Jewish Board of Children & Family Services, assessment of a school-based suicide prevention screen at the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University, and training student law guardians in mental health issues at the Hofstra University School of Law.

Marcia received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from St. John’s University and her B.A. in Psychology from Brooklyn College. She completed her internship training in clinical psychology at Hillside Hospital,

Long Island Jewish Medical Center and a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Psychiatric Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

Marcia enjoys working with a wide range of students including those concerned with issues of adjustment, anxiety, depression, emotion regulation, and interpersonal problems. Her professional interests include the impact of exposure to trauma, veterans, and women’s issues.

Marcia Malcolm-Alexander is a medical assistant at Columbia Health Medical Services.

Marcel Pierre-Louis joined Columbia Health in 2020 after serving as a General Staff Nurse for Respiratory Care and the Assistant Nurse Manager for Orthopedics at Westchester Medical Center since 2017. Prior to his Nursing career, Marcel worked for Health based non-profits in New York City and Los Angeles. He received his Master's of Healthcare Administration from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in December 2021.

Manali Roy joined Columbia Health in 2022. Prior to Columbia, she worked as a staff psychologist at the North Central Bronx Hospital where she also completed her pre-doctoral internship. At the hospital, she worked in various clinical settings including inpatient psychiatric unit, psychiatric emergency services, and consultation-liaison psychiatry services. She has previously trained at the University of Toledo Psychology Clinic and the Zepf Center in Ohio, and at community mental health centers in India. Dr. Roy received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Toledo and Master’s in Psychology from Adelphi University. She also earned her Master’s in Clinical Psychology and Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Calcutta, India.

Dr. Roy works primarily from acceptance and mindfulness-based approaches while integrating psychodynamic perspectives as clinically indicated to meet the person where they are at. She aims to create a trauma-informed, empathic, collaborative, and non-judgmental space in therapy with the goal of fostering wellness. Her clinical interests include experiences of anxiety, depression, psychosis, emotional dysregulation, and interpersonal difficulties. Addressing intersectionality, multicultural concerns, immigrant experiences, and issues affecting international students (such as acculturative stress) are important in her clinical work. Dr. Roy is a part of the Counseling and Psychological Services' Outreach Team. She is fluent in Bengali and Hindi.

Mairead (she/her/they/them) joined the Columbia Health team in 2023 and serves as an expert on the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and provides all front-line technology-related-end user support for Clinical Departments at Columbia Health. 

In her spare time, Mairead enjoys painting and photography as well as watching The Office and playing the Sims.

Madeline (she/her) joined Columbia Health in 2023. As a Registered Nurse at Medical Services, she provides pre- and post-clinical visit assessments; follow-up of patients for interim continuity of care by clinicians, emergency department transfer, hospitalization, and procedures; acute and chronic primary nursing care, wound care, travel assessment, allergy assessment, and the administration of vaccines, allergy shots, and medication.

She started her nursing career in 2020 working inpatient at NYP-Columbia in a medicine-stepdown unit taking care of critically ill patients. She transitioned to working as a travel registered nurse at local NYC hospitals and in California. As a travel nurse, she worked in a variety of medical-surgical units (general, oncology, surgical, etc.). She looks forward to providing care for university students.

In her free time, Madeline enjoys cooking, trying new cuisines, exercising, and watching her favorite TV shows.

Lucia Clase is a Medical Assistant at Medical Services.

Lily (she/her) oversees software, hardware, alternate format texts (e-text), and asynchronous closed captioning at Disability Services. She works closely with students to assess technology needs corresponding to their accommodations and deploys appropriate tools and programs to assist with their academic success.

Prior to joining Columbia Health, Lily was a Research and Instruction Librarian. She has specialized in accessibility, universal design, assistive tech, and student IT services for over 10 years. She is a native New Yorker and loves dancing, knitting, and puzzles (especially crosswords).

James (Lee) Daniel joined the Alice! Health Promotion team in November 2022 as the Resource Specialist. In this new role, Lee works to connect students to both on- and off-campus resources. His work focuses on developing strategic partnerships across the University to streamline referral pipelines and cultivate a community that empowers students to care for their health & well-being. 

Prior to joining the Alice! team, Lee worked in first-year experience and student retention; academic advising and support services; and COVID-19 response. 

Lee grew up in North Carolina before moving to New York in summer 2021. Outside of work, Lee loves reading, cooking and baking, puzzles, and exploring the city to find hidden green spaces!

La’Tisa comes to Columbia Health from Mount Sinai Doctors Performing Arts clinic where she was Senior Medical Assistant/Patient Coordinator. She has also worked at the NYU Vascular and Vein Center, as well as St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital doctors offices.

Lauren Murry is an Immunization Compliance Specialist in the Immunization Compliance Office. She was born and raised in the Bronx, New York and recently graduated from Duke University in May of 2021. Prior to joining Columbia Health, Lauren worked for a telehealth company that specialized in mental health care. Lauren plans to pursue a career in medicine, specifically cardiology. In Lauren's spare time, she enjoys watching 90s sitcoms, listening to music, and/or spending time with family and friends.

Laura Maudene Nelson is a nutritionist and instructor at the Columbia University Institute of Human Nutrition and teaches graduate nutrition, medical, dental, nursing, and public health students.

She has been active with the American Diabetes Association, where she serves on the national board of directors, and the American Heart Association, where she previously served on the board of directors of the New York City Affiliate, the Advisory Council, Heart-at-Work, Nutrition Counseling Workshop Planning Committee, and as a member of the Nutrition Committee. She has also served on the editorial board for RN Magazine.

Maudene volunteers for the American Diabetes Association making public presentations and reaching out to elected officials to advocate for people with diabetes. She also coordinates opportunities for work site and community nutrition projects.

Best nutrition advice: Eat mostly foods that grow from roots not feet, and, watch out for shiny food – it may be glazed not polished.

Dr. Laura Gonzalez (she/her/hers) is a Psychologist at Columbia Health. She conducts individual psychotherapy with undergraduate and graduate students. She also conducts drop-in hours, co-leading group therapy, and participates in outreach events across campus.

Dr. Laura Gonzalez received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Boston College and completed her doctoral internship at the University of Miami Counseling Center, where she was a part of the Sexual Assault and Response Team. Before joining CPS, Dr. Gonzalez was trained in various clinical settings, including partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs, community mental health centers, outpatient clinics, and college counseling centers.

Laura has extensive experience working with adolescents and young adults experiencing depression, anxiety, relationship concerns, family conflict, body image concerns, acculturation issues, and coping with traumatic experiences. She approaches her work from a psychodynamic and relational cultural framework, valuing the importance of relationships and the impact of one’s environment on their life. Laura also brings a social justice orientation to her work with students, working to understand the role of systems on students’ mental health. Her clinical interests include working with students facing interpersonal relationship challenges, survivors of trauma and violence, and first-generation students. Laura is bilingual (English/Spanish) and appreciates working with students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Laura (she/her) joined Columbia Health in 2013. In her current role as Associate Director of Student Case Management, Laura serves on Student Case-Management Team and Disability Services leadership team. She evaluates and interprets disability documentation to determine eligibility for accommodations and services; serves as coordinator/case manager for a small cohort of students with disabilities; supports students in resolving disability-related issues that may be a barrier to accessing programs; liaises with other departments within Columbia Health as well as academic advising deans, global programs, graduate and professional programs, libraries, and other administrators to implement accommodations, supports faculty and administrators regarding strategies for meeting the unique needs of each individual student as well as implementing and coordinating accommodations.

In her free time, Laura enjoys cheering for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Steelers, watching Broadway shows, and cooking new recipes.

Latisha Culley is a health services assistant at Counseling and Psychological Services.

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.

Dr. Kwame Akowuah joined Columbia Health in 2017. Prior to joining Counseling and Psychological Services, Kwame was director of the Continuing Day Treatment program at the New York State Psychiatric Institute’s Audubon Clinic, where he also worked as a staff psychiatrist. Additionally, he was an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Kwame completed his residency training at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Cornell Medical Center. He then went on to complete a fellowship in psychiatry and the law at New York University Medical Center/Bellevue Hospital.

Kwame's professional interests include mood disorders, psychosis, and perceptual disorders, drug and alcohol use, medicolegal ethics, and questions surrounding religion and spiritual identity.

Kristina (she/her) joined Columbia Health in November 2022. In her role as Assistant Director, she serves on the Student Case-Management team; Serves as Coordinator/Case-Manager for a cohort of students with disabilities providing ongoing support, specialized services, and coordination of accommodations; evaluates medical, psychological, and psycho-educational documentation to identify reasonable disability accommodations; provides guidance to faculty, administrators, and students regarding disability and accommodation issues;  works with instructors and academic departments to implement students' approved academic adjustments and accommodations; serves as the primary contact with the Graduate Liaisons and program administration at CUMC to implement accommodations in a variety of academic, testing and clinical settings. Provides support to faculty and staff regarding strategies for meeting the unique needs of students registered with disability services.

Outside of work, Kristina loves hiking around national parks, exploring new bike trails, and visiting local bookstores and bakeries.

Kristen (she/her) joined Columbia Health in 2023. She provides pre- and post-clinical visit assessments; follow-up of patients for interim continuity of care by clinicians, emergency department transfer, hospitalization and procedures; acute and chronic primary nursing care, wound care, travel assessment, allergy assessment, and the administration of vaccines, allergy shots, and medication.

She has been working as a nurse for four years. She began her career working in both inpatient and outpatient positions and then transitioned to school nursing. She is excited to continue her nursing journey in the college health field.

Outside of work she enjoys reading, trying new recipes, going to concerts, and exploring the city.

Kori Bennett joined Columbia Health in 2015. Ze received hir doctorate of clinical psychology at the University of Indianapolis and completed a doctoral internship at Wichita State University’s Counseling and Testing Center. Prior to joining Columbia, ze completed postdoctoral fellowships at University of California, Merced Counseling and Psychological Services, and Stanford University’s CAPS in the Gender and Sexual Identities Track. Much of Kori’s clinical and outreach work has focused on the wellbeing of students who are gender expansive, sexual minority, international, and first generation.

Ze is also interested in working with students to explore issues relevant to identity intersectionality, gender and sexuality, perfectionism, mindfulness, and relational patterns.

Kirsten (she/her) joined the Columbia Health team in 2021 as Communications Specialist, managing the organization’s digital channels: website, intranet, email, digital screen system, and social media presence. She also provides brand and creative design support, as well as thought partnership on organizational and Unit-level communications campaigns. Prior to joining Columbia Health, Kirsten was a Marketing Coordinator at McKenney’s, Inc., a mechanical contractor that serves the Southeastern United States. In that role, she led the development and execution of a wide variety of creative collateral; managed the blog; devised methodical campaign strategies, communication plans, print and digital deliverables; and worked on each year’s digital marketing strategy.
 
She is passionate about digging into her colleagues’ pain points to better understand their needs in order to deliver purposeful support with long-lasting impact. 

Her interests include reading and learning about psychology, practicing mindfulness activities, and trying new food. She enjoys volunteering, hiking, working on freelance design projects, and spending time with her cat.

Dr. Kim Nguyen joined Columbia Health in 2021. She received her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in San Francisco. She completed her doctoral internship at the National Asian American Psychology Training Center at RAMS Inc., where she worked with survivors of trauma, provided psychotherapy addressing cross-cultural issues, carried out crisis interventions, and conducted therapeutic work with English and Vietnamese-speaking individuals. She completed her postdoctoral training at CUNY Brooklyn College. There, she was the therapist liaison for the LGBTQ Resource Center, and worked with students from diverse backgrounds, including students who were first in their family to attend college. Prior to joining Columbia, she worked in the inpatient unit at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and CUNY The City College of New York Counseling Center.

As a bicultural, bilingual clinician, Kim values one’s cultural identities in therapeutic work and collaborates with individuals to create psychological care that meets the needs of the patient. In addition to English, she is fluent in Vietnamese.

Kelvin joined Columbia Health in 2009. In his current role as part of the IT team, Kelvin works mostly with the non-clinical units to support their systems and tools. Prior to joining the IT team, Kelvin spent nine years as an Assistive Technology Specialist with the Disability Services Unit.

Kelvin enjoys spending time with friends, challenges himself by troubleshooting electronics, and enjoys working on his car or home improvement projects.

Keith joined Columbia Health in 1993 and began working in Disability Services in 2008. Outside of work, Keith is a talented artist whose work is sometimes featured in the office. Keith enjoys sketching and drawing using a variety of mediums including markers, charcoal pencil, and acrylic paint.  

Keesha Miller is a licensed clinical social worker who received her M.S.W. from New York University in 2018. In addition to her work at Columbia Health, Keesha works as an Adjunct Instructor for the online M.S.W. program at Simmons University and is a course instructor for Dynamics of Racism and Oppression.

Prior to joining Columbia Health in 2023, Keesha worked at Harlem Children's Zone and held positions as a School Social Worker, Social Services Team Manager, and Education Coordinator for M.S.W. and M.H.C. Internships. She has also worked at Children's Aid, where she provided home-based individual and family therapy to families at risk of youth out-of-home placement.

Keesha is interested in working with students seeking support around racial identity development, navigating experiences of racism and oppression related to intersecting identities, general anxieties, or life transitions. Keesha believes in providing holistic, affirming, non-judgmental spaces to promote a sense of safety and strength to allow for the exploration of thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

Kayla Nebbitt (she/her) joined Medical Services in April 2023 as a Nurse Practitioner and is a member of the Amsterdam practice team. 

In her role as a Nurse Practitioner, Kayla provides comprehensive acute and chronic primary clinical care, reproductive and sexual health care, transgender health care services including PrEP and PEP, and opioid use disorder care. 

Prior to joining Columbia Health, Kayla practiced as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) at Community Healthcare Network (CHN), serving people in community health through in-person and telehealth visits, providing care services in acute and chronic primary care and suboxone for patients with OUD; reproductive & sexual health inclusive of contraception, pap smears, PrEP, and hormone replacement therapy. While at CHN, Kayla was a preceptor in the Nurse Practitioner Fellowship Program. Prior to working as an FNP, Kayla worked as a Registered Nurse in Seattle and Massachusetts.

Along with her dedication and interest in the wellness care of the patients and their communities, Kayla shares her enjoyment of tennis and traveling.

Katherine McAvoy is the Assistant Director for Public Health Initiatives for Alice! Health Promotion. They first joined the Alice! team in 2020, serving as Manager for Contact Tracing through September 2021. In that role, Katherine built and oversaw the University contact tracing program for the Morningside, Manhattanville, Lamont-Doherty, and Nevis campuses; they approached this work with a trauma-informed and intersectional framework, with the ultimate goal of supporting all members of the Columbia community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In their current role, Katherine's work focuses broadly on building multi-level systems and equity-driven public health infrastructure to tackle burgeoning public health issues, mitigate threats to health, and promote student well-being and flourishing.

An Indiana native, Katherine is a long-time East Coast transplant and new-ish New Yorker. When not at work, they enjoy the Brooklyn food scene, adventures with friends and family, browsing bookstores, and petting other people's cats.

Kate (she/her) joined Columbia Health in 2020 and assumed her current role in 2022. In her current position as Manager, Exam Accommodations, she provides specialized oversight of exam accommodations for undergraduate students; manages the weekly exam schedule at Disability Services; coordinates exam accommodations and proctoring arrangements for undergraduate and graduate students eligible for testing accommodations; works closely with faculty and academic departments to coordinate proctoring of undergraduate exams; liaises with faculty to clarify any questions regarding testing procedures and proctoring specifications; recruits, trains, and supervises student staff, including exam proctors and graduate assistants.

Dr. Kasia J. Garland (she/her/hers) joined Columbia Health in 2022. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from George Washington University and her B.A. in Psychology from Johns Hopkins University. She completed her doctoral internship at Kings County Hospital. Prior to joining Columbia, she was an attending inpatient psychologist at Bellevue Hospital and a Clinical Instructor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She also previously served as an Associate Director of Mental Health at Rikers Island, working with a justice-involved population.  

Kasia practices from a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and social justice-oriented lens. She is committed to providing a safe, collaborative, and non-judgmental environment for students of all backgrounds in order to promote understanding and well-being. She utilizes a tailored integrative approach that combines a psychodynamic framework with cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavioral techniques to meet the specific needs of each individual.   

Kasia has a broad range of experience working at the intersections of race, gender and sexuality, and identity development. She has particular expertise in treating interpersonal difficulties, mood disorders, anxiety, complex trauma, and unusual experiences often known as “psychosis”. Kasia enjoys working with many common challenges that lead people to therapy and helping her patients achieve their goals. 

Karisma Ajodah joined Medical Services in October 2019. Prior to joining Columbia Health, Karisma worked primarily in the hospital setting, including NYU-Langone Hospital and Mount Sinai-Beth Israel. Karisma is excited to return to her Columbia roots having graduated from the School of Social Work in 2002.

Karisma is also certified as a field instructor for social work graduate interns since 2008 and has supervised many students over the years. Besides being a social worker, Karisma is also certified as a meditation teacher and is interested in integrating mindfulness and social work practice.

Karin has been in the insurance industry for 15 years. She worked with Colonial Life as a Regional Instructor as well as in various roles in Territory Sales and Development and Enrollment. Karin also partnered with Blueprint Benefit Advisors as an Account Manager, assisting with proposals, planning, and renewals. She has extensive knowledge of benefits as well as enrollment, claims, and referral processes.

A teacher by nature, Karin is passionate about advocating for others, helping them to understand and utilize their plans in the best way possible. She has been on both sides – experiencing the frustrations first-hand, and now guiding others to better understand insurance and avoid the potential pitfalls.

In her free time, Karin enjoys time with family and friends. On weekends you can find Karin biking along the Hudson, in a park, at a beach, or strolling through museums and galleries.

Karen (she/her) oversees all day-to-day aspects and advises the student volunteer ambulance service (CUEMS); She also manages safety, compliance, and risk management training, and other related initiatives for Columbia Health, such as all staff orientation and training, emergency planning and management, supervision of team meetings and initiatives, and leading Columbia Health participation in University compliance functions.

Karen is originally from Connecticut and moved to Long Island in 2019. She's passionate about EMS, Emergency Management, and teaching. She enjoys spending time with her 4 children, doing yoga, baking, going to sporting events, and reading.

Kara (she/her) joined Columbia Health in 2023. Kara is responsible for research and grant activity at Columbia Health, including administrative management of grant projects, data analysis, and report development. Prior to joining Columbia Health, Kara worked in a variety of research roles in the private sector and healthcare industry. Kara holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Master of Public Health in Public Health Policy, and a Master of Business Administration in Ethical Leadership. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, reading, spending time with family, and taking long walks with her dog.   

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.

Dr. Jung Rok Shin joined Columbia Health in 2023. Dr. Shin graduated from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University where he received both a Master's degree in psychology and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. He completed his internship at the Baruch College Counseling Center where he worked in college counseling for over 10 years.  Dr. Shin’s clinical interests include issues of identity development, culture/ethnicity, as well as trauma, grief, and spirituality. As a psychodynamically-trained psychologist, Dr. Shin helps people to see their issues in the context of their life experiences to better understand themselves and make healthier choices.  

Julissa (she/her) joined Columbia Health in 2023. She provides pre- and post-clinical visit assessments; follow-up of patients for interim continuity of care by clinicians, emergency department transfer, hospitalization and procedures; acute and chronic primary nursing care, wound care, travel assessment, allergy assessment, and the administration of vaccines, allergy shots, and medication.

Prior to joining Columbia Health, Julissa had an impressive 26-year career in the United States Army as a surgical technician rising through the ranks to become a Sergeant 1st Class. Upon retirement Sergeant 1st Class Julissa Rosado, USA. Ret. returned to college to pursue a career in nursing, receiving her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. Over the past 5 years, Julissa has worked as a registered nurse in Louisville, Kentucky in the Telemetry Unit, Progressive Cardiac Care Unit, Surgical Specialty Unit, the Veterans Affairs Hospital, and the Emergency Department.

Julissa enjoys all outdoor activities, particularly hiking and bicycling. She is a burgeoning mystery and spy fictional writer and looks forward to writing and publishing her own book.   

Julie is a Licensed Clinical Social worker who joined Columbia Health in Fall 2022. She received her M.S.W. in 2012 and began her career with experience in substance abuse disorders and emergency mental health at both the Stratton VA Medical Center and Columbia-Memorial Hospital in Hudson, NY. She has spent the last seven years conducting counseling and crisis work with adolescents in the NYS public school system, as well as Harlem Children’s Zone.

Julie believes in a holistic and non-judgmental approach to counseling that emphasizes both mind and body techniques, including Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Her professional interests include working with anxiety disorders, relationship difficulties, ADHD, and addressing complex trauma.

Joe Conklin (he/him) joined the Administration team in February 2023 as the Human Resources Manager. Joe serves as a subject matter expert and a central resource for all Columbia Health employees on a broad range of human resources (HR) functions, such as new hire onboarding, leaves of absence, payroll, talent management, labor and employee relations issues, and general human resources inquiries. Joe plays an integral role in supporting Columbia Health Human Resources' strategic planning and efforts to streamline human resources operations. 

Before joining Columbia Health, Joe managed HR functions such as talent management, benefits, HR analytics, HRIS management, compliance, payroll, employee relations, performance management, and training initiatives as a Human Resources Business Partner at Imagine Early Learning Centers.

He is most proud of his ability to problem solve, build trusting relationships, and explain complex policies. When not at work, he enjoys playing board games and competing in puzzle hunts. 

Dr. Jorge Alvarenga (he/him) is a clinical psychology postdoctoral fellow at Counseling and Psychological Services at Columbia Health. He conducts intakes and provides psychological services for both undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Alvarenga provides individual therapy as well as co-leading group therapy groups.

Jorge gained experience working in numerous large urban hospitals in the city where he often worked with high-risk patients to ensure their safety and achieve treatment goals. Jorge has experience working with adults, children, and families as well as leading groups focused on Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Music Therapy, and general process groups. Jorge also has experience working with individuals with substance use disorders as well as traumatic experiences.

Jorge works from a psychodynamic perspective with a focus on interpersonal and relational dynamics as well as attachment theory. He also believes that it is important to be flexible in approaching treatment and can integrate more structured interventions when necessary and appropriate for treatment.

Dr. Jon Weinstein (he/him) provides acute and chronic primary care, including assessment and diagnosis of presenting problems and management of illness, education concerning prevention and wellness; follow-up of patient problems in continuity structure; and utilization of specialists and outside medical resources when indicated.  

Dr. Weinstein joins Columbia Health with over 20 years of extensive clinical, administrative, leadership, and teaching experiences. Prior to joining Columbia Health, he worked as an urgent care physician at CityMD with a stint as its Medical Director. Prior to CityMD, Dr. Weinstein was Director of Medical Services at Housing Works, an Emergency Medicine Physician at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Kings Highway and Bronx Lebanon, and Director of HIV Medical Services at Betances Health Center.       

Dr. Weinstein completed a Residency in Emergency Medicine at Mount Sinai West (Morningside). He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School after receiving his Bachelor of Science degree there as well.

Dr. Weinstein is an avid reader of ancient historical fiction, is a native New Yorker, and is an animal lover. 

Jon (he/him/his) joined the Columbia Health team in 2021. He is a Registered Nurse at Medical Services and is passionate about delivering patient-centered, holistic, affirmative, and collaborative care. He also serves as a nurse on the Transgender and Gender Expansive Team (TGET).

Before moving to New York, Jon grew up, studied, and worked as a nurse in Massachusetts. His previous experiences include treating adults in a smaller community hospital and caring for children on a surgical & trauma unit in Boston.

Jon enjoys spending time with his husband and their cat, playing volleyball & softball, eating pie, visiting the Cape, dancing to Charli XCX and Rihanna (not well), and reading comic books.

Dr. Jennifer Liu joined Columbia Health in 2020. Prior to joining Counseling and Psychological Services, Jennifer was the Deputy Director of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital. She has also been the Associate Director of Training for the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Training Program and the Pediatric/Psychiatry/Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (Triple Board) Program at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine.  She earned a B.S. in Psychology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and received her M.D. from Drexel University.  She completed her residency and fellowship in the Triple Board Program at Mount Sinai. Jennifer’s professional interests include mood and anxiety disorders, psychopharmacology, and the use of psychotherapy to optimize outcomes.

Jennifer joined Columbia Health in 2022 as a part-time Survivor Advocate with Sexual Violence Response (SVR) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC).

As a Survivor Advocate, Jennifer provides objective, empathetic, knowledgeable, and supportive intervention assisting a survivor, co-survivor, or bystander in securing the necessary information, services, referrals, and follow-up care that may be required based on an individual’s experience.

In her most recent role, she developed virtual reality content for the U.S. Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Training as a Subject Matter Expert at Moth + Flame VR. In previous roles, Jennifer developed, adapted, and presented educational programs on an array of topics ranging from child and adult sexual abuse and assault, domestic violence, and internet safety and has provided support and advocacy for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and violent crimes. Jennifer also served as the PREA Advocate (Prison Rape Elimination Act) and responded to allegations of sexual assault within a local correctional facility.

Additionally, upon receiving her Juris Doctorate from Hofstra University School of Law, she served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office. While at the Nassau DA’s Office, Jennifer was selected to attend the National District Attorney Association Sexual Assault Trial Advocacy Training Program in Columbia, South Carolina.

Javier Cordova joined Columbia Health in 2007. Prior to Columbia, Javier worked as an administrative assistant at a nursing and rehabilitation center in New Rochelle, New York. Javier has eight years' experience working as support staff in a clinical setting. Javier's interests include movies, dining, sports, and traveling. He plans to pursue a degree in computer science.

As the Director of Direct Services, Jaclyn oversees initiatives for mental health and well-being, alcohol and other drugs (AOD), health education and wellness coaching. Jaclyn initially joined the Alice! Health Promotion team as a Health Promotion Specialist in 2018. Her professional background spans over several functional areas in higher education and student affairs. Some of those experiences focus on social justice education, mental health, residence life, and leadership development. In addition, she has served as an instructor for both undergraduate and graduate populations.

Jaclyn grew up in the Golden State, California, and is excited to support student health and well-being through a trauma-informed and intersectional lens. When not at work, Jaclyn enjoys spending time with her fur-child, Captain, and being out and about exploring all that the community has to offer!

Dr. Marcelin will be working under the supervision of attending psychiatrist Dr. Doreen Han-Faver to conduct psychiatric evaluations on students referred through CPS. She will also be scheduling follow-up appointments with students, and engaging in brief psychotherapy and medication management plans.

Dr. Marcelin is a senior psychiatry resident at the New York State Psychiatric Institute/New York Presbyterian-Columbia. She will be rotating at CPS for the Fall 2023 semester. She is interested in mental health topics pertaining to intersectional identities and helping individuals manage different mood conditions. Overall, she is looking forward to working with students at various stages of education and working collaboratively with the CPS team to bring the best, most thoughtful care possible.

In her spare time, Dr. Marcelin enjoys reading fiction, playing with her niece (her favorite person), and trying Indian and Ethiopian restaurants and seeing where they stack up in her list of favorites.

Dr. Helene Keable joined Columbia Health in 2004, while continuing as a psychiatrist at the Columbia University Medical Center Student Health Service. Prior to joining Columbia, she received her M.D. from Laval University in Canada and completed residencies in internal medicine at McGill Hospital Center, as well as in pediatrics and psychiatry at Mt. Sinai Hospital Center in New York. She went on to further advanced training in consultation-liaison at Long Island Jewish Hospital and psychoanalysis at the New York Psychoanalytic Institute.

Helene's professional interests include the impact of gender, trauma and culture on the development of young adults, the optimal integration of psychotherapy and medication, learning problems in young adults, and systems of delivering health care. In addition to her work at Columbia, she teaches and supervises the faculty of the New York Psychoanalytic Institute and the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Mt. Sinai Hospital. She has written and lectured on the impact of medical illnesses on the psychological development of teenagers and young adults, and on the integration of psychotherapy and medication.

Helena Jeory joined the Columbia Health Communications team in November 2021 as the new Graphic Design Specialist. In this role, she develops custom creative designs for organizational communications, strategic branding, program marketing, and communication campaigns. She also provides creative support towards the look and feel of communications materials developed for Columbia Health. Prior to this, she was a Marketing Designer at Kasasa – a financial services company headquartered in Austin, Texas. In that role, she led the design of the company app and brand guidelines. She also created over 50 website designs for community banks and credit unions nationwide.

Originally from New Zealand, Helena now lives in Upstate NY. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and painting.

Hawa (she/her) joined Columbia Health in July 2022. As a born and raised New Yorker,Hawa has no trouble juggling the high-speed energy and immediate needs of students at Disability Services. In Hawa’s current role as an Assistant Director of Exam Accommodations, she is responsible for recruiting, hiring, training, and supervising casual employees who serve as scribes, exam proctors; establishes work schedules and manages performance and time and attendance issues; serves as liaison to faculty and other university partners to provide effective accommodations for students with disabilities; maintains accurate student records such as case notes, intake information and all relevant documentation related to accommodations; assists in the day-to-day management of all exam accommodations issues.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and volunteering at various underserved communities and non-profit organizations within the city.

Grace Zimmer, FNP, joined Medical Services in September 2023 as a member of the Morningside Practice Clinical Care Team. Grace provides primary care services for students with a focus on health promotion and education, providing treatment for acute and chronic injury and illness.

Prior to joining Columbia Health, Grace worked as a Family Nurse Practitioner in community health in the Burlington, Vermont, serving the healthcare needs of patients across the lifespan through in-person and telehealth visits, providing care services in acute and chronic primary care as well as suboxone for patients with OUD; reproductive

& sexual health inclusive of contraception, pap smears, PrEP, hormone replacement therapy and care for new Americans. She began her career as a primary care nurse in Appalachia where she first became interested in the health promotion and education as well as the importance of illness and injury prevention in primary care.

When she isn't working, she enjoys travel, cooking, art, languages and the outdoors.

Certifications and Licensure:

· Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (NP-C) American Academy of Nurse Practitioners

· Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, State of Vermont, License number: 101.0134143

· Registered Nurse, State of Vermont, License number: 026.0134814

· Advanced Practice Registered Nurse State of New York License Number: 343099

· Registered Nurse State of New York License number: 750519

· American Red Cross CPR/AED/BLS (current)

· SAMHSA MAT Certified Provider

Professional Experience:

Family Nurse Practitioner Apr 2021 - Current

Community Health Centers of Burlington

· Primary care including LGBTQ+ care (trans health), New American clinic, MAT, newborn, pediatric, adult, women’s health and geriatric care

Family Nurse Practitioner October 2021 - Current

University of Vermont- Urgent Care

· Acute and urgent care to adult, pediatric and geriatric patients

Family Nurse Practitioner Nov 2018 - Apr 2021

University of Vermont, Milton Family Practice

· Primary care for patients from newborn to geriatrics – Weekly rounds at a Long term care/SAR

Clinical Instructor, Nursing Program Aug 2018 - Nov 2018

Vermont Tech

· Instructed ASN students in health assessment lab to develop general health assessment skills

· Instructed on assessment skills specific to psych and OBGYN in SIM lab and inpatient settings.

Registered Nurse Oct 2017 - Jun 2018

Student Health Clinic, East Tennessee State University

· Administered treatments and testing, and screening, obtain health and social histories, assess mental and physical status, and patient education

Registered Nurse Aug 2015 - Dec 2016

ETSU Family Medicine Associates

· Provided acupuncture assistance, administered treatments and therapies, obtained health and social histories, assessed mental and physical status, and patient education

Registered Nurse Jan 2015 - Aug 2015

Johnson City Medical Center

· Progressive care cardiac step down unit, administered treatments and therapies, IV line maintenance and insertion, obtained health histories, assessed mental and physical status, and patient education

·

Languages Spoken:

· French, Spanish

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.

Gina Orlando is the Senior Health Promotion Specialist at Alice! Health Promotion. She joined the team in June 2017 as a Health Promotion Specialist before transitioning to her current role. In her current role, she supports the development and implementation of health literacy initiatives. As a member of the Health Promotion Strategy team, she works with her colleagues to create a campus culture centered on well-being. Prior to her focus in health literacy, Gina acted as the project manager of Go Ask Alice!, Columbia’s health Q&A website. 

Gina is originally from northwest New Jersey. In her spare time, Gina can often be found reading, seeing musicals, spending time with friends, playing board games, or wandering around bookstores

Gillian is the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) for Columbia Health. In this role, Gillian serves as a leader, advisor, partner, advocate, and resource for evolving the DEIB vision throughout the Columbia Health community. She provides effective strategies, including programs and initiatives, which help to foster an equitable, diverse, inclusive, and anti-racist division that is committed to advancing the health and well-being of the Columbia community, and those who provide exceptional care and support.

Gillian comes to Columbia Health with over twenty years of higher education experience. Fifteen of those years are within various DEIB roles. Leading up to joining Columbia Health, she was at Hofstra University, where she was the Director of Intercultural Engagement and Inclusion and an Assistant Dean of Academic Advising prior to that. Prior to her time at Hofstra University, Gillian served as the Assistant Director of the Center for Cross-Cultural Enrichment at Adelphi University. Gillian has facilitated over 400 workshops and training seminars. She is a champion of uncomfortable conversations because she has found them to be one of the best ways to create authentic spaces of belonging.

As Director of Communications, Gayle helps lead the strategic development, implementation, and ongoing management of communications and plans for the entire organization.

Prior to joining the Columbia team, Gayle was a Marketing and Communications Specialist at Women’s World Banking, a global nonprofit leader in advancing women’s financial inclusion. At Women's World Banking, Gayle managed content marketing and creative communications initiatives for the organization’s field projects. She was also responsible for website, social media, and email channels. Prior to Women’s World Banking, she was the Development and Communications Associate for Day One NY, a nonprofit that provides dating abuse and domestic violence education and support to New York City youth. At Day One, Gayle managed digital marketing properties, provided grant writing and reporting support, and helped in the development and execution of the organization’s fundraisers.

Gayle has a MA in Media, Culture, and Communication with a concentration in Technology & Society from NYU-Steinhardt and a BA in Communications Studies, Minor in Anthropology from UCLA. She is a native of the Philippines. 

Gabriel joined Columbia Health in 2023. In his role as Financial Analyst, Gabriel plays a key role in areas of financial analysis, reporting, budgeting, and expense tracking including processing invoices and purchase orders, and supports accounts payable and procurement services functions to ensure that Columbia Health suppliers are seamlessly onboarded and that payments are processed in a timely manner.

Prior to joining Columbia Health, Gabriel worked at Cantor Fitzgerald as a Finance Associate, Broker Compensation Control. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Filmmaking from Montclair State University and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from William Paterson University -- bringing a varied skillset to his work.

Emily (she/her) joined Columbia Health in 2019. In her role as Assistive Technology Coordinator Emily manages the provision and creation of alternate format materials (E-text, large print, etc.) for students eligible for this accommodation.

Emily avidly pursues many interests, which include baking pastries of all types, reading piles of cookbooks about diverse world cuisines, and photographing the city on film with her Canon AE-1 camera. As a native New Yorker, she also loves to spend lazy afternoons in the city's museums when she is not combing every borough in search of a great donut.

Dr. Elizabeth Mirabello (she/her) joined Columbia Health in 2015. Prior to Columbia, Elizabeth was chief of psychiatry at Northern Westchester Hospital. She has worked also as a staff psychiatrist at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center in various clinical settings including inpatient, emergency room and the intensive outpatient program. She was also an assistant clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons.

Mirabello attended Barnard College and Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. She completed her psychiatry residency at the New York Hospital Payne Whitney Clinic (now New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center). Her professional interests include mood and anxiety disorders as well as women’s issues in psychiatry.

Elizabeth Diaz joined Columbia Health in 2023. Elizabeth supports physicians, nurse practitioners, and nurses in the delivery of patient care, including directing, assisting, and preparing patients for exams; takes vital signs and assists with exams; keeps exam rooms stocked and clean; monitors and maintains medical equipment, assists clinical staff, and responds to medical emergencies per protocol; and anticipates provider needs including quality support measures and patient flow.

She has been a medical assistant for 30 years, most of which have been in various OB/GYN departments. Elizabeth was raised in Washington Heights and has lived there all her life!

Dr. Eduvigis Cruz-Arrieta joined CPS in February 2018. She is a licensed Clinical Psychologist with 20 years of experience in health psychology. Prior to Columbia, she was a supervising psychologist at Lincoln Medical Center, part of the NYC Health & Hospital/Physicians Affiliates Group of NY. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor of medical psychology at the CUNY School of Medicine.

She has been dedicated to providing quality care to underserved communities in NYC. As staff member of the CUMC Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Blood & Marrow Transplantation service, she served as Chair of its Diversity & Health Disparities Committee of the Children's Oncology Group. In her role, she participated in advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill representing the viewpoints of stakeholders about disparities in healthcare.

Dr. Cruz-Arrieta received her B.A. from the University of Puerto Rico where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, followed by a M.A. in Clinical Psychology. She completed her clinical internship and pre-doctoral fellowship at NYU Bellevue Clinical Psychology Internship program, and received her doctorate from the City University of New York Graduate Center at City College. Her expertise and interests includes mood disorders, chronic illness, eating disorders, trauma and post-traumatic stress, life transitions (loss, grief, and end of life), multicultural concerns, as well as diversity and health disparity-related issues, complementary medicine (body/mind coping strategies; hypnosis; homeopathy), and psychology and the arts.

Eduvigis is originally from Puerto Rico and Spanish is her first language. She has resided in New York City since 1988, after retiring from professional classical ballet dancing and serving as an educator with Ballets de San Juan. Eduvigis believes in people’s capacity for continuous change and renewal, as they identify and fortify their inner strengths. Her goal is to help members of the Columbia University community to reach their goals.

Earmanese Granger joined Columbia Health in 1995. Prior to Columbia, Earmanese was an administrative assistant at The American Assembly, a public policy forum affiliated with Columbia University.

Dr. Doreen Han-Faver joined Columbia Health in 2015. Prior to Columbia, she worked as an attending psychiatrist at Mount Sinai Hospital inpatient child/adolescent psychiatric unit and the psychiatric emergency room. She also worked in long-term outpatient treatment settings, including Charles B. Wang Community Health Center. She earned a B.A. in biochemistry at Columbia University and received her M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She then completed a psychiatric residency and a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Doreen's professional interests include combined psychotherapy and psychopharmacology, mood and anxiety disorders, and cross-cultural issues.

Dominique Russell (she/her) joined the Sexual Violence Response (SVR) team as an Intake Specialist in February 2023. She serves as the initial point of contact for survivor outreach, providing crisis assistance/intervention, and support and advocacy to the Columbia community. She identifies emergent and long-term needs of student survivors and manages client intake flow.

Prior to joining SVR, Dominique was an Adult Care Manager at the Association for Mental Health and Wellness, helping individuals with severe physical and/or mental health conditions. She assisted clients with obtaining new healthcare providers, applying for housing, navigating the legal system, utilizing transportation services, finding employment, and more. She informed clients of the resources available to help achieve their health and wellness goals, while also providing motivational and emotional support in times of need/crisis. Additionally, Dominique has helped members of her community connect with therapy and medication management services in her previous Administrative Assistant role at Sunrise Counseling Center.

While completing her dual BA/MA Forensic Science degree program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Dominique joined several psychology research labs on campus including the Sex Offender Research Lab. During this time, she completed her master’s thesis on the association between anger, aggression, and perpetrator substance use in the commission of sexual offenses. Dominique also volunteered to create research briefs for the American Psychology-Law Society monthly newsletter, which allowed her to stay updated on the current research in the field of psychology and law. Dominique’s goal as an Intake Specialist is to empower survivors to make informed decisions, utilize available resources, and begin healing from their trauma in a safe space.

Dilan (she/her) joined Columbia Health in 2023 as the Human Resources Generalist. Dilan plays a key role in the overall operations of Columbia Health HR functions with a primary focus on payroll administration. Prior to joining Columbia Health, Dilan worked at The College of New Jersey, Office of Human Resources as HR Recruitment Coordinator.

Outside of work, Dilan enjoys making jewelry, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Diana Morrobel, Ph.D., joined Columbia Health in 2013. Prior to joining Columbia Health, Diana worked as a psychologist and supervisor at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center Adult Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic for 11 years. In addition to her work at Columbia, she was an adjunct faculty member at Teachers College and supervised doctoral candidates in Clinical Psychology at City College. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Michigan State University and a B.A. from New York University. She completed her internship in clinical psychology at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.

Diana’s professional interests include acculturative stress and adjustment, multicultural and racial diversity, first-generation college students, developmental issues related to emerging adulthood, family and interpersonal conflicts, trauma and mood disorders.  

Diana has over 15 years of experience in financial planning and data-driven analysis, in both corporate and non-profit sectors. She joined Columbia University in 2013, after working as an executive at several investment banks. Diana is skilled in process improvement, financial analysis, budgeting, operations management, sustainable finance, and grant management.

Diana’s personal interests include travel, photography, and hiking.

Delilah Hanna (she/her) joined Sexual Violence Response (SVR) in February 2023 and serves as the Assistant Director, Direct Services. She oversees SVR's outreach, prevention, and direct services programming to end gender- and power-based violence in all its forms and creates and delivers educational prevention programming related to power-based personal violence.

Delilah has 20 years of experience providing direct services and advocacy for survivors of domestic and sexual violence who were chronically homeless.

Prior to joining Columbia Health, Delilah served as the Community & Supportive Services Manager with Family Centers, where she collaborated with Stamford Housing Authority creating and developing community engagement programs and supporting residents with supportive services to mobilize formal and informal community resources. Additionally, Delilah served as Family Centers' co-chair providing leadership in building the framework of the agency's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategy and helped drive their strategic planning process.

Prior to joining Family Centers, Delilah was a Director of Court Programs with the YWCA of White Plains & Central Westchester where she developed, implemented, and evaluated supervised visitation and safe exchange services for Westchester County residents. During that time, she joined forces with community domestic violence partner agencies to improve the criminal justice system's response to domestic violence and sexual assault.

Dr. Debra Domenech joined Columbia Health in 2001. Prior to Columbia, Debra was a supervising psychologist at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center. In addition to her degrees from Fordham University and The City University of New York, she completed advanced training at the New York University Postdoctoral Program, where she obtained a certificate in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis.

Debra's professional interests include psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy, cultural diversity issues, treatment of affective disorders, and couples therapy. In addition to her work at Columbia, she is a clinical instructor at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center.

Dr. Deborah Ohm joined Columbia Health in 2021. She earned her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology at Long Island University – Post Campus. The majority of her clinical training has been within inpatient and outpatient hospital settings and community mental health clinics. Prior to Columbia Health, she was a supervising psychologist at the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center where she helped coordinate the Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Program for adolescents, young adults, and their families.  Dr. Ohm has extensive training and expertise in treating individuals with a wide range of difficulties including trauma, depression, anxiety, suicidality, intentional self-injury, struggles with identity and sense of self, and difficulties with relationships and family conflict.

Dr. Ohm uses an integrated approach in treatment focused on helping individuals gain insight into their patterns and increase adaptive skills to manage difficult emotions. 

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.

Dr. Dawn McAllister is a Urgent Care Physician at Columbia Health. She studied medicine at the University Of Cincinnati College Of Medicine and then moved to New York to practice at The Family Medicine Residency Program at Montefiore. Afterwards she went to the Family Medicine Residency Program at Columbia University Medical Center in 1997 and taught medical students and residents there for about nine years as an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Center for Family Medicine. 

She moved away from the academic setting and worked at Community Health Centers where she could take care of patients regardless of their legal status or ability to pay for their health care. She has one son by birth who is now 16 years old and two by adoption from Ethiopia who are 15 and 10 years old. Dawn says she chose to come back to Columbia University in 2014 at the Student Health Service and truly enjoys with students, both optimizing health and treating health problems. As an androgynous lesbian mom, from a working class background, with African American sons,  Dr. McAllister hopes to offer a welcoming and supportive presence in the lives of all the students who come to visit at Columbia Health.

Education:

• M.D., University of Cincinnati
• B.A., History, University of California, Berkeley

Certifications and Licensure:

• New York State Medical License
• Board Certified: Diplomat of American Board of Family Medicine

Professional Experience:

• Assistant Professor of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, Center for Family Medicine
• Federal Qualified Community Health Centers in New York City and Westchester
• Montefiore Medical Center, Family Medicine Residency

Dr. David Hittson joined Columbia Health as a psychologist in 2017. He also completed his post-doctoral fellowship at Counseling and Psychological Services. Prior to Columbia, David trained at the Brooklyn and Manhattan campuses of the New York Harbor Veteran’s Administration Hospital, at Interfaith Medical Center, and at Barnard’s Furman Counseling Center. David attended New York University’s counseling psychology program and graduated in the summer of 2016. While there, his research interests focused on the relationship of acculturation to mental health. David’s professional interests include veteran’s issues, issues of acculturation, depression, anxiety, trauma, identity issues, relationship concerns, and adjustment concerns.

Darlene (she/her) joined the Alice! Health Promotion team as a Health Promotion Specialist for community well-being in January 2023. In her role, Darlene focuses on Health Promotion strategic initiatives to identify student needs, forge relationships with campus partners, and create a culture that centers and prioritizes well-being for the campus community.  

Prior to joining the Alice! team, Darlene’s work spanned quantitative analyses of complex health issues and health communication. She has always been passionate about how information is translated to various audiences, both in the health tech space and healthcare consulting.  

Darlene is originally from central New Jersey. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, drawing, collecting a variety of plants, and trying different recipes. She enjoys exploring different neighborhoods in the city and trying lots of different foods!

Dr. Dara Salem is a Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow at CPS, where she conducts intakes, provides individual and group psychotherapy, and holds drop-in hours.

Dara entered graduate school for psychology after having worked in various fields, including as a Corps Member with Teach for America, in academic publishing, and after obtaining a master’s degree in English (literature). She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University-Brooklyn. Dara completed her doctoral internship at Albany Medical Center, where she conducted individual and group therapy at the Veterans Administration, a state inpatient psychiatric hospital, and an outpatient clinic. Among other work at the VA, Dara held a rotation at the PTSD clinic.

Dara has also conducted individual and group therapy at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital; the NYU Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis; and several university mental health centers; including NYU, CUNY, and LIU-Brooklyn.

Dara believes in customizing therapy to the needs of the particular individual but is especially interested and extensively trained in psychodynamic, insight-oriented therapy. In particular, she enjoys working from a relational psychodynamic framework and using experiences arising in the “here and now” of the therapy process to inform the therapeutic work. Importantly, this includes the interpersonal dynamics between the therapist and client, and what implications these dynamics may hold for what may be occurring in the client’s relationships outside the therapy room.

In addition, Dara has particular interests in issues of identity, transition, interpersonal relationships, one’s relationship to society, and the experience of difference. As an immigrant herself, she is also interested in acculturation issues and the experience of international students. Among other characteristics, she appreciates the role of authenticity and humor in the therapeutic process.

Daniel joined Columbia Health in 2017.  He graduated from Marist College with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in psychology. He enjoys working as a team to accomplish a unified goal. Daniel looks forward to expanding his knowledge at Columbia and creating new exciting experiences.   

Daniel joined Columbia Health in 2001 when he began volunteering as a Peer Advocate at the Gay Health Advocacy Project (GHAP) while a PhD student in GSAS. He began working full time with Columbia Health in 2005 and served as the Coordinator and Assistant Director until 2016 when he started his current role as Associate Director. In 2020, GHAP programs and services were integrated with Alice! Health Promotion.

In his role, Daniel oversees the GHAP peer advocacy services; manages GHAP’s HIV treatment and prevention initiatives; evaluates and develops Columbia Health policies pertaining to LGBTQ care and sexual and reproductive health; and facilitates support groups for the Columbia student community. Additionally, Daniel provides Tobacco Cessation counseling for students considering quitting or reducing smoking/vaping. 

Outside of his day-to-day work, he occasionally teaches Music Humanities, part of Columbia’s Core Curriculum.

Dallanara is an Intake Specialist with the Sexual Violence Response (SVR) team. In this role, Dallanara is the initial point of contact for survivor outreach, providing crisis assistance/intervention, and support and advocacy to the Columbia community. She identifies emergent and long-term needs of student survivors and manages client intake flow.

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's 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 enjoyes snowboards, hikes, swimming, and exploring. Most of all, she spends her quality time with loved ones such as family and friends.

A Los Angeles native (go Dodgers!), Cynthia moved to NYC in 2017. She has worked in the health insurance industry for over 17 years in a variety of different roles including Enrollment/Eligibility Representative, Utilization Management Coordinator, Business Analyst, and Review Analyst.

As a recent thyroid cancer survivor, she is dedicated to helping people navigate the insurance world and encouraging everyone to be their own health advocate. In Cynthia's free time, you will find her at a baseball game, a Broadway musical, a museum, or Target.

Colleen (she/her) joined Columbia Health in 2004. Colleen serves on the Disability Services leadership team. 

In her role as Senior Executive Director of Disability Services, she provides vision and leadership to the design, organization, development, and implementation of services and programs offered through Disability Services. She oversees student case management, accommodations, services, and training needed to support students with disabilities at Columbia; serves as a liaison to the faculty and greater campus community on issues related to a range of disabilities, accessibility, classroom and curricular accommodations, and laws related to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act; serves as campus expert for the provision and coordination of academic and campus accommodations for students with disabilities.

Colleen enjoys baking-her specialties are cakes and rustic fruit desserts! She is also an avid baseball fan and tries to visit at least one new baseball stadium each season.

Colby Golder has provided nutrition therapy since she received a master’s degree in nutrition from Teachers College at Columbia University in 2009. As part of her clinical training in dietetics, Colby worked at the eating disorder unit of the New York State Psychiatric Institute. She was part of a multidisciplinary team that focused on the research and treatment of eating disorders for in-patient care.

Most recently, Colby worked at the prestigious Renfrew Center for eating disorders in New York City. Colby was involved in every level of therapeutic care including the day program, the intensive outpatient program, and individual nutrition counseling. She gained vast experience in nutrition therapy for those struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, compulsive exercise, and other forms of disordered eating. She routinely conducted weekly group sessions that focused on nutrition education, the management of therapeutic meals, and post-meal support therapy.

In addition to her work in Health Services, Colby also works in a private practice focusing on nutrition, eating disorders, and weight management by working with patients to cultivate a healthy relationship with food.

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 Napoleon is a medical assistant at Columbia Health, Medical Services. 

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.

Charlie (he/him) joined Columbia Health in 2022. In his role as an Assistant Accommodations Manager, he serves on the Testing Team; manages the daily exam schedule at Disability Services; supervises undergraduate accommodated exam administration and implements testing accommodations for students with disabilities; assists in the recruitment, training, and supervision of student staff, including exam proctors and graduate assistants.

Charlie is an avid reader, moviegoer, and aspiring world traveler. In his free time outside of work, he enjoys reading books in the park, watching movies with popcorn, and exploring the city on foot.

As Associate Director of Operations for Columbia Health, Catherine leads and manages facilities, operations, compliance, accreditation, and strategic projects for Columbia Health. She serves as the key leadership representative to Columbia University Facilities and Operations and Public Safety, including managing CUEMS and emergency planning response. She works with internal and external stakeholders to ensure compliance with all University requirements related to facilities, operations, immunizations, accreditation, and emergency medical services (CUEMS). 

Catherine first joined Columbia Health in 2013 as the Immunization Compliance Coordinator. After a number of years with Columbia Health followed by Columbia Residential she rejoined the Columbia Health team in 2019 holding Special Projects and Manager of the COVID-19 Testing Center roles. 

Prior to joining Columbia, she worked at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in Boston. Catherine is a seasoned professional with a background in administration, public health, and student services. In her spare time, Catherine enjoys taking long walks around the city, people watching, and practicing yoga.

Carolina Santos is a Medical Assistant at Medical Services.

Carol joined Columbia Health in 1988. As a health services assistant, Carol provides a welcoming and hospitable reception to students, faculty, staff, and visitors contacting or visiting Disability Services, manages receipt of registration, testing, housing, and other accommodation request forms so these requests can be considered by the appropriate staff member, and provides initial information regarding a variety of aspects relating to Disability Services.

Carissa joined Columbia Health in 2021.  She has worked for 8 years as a nurse, starting at a comprehensive ambulatory care center, followed by a clinical nurse position at Montefiore in Maternal Child Health and Pediatrics.

Before beginning her career as a nurse, she spent over a decade as a New York State EMT, an EMT volunteer in Honduras and Guatemala and a public health aide in Rockland County.

Brittany (she/her/they/them) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who joined Columbia Health in February 2023. After receiving their M.S.W. in 2018, Brittany spent the next few years providing a wide range of services to adult professionals working in the entertainment and performing arts community through her work at The Actors Fund of America. Brittany has also worked at New York University’s Wellness Exchange providing crisis response and case management to students.

Brittany has a particular interest in working with students seeking support around eating disorders, body image, gender identity, sexuality, non-normative relationship structures, and general anxiety or life transition concerns.

Bridgette (she/her) joined Columbia Health in August 2022. In her role as Coordinator, Bridgette serves on Student Case Management team; serves as Coordinator/Case Manager for a cohort of students with disabilities providing ongoing support, specialized services, and coordination of accommodations; evaluates medical, psychological, and psycho-educational documentation to identify reasonable disability accommodations; and provides guidance to faculty, administrators, and students regarding disability and accommodation issues; works with instructors and academic departments to implement students' approved academic adjustments and accommodations.

In her free time, Bridgette enjoys traveling the world, meeting new people, and exploring new places. She is a foodie at heart and loves attending sporting events and concerts with family and friends. 

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. 

Dr. Brenda Aiken joined Columbia Health in 2000. Brenda served as a physician before being promoted to director of Medical Services in 2012. She is also an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University Medical Center.

Prior to Columbia, she was an assistant professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, as well as an assistant attending physician at the Allen Pavilion. She has worked closely with the faculty and staff of the residency program in social medicine at Montefiore Medical Center.

Dr. Aiken has devoted her professional career to the comprehensive study of medical and health-related issues of under-represented communities.

Bianca Boiano is a Manager for the Contact Tracing program at Alice! Health Promotion. She first joined the Alice! Team as a Contact Tracer in August 2020 after graduating from Columbia’s School of Social Work. In her role as a Contact Tracer, Bianca conducted COVID-19 case interviews/contact notifications using a trauma-informed, culturally respectful approach. While working as a Contact Tracer, Bianca also held a full-time position as a Social Worker at BronxWorks’ Jackson Avenue Family Residence where she partnered with Yale School of Public Health to decrease depressive symptoms for overburdened and under-resourced mothers living within the shelter system.

In her current role, Bianca serves as a supervisor for a team of Contact Tracers, providing training, oversight, and mentorship. Working alongside the manager team, she communicates relevant updates regarding CDC/NYS guidance & ensures that the Columbia community is being kept safe.

In her free time, Bianca loves traveling, spending time with her two fur-babies (Casper & Mila), going to museums, and enjoying quality time with family & friends

Ashley (she/her) joined Columbia Health in 2010. In her role as Assistant Director, Intake and Registration, Ashley serves on Registration & Intake team and Disability Services leadership team. She oversees the intake and registration processes for Disability Services, guides prospective and current Columbia students through the registration process, providing individualized guidance regarding disability documentation and accommodation requests; reviews disability documentation and determines eligibility for services and accommodations; provides consultation to students, families, faculty, and outside professionals to provide initial assessment, consultation regarding disability and academic concerns, and accommodation needs.

In her free time, Ashley enjoys going on tours of various neighborhoods in New York City for the rich cultural and historical experiences the city has to offer and for the yummy food too!

Ashley joined Columbia Health in August 2023. In her current position as Manager, Exam Accommodations, she provides specialized oversight of exam accommodations for undergraduate students; manages the weekly exam schedule at Disability Services; coordinates exam accommodations and proctoring arrangements for undergraduate and graduate students eligible for testing accommodations; works closely with faculty and academic departments to coordinate proctoring of undergraduate exams; liaises with faculty to clarify any questions regarding testing procedures and proctoring specifications; recruits, trains, and supervises student staff, including exam proctors and graduate assistants.

Ashley likes crossing paths with neighborhood cats while on her walks to try new NYC bakeries. She enjoys reading poetry and going to concerts. 

Dr. Arthur Roh joined Columbia Health in 2022. Prior to Columbia, he worked as a licensed clinical psychologist at North Central Bronx Hospital in various settings including partial hospitalization program, adult inpatient units, and psychiatric emergency room. Dr. Roh also has trained at The New School Student Health Services, Mount Sinai Beth Israel’s Assertive Community Treatment Team, and Kings County Hospital’s adult inpatient units. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Adelphi University and B.S. in Psychobiology from UCLA. 

Dr. Roh’s clinical interests include working specifically with young adults in acute crises who may be suffering from depression and anxiety in the context of trauma, relationship and adjustment issues, and the effects of marginalization on our personal, individual experiences that often intersect with our broader, social identities. Dr. Roh values working collaboratively to cultivate empathy and understanding of one’s self with the goal of moving towards healing and wellbeing. His professional interests include the impact of systems on marginalized communities, social justice advocacy in the mental health field, and Asian American issues. 

Arielle Toporovsky joined Columbia Health in 2018. Prior to joining Counseling and Psychological Services, she completed a pre-doctoral internship at Maimonides Medical Center, where she completed rotations in the Psychiatric Emergency Department and the Adult Inpatient Unit, conducted neuropsychological assessments, and provided outpatient treatment for individuals across the lifespan. She also has trained at Lenox Hill Hospital’s Outpatient Center for Mental Health, Baruch College Counseling Center, Mount Sinai Beth Israel’s adult inpatient unit, and the Center for Psychological Services at Adelphi University.

In her clinical work, she works primarily from a psychodynamic framework while integrating various techniques in order to meet the unique needs of each student. Above all, she strives to create a safe, warm, and collaborative environment that promotes healing and understanding. Her professional interests cover a wide range of concerns, including developmental issues in emerging adulthood (i.e., identity development and relational difficulties), anxiety and depression, trauma, and the impact of pain/chronic illness on mental well-being.

Arielle Stein joined Columbia Health in 2023. She received her Psy.D. from Pace University and her B.A. in psychology from Barnard College. Prior to joining Columbia, Arielle practiced in a variety of settings, including the adult outpatient clinic and psychiatric emergency room at Elmhurst Hospital and a group private practice. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Jacobi Hospital, and has completed externships at a public elementary school, a public high school, and an outpatient clinic. In addition to working with individuals at many different life stages, Arielle has also received specialized training in couples therapy.  

Arielle’s clinical work and interests include treating those in acute crisis and those suffering from anxiety and depression in the context of major life changes, relational issues, trauma, loss, and complicated family dynamics. Arielle prioritizes creating a safe and non-judgmental space, in which individuals feel supported as they work collaboratively towards well-being and understanding.   

Ariel (she/her) joined Columbia Health in October 2022 as a Health Services Assistant at Medical Services. In this role, she provides a welcoming experience for incoming patients and maintains the reception area. She answers the telephone and responds to inquiries, resolves any issues, and assists patients as they complete the necessary forms and documentation.

Prior to joining Columbia Health, Ariel was a scheduling coordinator for Mount Sinai Urology Department.

In her free time, she enjoys swimming and reading poetry.

Anuj (he/him) joined Columbia Health in 2010. In his role as the Assistant Director of Operations, Anuj serves on the Testing team, Administrative team, and Disability Services leadership team. He specializes in the implementation of academic accommodations, including note-taking services, exam accommodations, and academic assistants such as lab and studio assistants; oversees the planning and execution of final exam administration and accommodations; provides administrative leadership, support, and assistance in resolving day-to-day operational problems related to the provision and delivery of disability accommodations, and coordinates department-wide initiatives.

Anuj hails from the Twin Island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and is very well known by his friends and colleagues as a travel enthusiast. He enjoys visiting exotic islands, plane spotting, and jetting off on last-minute weekend getaways.

Dr. Annette Santiago-España joined Columbia Health in 2006. She became clinical team leader of the Eating Disorders Team in 2007. Prior to Columbia, Annette served as a psychologist at Princeton University Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services. She earned her Ph.D. in counseling psychology at Indiana State University, M.A. at Andrews University, and B.A. at Rutgers University. She completed an internship in professional psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Counseling Center.

Annette's professional interests include eating disorders and body image, mindfulness and spirituality, acculturation and racial/ethnic identity development. In addition to individual therapy, Annette also facilitates the women of color support group. She enjoys helping students and communities identify strengths and resources that promote healthy development.

Annette joined Columbia Health in 2005. In her current role as Director of Human Resources, she leads the Human Resources team and provides leadership for the human resources functions of Columbia Health. Annette directs recruitment, professional development, performance management, employee and labor relations, compensation, and other critical HR responsibilities in support of 220+ employees in Columbia Health. She serves as the primary liaison to the Central University HR team and leads proactive efforts to ensure Columbia Health is seen as an employer of choice for those working in health in a higher education setting. 

Prior to joining Columbia Health, Annette was a professional recruiter for Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers.

Dr. Anne Goldfield joined Columbia Health in 1994. She received her Ph.D. from the Graduate Faculty of the New School for Social Research and her B.A. in Psychology at the City University of New York. Prior to Columbia, Anne worked as a clinical psychologist at North Central Bronx Hospital (NCB) and the Bronx Psychiatric Center and was director of the psychology externship program at NCB. She completed her doctoral internship in clinical psychology at The Bronx State Psychiatric Center.

Anne's professional interests include depression, anxiety, identity issues, first generation college students, the treatment of students with alcohol and other drug concerns, and developmental issues of emerging adulthood.  In her outreach capacity, Anne works closely with many campus partners and student groups, and is committed to promoting mental health awareness on campus.

Anna Combs joined Columbia Health in 1995. Prior to Columbia, Anna was employed with Kelly Temps and had several working assignments in customer service. She is originally from Brooklyn and joined the United States Army after high school. Anna’s interests include indoor and outdoor sports, music, and gardening.

Ann Marie Alexander is a health services assistant at Columbia Health.

Andrew joined Columbia Health in 2021. Previously Andrew was at Octagon Marketing where he worked as a Revenue Accountant for all North America-based projects. As a Revenue Accountant, Andrew maintained master revenue forecast, validated contracts and audit backup, reconciled monthly revenue reports, tracked completion of events, and projected monthly revenue trends. Andrew also worked at IBM as a Sales & Use Tax Analyst.

When Andrew is not working with numbers, he enjoys cooking, attending classic auto shows, hiking with his German Shepherd, Kepler, or tinkering on one of his classic cars.

Andrew Colitz joined Columbia Health in 2014. Prior to Columbia, he completed a clinical psychology internship at North Shore Long Island Jewish-Lenox Hill Hospital, as well as clinical psychology externships at New York University Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy, William Alanson White Institute,  Maimonides Hospital and Mount Sinai Beth Israel. He also worked as a university mental health provider at Long Island University.

Andrew is interested in working with a variety of student concerns, including identity development, complicated relational issues and family dynamics, major life changes and adjustment, coping with traumatic experiences, as well as working with couples and students in group settings.

Amy (she/her) joined Columbia Health in April 2023. In her role as a Coordinator at Disability Services, she serves on the Student Case Management team; serves as Coordinator/Case Manager for a cohort of students with disabilities by providing ongoing support, specialized services, and coordination of accommodations; evaluates medical, psychological, and psycho-educational documentation to identify reasonable disability accommodations; provides guidance to faculty, administrators, and students regarding disability and accommodation issues; works with instructors and academic departments to implement students' approved academic adjustments and accommodations.

In her free time, Amy enjoys riding her bike, traveling, reading, and watching baseball.

Amanda (she/her) joined Columbia Health in July 2022. In her role as Coordinator, Amanda serves on the Student Case Management team; serves as Coordinator/Case Manager for a cohort of students with disabilities providing ongoing support, specialized services, and coordination of accommodations; evaluates medical, psychological, and psycho-educational documentation to identify reasonable disability accommodations; provides guidance to faculty, administrators, and students regarding disability and accommodation issues; works with instructors and academic departments to implement students' approved academic adjustments and accommodations.

Amanda is originally from Boston, Massachusetts. Amanda attended Barnard College, where she received a degree in History and Dance. Following college, Amanda pursued a career as a ballet dancer and performed professionally with Cape Town City Ballet, Brooklyn Ballet, Jose Mateo Ballet Theater, New Orleans Ballet Theater, and others.

As a dancer, Amanda was passionate about improving arts accessibility. When she worked as a teacher, she was inspired and she then fully immersed herself in education and the fight for equal opportunities in schools. Amanda worked as a special education instructor and as the special education director of a K-8 public school in New Orleans for the last seven years.

Amanda earned a Master's Degree in Education from Xavier University in 2019. She loves supporting students as they meet their goals in the higher education setting.

Outside of work, Amanda enjoys exploring New York City restaurants and bike paths.

Dr. Allan Cassorla joined Columbia Health in 1997. He has served as associate director since 2001. Prior to Columbia, Allan was associate chief psychologist and director of training at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York.

Allan completed a clinical psychology internship at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center and held clinical appointments at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology of The City University of New York, and St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center. Allan's professional interests include the diagnosis and treatment of a wide spectrum of psychological problems, as well as teaching and training mental health professionals.

Aliyah (she/her) joined Columbia Health in January 2022. In her role as a Coordinator at Disability Services, she serves on the Student Case Management team; serves as Coordinator/Case Manager for a cohort of students with disabilities by providing ongoing support, specialized services, and coordination of accommodations; evaluates medical, psychological, and psycho-educational documentation to identify reasonable disability accommodations; provides guidance to faculty, administrators, and students regarding disability and accommodation issues; works with instructors and academic departments to implement students' approved academic adjustments and accommodations.

In her free time, Aliyah enjoys watching classic movies on TCM, exploring the city on foot, and traveling. Aliyah is also an avid reader and enjoys both fiction and non-fiction.

Alicia K. Czachowski is the Senior Executive Director of Alice Health Promotion. In their role, they manage the Alice Health Promotion team including Direct Services, Health Promotion, and Public Health initiatives. Alicia also works with the Senior Leadership team of Columbia Health on strategic planning; diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts; and ongoing holistic health and well-being work supporting the Columbia community.

Originally from Syracuse, Alicia has lived in Philadelphia and New Orleans, and is excited to return to living in New York City. They enjoy spending their free time with family and friends, their dog McKinney, traveling, indulging in anything Star Wars or Doctor Who related, and going to Broadway shows.

Alexcia joined Columbia Health as a medical assistant in 2008. She is a patient services assistant at Counseling and Psychological Services.

Dr. Aisha Holder joined Columbia Health in 2015 as a postdoctoral psychology fellow. Prior to joining Counseling and Psychological Services, she completed her internship at Princeton House Behavioral Health, as well as clinical psychology externships at Rockland Psychiatric Center, Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia, and Iona College Counseling Center. Prior to pursuing a career in counseling, Aisha was a vice president at JPMorgan Chase in the corporate training group as a facilitator and project manager. During her tenure, she also served as a human resources business partner in the Investment Banking and Consumer Banking divisions, as well as a senior career advisor and project manager in the Career Advancement Program and as an associate in the Human Resources Associate Program.

Aisha received her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Fordham University, her M.A. in psychological counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University, and her B.A. in psychology from Spelman College. Aisha’s professional interests include multicultural counseling, racial microaggressions, career development, and eating disorders.

Dr. Addette Williams joined Columbia Health in 1999. Prior to Columbia, Addette completed a clinical psychology internship at North Central Bronx Hospital. She was also a therapist at the Brooklyn Center for Children and Families, and completed a graduate fellowship at the Psychological Counseling and Adult Development Center at The CUNY Graduate Center. She earned a B.A. in economics and political science from Yale University and a Ph.D. from The City University of New York. She has received professional training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and the Gottman Method for couples therapy.

Addette has a broad range of professional interests that include the psychological effects of trauma, the mental health of people of color, the integration of psychodynamically informed therapy with mindfulness-based practices, couples and gender issues. In addition, she facilitates a mindfulness group for those interested in learning how to meditate.

Adam Johnson joined Columbia Health in 2017. Adam received his doctorate in clinical psychology with a concentration in traumatic stress from the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, Ill. He also completed a fellowship in psychoanalysis with the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis in 2012.

Prior to joining Columbia, Adam completed his doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Veterans Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He has also worked in a variety of settings including private practice, community mental health and medical clinics. His clinical work and interests have focused on issues related to trauma, loss, bereavement, health psychology (e.g. smoking cessation, weight management, chronic and terminal illness), mindfulness, and relational patterns.

Adam is committed to the mental health of LGBTQ and veterans. He enjoys incorporating an individual’s creative talents (i.e. music, art) and spirituality into therapy. Adam also has extensive experience working with issues related to acculturation and cultural diversity. He has completed international psychology projects focused human rights, education and program development in Mexico, Costa Rica, South Africa and the Dominican Republic. 

Aaron joined Columbia Health in 2021. Prior to working at Columbia Health, Aaron was a Patient Coordinator at Mount Sinai Hospital for almost 2 years. He also worked as a case manager at the Puerto Rican Family Institute for 1 year.