Office of Graduate Affairs

Staff Directory by Subject

Have a question but don't know who to ask?

Select a category from the dropdown below and find the staff member who can assist you.

If you're still having trouble, you can always find the help you need by emailing us at graduateaffairs@brandeis.edu

Academics

What can the Academic Affairs team help me with?

The Graduate Academic Affairs Team, led by Assistant Provost Alyssa Canelli, is your hub for academic policies, processes, and awards. We work very collaboratively, so feel free to reach out to any of us with questions or concerns. Abigail Arnold is a great first contact, and she will connect you with the appropriate person.  The Academic Affairs team can help with:

  • Leave of absence and health leave of absence
  • Withdrawals
  • Program reviews
  • Creating and revising graduate programs
  • Academic status, residency, and registration
  • Master’s thesis and dissertation formatting and submission
Alyssa Canelli
Alyssa Stalsberg Canelli
Assistant Provost, Graduate Academic Affairs
781-736-3413 Bernstein-Marcus, 73-019
Abigail Arnold
Abigail Arnold
Assistant Director, Graduate Academic Affairs
781-736-3542 Bernstein-Marcus, 73-028
 Jing Zhang
Jing Zhang
Assistant Director, Graduate Operations and Academic Administration
781-736-3546 Bernstein-Marcus, 73-035

Alums

Charles Golden
Charles Golden
Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs
781-736-2217

What can Charles help me with?

  • Alum programming

  • Regional events

  • Connecting with the broader Brandeis alum community

  • Alum volunteer opportunities

Ask the Vice Provost

Charles Golden
Charles Golden
Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs
781-736-2217
Office Hours: By appointment

What can Charles help me with?

  • Strategy, planning and overall budget questions

  • Faculty, student and staff governance

  • Student issues, complaints, concerns

  • Student experience reports

  • Graduate budget as it relates to undergraduate budget

  • Gifts to graduate studies

Campus Employment and Finances

Abigail Arnold
Abigail Arnold
Assistant Director, Graduate Academic Affairs
781-736-3542 Bernstein-Marcus, 73-028

What can Abigail help me with?

  • TA/CA policy questions

  • SEIU (TA or TF) hire letter questions

  • CA hire letter questions

  • Centralized TA/CA hire process questions

  • Employment authorization and Form I-9 questions

Alyssa Stalsberg Canelli
Alyssa Stalsberg Canelli
Assistant Provost, Graduate Academic Affairs
781-736-3413 Bernstein-Marcus, 73-019
Office Hours: Tues/Thurs 1-2 or by Appointment

What can Alyssa help me with?

  • Union policy questions

  • Internal and external fellowships and grants

Kimberly Davis
Kimberly Davis
Academic Coordinator
781-736-3417 Bernstein-Marcus, 73-010

What can Kimberly help me with?

  • Student paycheck questions

  • PhD stipend and TA/CA pay questions

  • Employment authorization and Form I-9 questions

  • Conference and research award payments

  • Department requests for payments to students

Linna Ferreira
Associate Director of Financial Aid, Student Financial Services

What can Linna help me with?

  • Student loans

  • Tuition bills

Chris Nayler
Chris Nayler
Associate Director, Operations, Administration, and Budget
781-736-3406 Bernstein-Marcus, 73-010

What can Chris help me with?

  • PhD stipend pay components

  • PhD tuition bills

  • SEIU contract questions

Communications

Abigail Arnold
Abigail Arnold
Assistant Director, Graduate Academic Affairs
781-736-3542 Bernstein-Marcus, 73-028

What can Abigail help me with?

  • Student and faculty newsletter submissions

  • Website updates

  • Articles about graduate students and alums

  • Strategic communications

Marc Kiredjian
Marc Kiredjian
Assistant Director, Graduate Affairs

What can Marc help me with?

  • Social media

Giving and Impact

Charles Golden
Charles Golden
Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs
781-736-2217

What can Charles help me with?

Give Now

Health Insurance

Chris Nayler
Chris Nayler
Associate Director, Operations, Administration, and Budget
781-736-3406 Bernstein-Marcus, 73-010

What can Chris help me with?

  • Health insurance enrollments and credits

Professional Development

Marika McCann
Marika McCann
Associate Director, Professional Development and Employer Outreach
781-736-3402 Bernstein-Marcus, 73-030

What can Marika help me with?

  • Resume, CV, cover letter reviews/application materials

  • Career exploration

  • Skill assessment

  • Informational interviewing and how to reach out to alums across fields

  • Interviewing

  • Salary negotiation

  • Career programming

  • Figuring out what to do in each year of a graduate program to be in a position to get a job after graduation

  • Career options with a PhD

  • Finding time for an internship or part-time work alongside research expectations

  • Connecting PhD research with professional development goals

  • Navigating career discussion with advisors

Scheduling

Kimberly Davis
Kimberly Davis
Academic Coordinator
781-736-3417 Bernstein-Marcus, 73-010

What can Kimberly help me with?

  • Scheduling meetings with the Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs

Abigail Arnold
Abigail Arnold
Assistant Director, Graduate Academic Affairs
781-736-3542 Bernstein-Marcus, 73-028

What can Abigail help me with?

  • Graduate Council meeting scheduling and minutes

Student Life

Jessica Basile
Jessica Basile
Assistant Dean, Graduate Student Affairs, Dean of Students Office
781-736-3547

What can Jessica help me with?

  • Student academic rights and community standards

  • Student conduct process

  • Crisis management

Student Services

Becky Prigge
Becky Prigge
Assistant Provost, Graduate Affairs
781-736-8536 Bernstein-Marcus, 73-016

What can Becky help me with?

  • Questions about student resources (for student parents, for writing support, for tutoring, etc.)

  • Concerns about personal safety or well-being

  • Emotional and mental health support

  • Generalized academic / student performance support (everything from time management to conflict resolution)

  • Connection to on-campus offices like the counseling center, Health and Wellness, PARC, and others

  • Opportunities for student programming

  • Student governance questions

  • Ideas for clubs and organizations

  • General grievances or complaints

  • Crisis management