Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

What do you do at Brandeis?

I’m the Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs and a professor of Anthropology and Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies. As Vice Provost, I lead the Graduate Affairs team, and my goal is to work with all of my colleagues in our office as advocates to strengthen graduate education and the graduate student experience across all of Brandeis. As a faculty member, I also appreciate the opportunities to be in the classroom with our undergraduate and graduate students, where I find myself energized and encouraged as a perpetual student myself.

What are you passionate about outside of work?

My life as a faculty member and archaeologist who studies the ancient Maya is built around my passions outside of work. I love travel, history, and being outdoors, walking around cities and landscapes, with a particular passion for Mexico and Guatemala. If I’m not looking around at the architecture, flowers, or trees, you’ll see me scanning the ground for any artifacts - modern or ancient. One of my favorite aspects of life in Massachusetts (and I’m a big fan of Waltham) is the proximity of city and forest, and - in the fall - apple-picking is a must.

What do you do at Brandeis?

In my role, I wear lots of different hats! One of my favorite parts is handling graduate communications – I love interviewing students and alums about the cool things they are doing and sharing it in stories, as well as doing fun pieces like our roundups of pictures of students’ cats and dogs. I also hire TAs and CAs, process dissertations and theses, help with processing student payments, and answer lots of questions via email.

What are you passionate about outside of work?

I earned my PhD in English at Brandeis in 2020, so it’s fair to say that I’m passionate about books! I try to start off every day with reading. My PhD research focused on the role of the confidante in the nineteenth-century British novel, and that sums up two of my favorite things to read – nineteenth-century novels and any book that focuses on relationships between women. I love chatting about books with friends as well and participating in the GSAS book club. Plus, I was on Jeopardy! this spring and was very excited to get a nineteenth-century literature category!

What do you do at Brandeis?

The short answer is that I’m the point of contact for any academic or curricular policies and processes for graduate students and programs. The longer answer is that I represent graduate education in many committees and meetings and I collaborate with other units across campus to support and advocate for graduate students and faculty. I work very closely with my colleagues in student affairs, admissions and finance to triage student problems, questions and concerns. You’ll probably see me out and about at your orientations, talks, and grad student community events – talking to students is the best part of my job!

What are you passionate about outside of work?

I have ten-year-old twins, Judah and Ava. Ava has Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) and our family is active in the MDSC (Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress). I volunteer with the First Call program, which is a confidential and non-judgmental support resource for people who have received a pre- or post-natal diagnosis of Trisomy 21. This program was so critical for my wife (Jill) and I as we came to terms with the prenatal diagnosis. I’m committed to supporting other people in this way, specifically those with LGBTQIA+ journeys into parenthood and family building.

What do you do at Brandeis?

I like to think of myself as a background student support person. I support aspiring graduate students by answering email questions about the application process. I support matriculating students by processing the official transcripts so that they can attend Brandeis. I support active graduate students by ensuring that they get paid, including stipends, TA/CA jobs, and payments for any awards earned.

What are you passionate about outside of work?

My passion is definitely my garden. I enjoy growing my own mostly organic food, especially since I start most of the plants from seed. One of my favorite things about gardening is the nightly trips into the garden to harvest dinner. By design, the garden produces more than we can consume during the growing season, so I enjoy preserving the excess for the winter. This year I hope to store enough onions to last through the winter and to home-can tomatoes, carrots, and green beans. Though spring, summer and early fall are the busiest times in the garden, I still work at it in the winter months. I compost kitchen scraps year-round so I can add rich organic soil to my garden beds every spring. I also spend time inventorying seeds, then purchasing new seeds, planning crop rotation, and it all begins again in February when I plant the first of my seeds indoors.

What do you do at Brandeis?

I offer career and professional development services for graduate students in all departments and in all stages of their career (in fact, we encourage you to come meet us early on in your graduate career!). Our goal is to enable students to pursue fulfilling diverse careers in the private sector, academia, nonprofits, and government. Through career programming and individual appointments I work with students in the areas of career exploration, building and revising CVs and resumes, crafting their story for networking, preparing for job interviews, and salary negotiation. In my role, I plan both virtual and in-person career events to help our students connect with alums and learn what career options are available. In collaboration with my colleagues, I plan our annual 3MT Event, which challenges students to effectively explain their research to a broad audience in just three minutes while using one slide.

What are you passionate about outside of work?

Outside of work, I love musicals. I recently went to New York to see Wicked and am looking forward to seeing Hamilton this fall with my family!

What do you do at Brandeis?

I am a member of the Provost's Finance Team with my primary assignment being to support graduate students and programs. I advise on budget issues, in particular the PhD student support budget, as well as other matters of fiscal policy. Another significant task is providing guidance regarding the expenditure of endowment gift funds that support student scholarships and fellowships. All of this to say that I spend a majority of my days with Workday on one screen and Excel on the other.

What are you passionate about outside of work?

Outside of work I am passionate about board games. I grew up playing the usual Sorry and Monopoly, but also learned Cribbage from my grandfather. When my wife and I met, we discovered that we both knew how to play Cribbage. Our enjoyment of that game eventually led us to pursue other games and discover a whole new world of amazing board games. Some of our current favorites are Wingspan and Everdell. I have even developed a liking for solo board games as well, with my favorite being Spirit Island.

What do you do at Brandeis?

My primary role is to support the well-being and overall experience of graduate students. What that support looks like depends on what each student needs. This can range from connecting them with on-campus resources like Student Accessibility Services, to helping them find like-minded individuals within the university or local community. I also assist with practical concerns such as navigating food resources during financially challenging times, talking through interpersonal conflicts with faculty or peers, or simply providing a safe space for a much-needed cathartic stress cry.

What are you passionate about outside of work?

Outside of work, I’m happiest taking hikes with my corgis, Zilla (four years old) and Russet (seven months old). The area I live in is mostly conservation land, so there are a lot of great trails to try. My favorite so far is Captain Sargent in Stow. It’s an easy hike that takes you by a farm of grazing horses and a pond where the beavers are always at work building themselves some impressive beaver mansions.