About Us

Lorenley Báez serves as the associate provost for Equity and Belonging within Student Success. Dedicated to promoting equity, diversity, and belonging, she works closely with faculty, staff, and students to promote these essential values across The New School, actively contributing to the university's mission of fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all students. Lorenley joined The New School in January 2020 as assistant vice president in Student Success. She was later appointed associate provost for Academic Advising and Career Development in Student Success. Previously she was at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, where she served as associate dean for the Oxley Center for Academic Advisement, providing strategic oversight for career education, internships, academic advisement, TRiO Student Support Services, the Mount Access Program, the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), the Academic Resource Center, and the Office of Disability Services.  She was also an adjunct instructor in the Department of Sociology, where she taught race and gender identity theory.  

Lorenley is also the principal consultant for Lorenley Báez Consulting, where she works with nonprofit organizations, colleges, and universities to support the student experience by providing an array of services in the following areas: team development and professional coaching; curriculum and co-curricular design and assessment; organizational development and strategic planning; and equity, inclusion, and social justice education, awareness, and competency.    

She is a graduate of American University (AU), where she earned a bachelor’s degree in print journalism and two master's degrees, one in organization development and one in public administration. Lorenley co-founded the first Latino Student Conference in the Washington Metropolitan area intended to provide community, support, and an array of opportunities for college-age Latino students. Additionally, as a former AU employee, she co-created the university’s first Latino affinity alumni group, which was later recognized as the first chapter for Latino alumni of American University.

Rita Pisalet Breidenbach has held several positions at The New School since arriving in 2003. These include associate dean of Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, where she oversaw the introduction and expansion of academic majors and minors, implementation of the part-time faculty Collective Bargaining Agreement, and the development and implementation of tenure, EE, and RTA review processes. She also served as vice dean of the Schools of Public Engagement, a position in which she oversaw the integration of academic schools into a new college. In her current role in the Provost’s Office, she has overseen the creation of the Faculty Center for Innovation, Collaboration, and Support, supervising development and providing support for faculty in pedagogy (on-site, online, and hybrid) and on issues of equity, inclusion, and social justice. Her work also includes planning orientation and support for new part-time and full-time faculty and providing support for faculty review and promotion.

Rita holds a PhD in English literature and has taught courses in poetry, verse drama, and short fiction. She has a concurrent appointment as assistant professor of English.

Abou Farman was appointed faculty director of the Mellon Initiative for Inclusive Faculty Excellence at The New School in July 2023. In this role, he provides critical support for this university-wide initiative, designed to increase demographic and intellectual diversity at the doctoral, postdoctoral, and professorship levels. His work includes leading the Mellon Fellows mentorship program, running the annual Mellon Transformative Seminar at The New School, building the Mellon Community Fellows program, supporting the six annual Mellon Dissertation Fellows, and overseeing the grant budget.

An anthropologist, writer, and artist, Abou is the author of On Not Dying: Secular Immortality in the Age of Technoscience (2020, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press) and Clerks of the Passage (2012, Montreal: Linda Leith Press). He is an associate professor of anthropology at The New School for Social Research and the founder of Art Space Sanctuary and the Shipibo Conibo Center of NY.

As part of the artist duo Caraballo-Farman, he has long worked with Leonor Caraballo, exhibiting internationally, and is now working with her on social and artistic projects in her afterlife. He is the producer of and a co-writer on several prize-winning feature films, including Vegas: Based on a True Story (2012), Icaros: A Vision (2016), and, most recently, Uyra: The Rising Forest (2022).

Abou carries out his creative, research, and activist work on Indigenous autonomy in the Peruvian Amazon in close collaboration with Shipibo Conibo organizations. The sound work A Ceremony for the Mother Spirits (2022), produced in conjunction with ASOMASHK, the Shipibo union of healers, won an award at the Promise of Multispecies Justice juried exhibition of the Multispecies Salon in 2023. The same year, Maya maya bainkin, an exhibition in Lima exploring Shipibo art and politics curated by Abou and Matteo Norzi, won a special jury prize awarded by Peru’s Association of Curators.

Brian Fuller joined The New School in November of 2022 as associate provost for Strategy and Operations within Student Success. In this role, Brian is responsible for leading the development and execution of the operational, financial, and strategic visions for Student Success. He also oversees the Communications, Career Development, and Veteran Services departments within the division.

Before joining The New School, Brian worked at the New York City Department of Education, where he helped manage the NYC Community Schools’ initiative, was Chief of Staff to the Deputy Chancellor, and served as Chief Strategy Officer for School Planning and Development. Brian also consulted for various school districts and non-profit organizations, most notably LearnLaunch, where he developed and facilitated equity and strategy workshops for hundreds of educational leaders across Massachusetts. Earlier in his career, Brian launched the Philadelphia region of an educational nonprofit, The DREAM Program, serving youth living in low-income housing in the city of Philadelphia. He received a “Community Celebrity” Award from Cabot Creamery for his work. He also taught third grade at Success Academy Charters in New York City.

Brian is the author of Being Black in America's Schools (2024), a book outlining the inherent racial and social injustices within the U.S. education system.

Brian received his undergraduate degree from Emory University and later received his MEd in School Leadership and Development from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. During his time at Harvard, he was awarded membership into the Harvard Graduate School Leadership Institute through the Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership.

Dr. Cheryl K. Green joined the Office of Research Support in August 2021. As associate provost for Research, she plays a central role in fulfilling the Office of Research Support’s (ORS) mission of broadening university support for research and sponsored project activities at The New School, which includes research and proposal development and submissions, post-award administration of funded awards, research integrity and education, and research compliance. 

Cheryl has more than 20 years of experience working in higher education. She has led offices for research development, sponsored research and programs administration, and ensured research integrity. She joins The New School after serving as the director of Sponsored Programs and the research integrity officer at Colorado Mesa University. Previously she was the director of Sponsored Research at Marymount University in Virginia. Before working in research support in higher education, Cheryl served as a program associate at the Dole Foundation for the Employment of People with Disabilities in Washington, DC, and at the Meadows Foundation in Dallas.

Cheryl has received more than $10 million in research funding for grants while serving as principal investigator (PI), co-PI, or senior personnel at federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Health, Health Resources Services Administration, U.S. Department of Education, and U.S. Department of Justice on projects focusing on development of institutions of higher education. She served as the Title III director and principal investigator of a $1.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education under the Title III Strengthening Institutions Program for a university-wide project focused on improving student success and retention at a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Cheryl served as a co-PI of a $1.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation for an institutional initiative to improve student success and retention of underrepresented students in STEM by expanding early undergraduate research experiences. 

Cheryl holds a BA in Psychology from Yale University, where she was awarded a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship; an MA in Psychology from the Ohio State University, where she held a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship; and a PhD in International Psychology (concentration in organizations and systems) from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She also received a NIH National Research Service Award Fellowship for predoctoral research at Southern Methodist University. 

Maggie Koozer joined the Provost’s Office in January 2021 and currently serves as senior vice provost for Academic Affairs. Previously she was at the College of Performing Arts (CoPA), where she held several roles. As the college's vice dean of Curriculum and Learning, Maggie oversaw all academic affairs and curriculum. She played a key role in the formation of the college, leading the development and launch of the MA in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship, the MM Performer-Composer, and the MFA in Contemporary Theatre Practice programs. Maggie advanced the vision of the college by directing major curriculum revisions, including the CoPA Core project, which connects undergraduate students at Mannes, Jazz, and Drama through a series of courses based on shared values and multidisciplinary work. She has served on numerous committees at the university, including the University Curriculum Committee and the Academic Affairs Committee. Before working at CoPA, she managed adult continuing education programming at Mannes.

In addition to serving in her administrative senior leadership role, Maggie has a concurrent appointment as associate professor and teaches courses in curriculum design, community-based teaching, and teaching artistry for performing artists and Topics in Pedagogy (the university’s required course for Teaching Fellows).

Maggie has worked on curriculum and program design for organizations such as the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, the Bethel Woods Center for the Performing Arts, the Buck-Hill Skytop Music Festival, and Hastings College. Before coming to The New School, she led school-based arts education programming for The Metropolitan Opera Guild and The Metropolitan Opera and served on the board of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable. She frequently serves as a grant panelist for various local and national arts education funding initiatives.

Maggie holds a Doctorate of Education from Fordham University, a Master of Music Education from the University of Connecticut, and Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance from Hastings College. 

Rob Mack joined The New School as vice provost for Student Success and Engagement in August 2022. In this role, he is responsible for strategically leading the area of Student Success and Engagement and supporting and improving New School students' experiences outside the classroom, in close collaboration with the colleges and academic experience. This includes oversight of the areas of Academic Advising and Career Development, Student Engagement, Student Advocacy, and Student Health Services. 

Rob brings with him over 20 years of higher education experience and a background in clinical psychology. Before joining The New School, he served as associate provost and chief diversity officer at Tufts University, providing diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice strategic consultation and vision for the senior leadership. Working closely with faculty, staff, and students, Rob helped foster a culture of belonging grounded in best practices, education, and support. He led and supported projects such as the Tufts Anti-Racism Initiative, the institutional inclusion climate survey, education learning opportunities focused on oppression, and programs for the university community centered on dialogue. Rob has also led or served on university committees focused on mental health, police reform, and indigeneity justice.

Rob’s background in the areas of student success and student engagement is both deep and broad. At Tufts, Rob also served as associate dean for the Office of Student Success and Academic Advising in Student Affairs; earlier he served as the associate dean for Undergraduate Education in Academic Affairs. He is very proud of his work launching and directing the Bridge to Liberal Arts Success at Tufts program for students who are the first generation to attend college, students on financial aid, and students with undocumented status.

Rob received his EdD in Educational Leadership & Supervision from American International College, his MEd in Counseling in Mental Health from the University of Massachusetts, and his BA in Psychology from Westfield State University.

Shondrika Merritt was appointed associate provost for Student Affairs and dean of Students in October 2022. She had served as the interim associate provost for Student Success since January 2022. She joined the New School community in August 2019, initially serving as the senior director of Student Advocacy; she became the assistant provost of Student Advocacy when Student Success officially became part of the Provost’s Office in spring 2020. In her current role, Shondrika is responsible for overseeing critical services that promote excellence in students' learning, academic achievement, and personal growth. Student Advocacy strives to meet students' needs holistically by strengthening relationships between students, faculty, staff, and community members to support civic awareness. Ensuring students' success, growth, and wellness is the ultimate goal.

Shondrika brings with her 16 years of progressive student affairs experience and is responsible for providing leadership for Title IX (Student-Student), student conduct and community standards, student disability services, student support and advocacy, and wellness and health promotion. Earlier Shondrika worked in Housing and Residential Life at Temple University, overseeing Student Behavior and Crisis Management.

Shondrika received her bachelor's in Business Administration from Shawnee State University, her MS in College Student Personnel from the University of Dayton, and her Doctorate of Education from Temple University. Her research explores how race, history, and culture have influenced the attitudes and perceptions of African American women regarding sexual violence. Through her research, Shondrika has given voice to African American women and their experiences.

Tracy Robin currently serves as associate provost for Student Health Services. In that role Tracy oversees medical and counseling services, the student health insurance plan, and immunization and Covid compliance. Tracy initially joined the university in 2000 as a therapist at the counseling center, and took on increasing responsibilities as an administrator during the following years. Tracy sees health and social justice as inextricably linked, and with their team has created and supported programs and services over the years that integrate equity, inclusion, and social justice.  

Before joining The New School, Tracy worked for over 10 years as a therapist and clinical supervisor in NYC hospital-based trauma programs serving survivors of childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence. Tracy’s work draws from feminist, multicultural, trauma-informed, and psychodynamic perspectives.

Tracy received their MSW from New York University and their BA in Sociology from Ithaca College. Tracy went on to get a certificate in Gender Conscious Psychoanalytically Oriented Psychotherapy from The Women’s Therapy Centre Institute, and has received intensive training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and EMDR. Tracy is also trained as a Reiki practitioner and an Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist. Tracy co-wrote an article published in the Journal of American College Health titled “Provision of Auricular Acupuncture and Acupressure in a University Setting”, which created a path for colleges around the country to introduce this wellness practice on their campuses.

Ed Scarcelle joined the Provost’s Office as University Librarian in July 2008. He previously served for six years as director of the Scherman Music Library at Mannes College, which was renamed the Performing Arts Library in 2016, when Mannes became a part of The New School’s College of Performing Arts. 

In his first decade as University Librarian, Ed oversaw The New School’s Libraries and Archives. Under his leadership, the structure of the Libraries shifted from a branch-based system to a reorganized department with a dynamic team of directors, who manage services, collections, and research and instruction. In addition, he oversaw the creation and opening of two library spaces, one at the University Center and the other at the Albert and Vera List Academic Center. In 2015, the University Learning Center became part of Ed’s portfolio and was soon followed by the New School Art Collection and English Language Services. In 2019, the department was renamed Libraries, Collections, and Academic Services (LCAS), and Ed became associate provost, bringing together into one team a key group of leaders who deliver vital services to the New School community.

Before joining The New School, Ed was an archival librarian at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, where he cataloged materials and provided services for one of the largest recording archives in the world.

Ed holds an MLS from Long Island University, an MM in Music History from Temple University, and a BS in Mathematics from St. Joseph’s University.

Michael is the senior advisor to the provost for Faculty Affairs, having served as senior vice provost for Faculty Affairs from January 2021 to December 2024. His role includes serving as a strategic advisor on all faculty policies, issues, and initiatives; leading the Office of Research Support; and overseeing other areas. 

Michael joined The New School in 1992 as an assistant professor at NSSR. Now a tenured professor of psychology, he has taught graduate and undergraduate lecture and seminar courses across The New School, including courses on psycholinguistics, human-computer interaction, research methods, psychology and design, and psychology of music. Michael’s research deals with questions about human interaction that cross disciplinary boundaries, including work on misunderstandings in conversation, respondent experience and data quality in new modes of survey data collection, new ways to visualize uncertainty, and how performing musicians’ thinking does and doesn’t overlap with that of their collaborators and audiences. He has published numerous articles, edited the journal Discourse Processes, lectured widely, and received a number of grants and awards. From 2006 to 2013, Michael served as dean of NSSR, and he was chair of the Psychology Department from 2000 to 2003 and again from 2004 to 2006. 

Michael previously served as vice provost for Research, a role he assumed in 2016 after serving as associate provost for Research starting in 2014. Over six years, he built and led the university’s research support area. He and his team focused on improving services and support for faculty, student, and staff research, including the full range of scholarly and creative practices at the university. He worked to reduce administrative burdens for researchers and collaborators, establish researcher-friendly policies on external funding, and improve the university’s infrastructure for supporting the responsible conduct of research and addressing ethical questions in working with human research participants. Faculty and student applications and awards for external funding increased significantly during this time, as did external awareness of faculty and student accomplishments. 

Michael received his PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Stanford and his ScB in Cognitive Science from Brown. 

Dee Voss joined The New School as vice provost for Enrollment Management in June 2024. In this role, she is responsible for strategically leading all areas related to enrollment management, including student recruitment, admissions, financial aid, scholarships, and student awards. As vice provost, Dee works to articulate, develop, and implement a comprehensive enrollment strategy designed to achieve The New School’s undergraduate and graduate student enrollment targets, including transfers and international students.

Dee is a dynamic leader in the field of strategic enrollment management with 30 years of experience. She has served as the chief enrollment officer and has led teams at both public and private universities, including the University of Miami, Nova Southeastern University, Florida Institute of Technology, and Florida Polytechnic University, with responsibility for admissions and financial aid. She has also collaborated on student success and marketing and communications.

In addition to working at universities, Dee served as a principal strategic leader for EAB, a leading education and technology firm. She worked with 20 universities nationwide advising on student search, marketing and communications strategy, application generation, and strategic financial aid modeling to help universities meet enrollment goals. She also has significant experience in national admissions organizations, having held roles including president of the Southern Association of College Admission Counseling. Dee is a regular presenter at national conferences.

Dee holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Baldwin-Wallace University in Ohio and a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration from the University of Miami.

Paula Young was named interim senior vice provost for Academic Planning and Administration in February 2024. She joined The New School as associate provost in January 2012 and served as vice provost for Institutional Research and Decision Support starting in May 2021. As vice provost, she developed and led a comprehensive program of institutional research and data analysis that ensures university compliance with all federal and state reporting; provides accurate data, reports, and information to university leaders, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders; and supports long-range planning and day-to-day decision making. In collaboration with the Offices of Enrollment Management, Registrar, Student Success, and Finance and Business, she also provides the data and analysis needed to establish achievable enrollment targets and models tuition and financial aid scenarios.

Paula appreciates the challenges presented by The New School’s many data systems and the unique requirements of an audience of visual and performing artists, designers, social scientists, and cross-disciplinary critical thinkers. In encouraging her team and other collaborators to think about the user while ensuring data integrity and sustainable, systematic processes, she places emphasis on participating in conversations in which data support is most relevant and helpful. She and her team have re-created the standard annual factbook into an interactive almanac and report of trends with Tableau, made standardized federally reported data accessible through simplified Google sheets, and routinely collaborate with faculty and staff in the design, implementation, analysis, and presentation of surveys.

After a three-year stint as a postdoctoral research associate at Rutgers University’s Center for Theoretical and Applied Genetics, where she assessed the genetic diversity of deep-sea hydrothermal vent organisms using molecular genetic techniques and phylogenetic analyses, Paula decided to move into higher education administration. As assistant dean of science at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), Paula played an instrumental role in assembling the data used by the five department chairs and the dean of science to support curriculum transformation and planning for a more equitable faculty workload. She also advised approximately 70 entering students with undeclared majors each year. From this role she moved into the Provost’s Office, where she coordinated the initial college-wide initiative in program and general education student learning outcomes assessment in support of Middle States Commission on Higher Education re-accreditation. Her final role at TCNJ was executive director of the Center for Institutional Effectiveness, where she led a growing office through the implementation of PeopleSoft Student and Business Objects reporting, resulting in improved reporting in support of student learning and institutional effectiveness and enrollment, tuition, and institutional scholarship aid projections.

Paula holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a BA in Biology with a Minor in Women’s Studies from Douglass College, Rutgers University.

Dalia Elhassan came to the Provost's Office from Parsons, where she worked most recently as a program administrator at the School of Constructed Environments. A graduate of The New School's Eugene Lang College ('19), she brings a deep understanding of Parsons and The New School to the role of executive assistant to the Provost and will serve as a key member of the Provost’s Executive Team, joining Eren Hock and Heather O'Brien to support the work of the Provost's Office.

Eren Hock has served in administrative roles at The New School since 2009. She began as the executive assistant to the provost and later served as manager of Global Partnerships and director of Operations for Enrollment Management and Strategic Partnerships. In her current role as director of Strategic University Programs, Eren draws on her background in programming, hospitality, and university administration to support some of the provost’s key initiatives, including the university-wide strategic planning process; our work promoting equity, inclusion, and social justice; and The Moment Is Now, an event series that brings changemakers to campus. Eren received her BA in Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and has an Executive Certificate in Facilitation from Georgetown University and a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.

Heather joined The New School in 2012 as executive assistant to the dean of Eugene Lang College. In 2014, she moved to the Provost’s Office, where she served as executive assistant and communication manager. She has since served in a number of administrative roles during her time here. Heather’s current portfolio includes planning faculty events and engagement; providing high-level administrative and project management support for the provost, her leadership team, and the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees; managing the Provost’s Office website and communications; and many other initiatives and special projects. Heather is committed to ensuring the smooth flow of operations and information within the Provost’s Office while supporting the vision of the provost in all aspects of her work. Heather received her MA in History of International Affairs from the London School of Economics and Political Science and her BA in Hispanic Studies from Vassar College.