Academic Momentum Fellows

Dr. Yaseen Alwesabi is a Lead Business Intelligence Analyst at Binghamton University, where he specializes in student success, retention, and graduation analytics. He leads university-wide strategic initiatives that integrate academic, financial, and demographic data to strengthen degree completion outcomes and inform institutional strategy. His work includes the development of predictive enrollment and revenue models that support executive leadership in data-driven decision-making and long-term planning. He deployed the university's first OpenAI-powered analytics chatbot to expand data accessibility and analytical capacity across campus.

In addition to his administrative role, Dr. Alwesabi serves as Adjunct Faculty in the School of Management at Binghamton University, where he teaches MBA-level Programming for Business Analytics and actively integrates artificial intelligence applications into the curriculum.

Dr. Alwesabi earned his Ph.D. in Systems Science and Industrial Engineering from Binghamton University in 2021. His research focuses on the application of artificial intelligence technologies in higher education to improve student success outcomes. He has authored more than 16 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals and national conference proceedings.

Heidi Báez is Assistant Professor of Sociology at SUNY Westchester Community College and Director of First Year Seminar. For the past 15 years, Prof. Báez has been involved in student success in administrative and faculty roles. She founded an Office of Institutional Research, in which she closely worked with academic leadership on student success initiatives. One of these programs was the development the institution's New Student Orientation, grounded in her teaching and online pedagogy proficiencies, and structuring a data extraction process for program assessment. During her tenure at SUNY Westchester Community College she has worked for student success, including having represented faculty for the implementation of the early alert system, organizing and collaborating on professional development for faculty to support student success, and facilitates the First Year Seminar on campus, partnering with key stakeholders on campus. Prof. Báez is also a campus leader for shared governance in her Assistant Presiding Officer of the Faculty Senate role. She has been honored with the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Faculty Service in 2024 as well as the Westchester Community College Foundation Faculty Excellence Award for Service in 2022.

Sarah Bray is an Assistant Professor and Department Chair of Business and Economics at Jamestown Community College, where she has taught for over 13 years. She has a Master's degree from St. Bonaventure University and a graduate certificate in Business Economics from Harvard University Extension School.

Sarah has been a leader of retention efforts at JCC throughout her tenure. A point of pride is her experience using governance to bring together faculty, staff, and administration for the purpose of identifying institutional values related to retention. She was the team lead of JCC's Guided Pathways implementation efforts during SUNY's inaugural Guided Pathways cohort starting in 2018. Since then, she's redesigned and co-chaired committees established to further student retention efforts. She brings skills that help colleges translate their identified values into actionable strategies to support students from connection through completion.

Sabrina Caine graduated from the University at Buffalo with her Ph.D. in English Language and Literature in 1993, gaining employment as an adjunct instructor at SUNY Erie Community College that fall – and she never left.  She is currently the Department Chair of English at the City Campus, a role she has served in intermittently since 2007, overseeing a number of curriculum changes including the development of an English major and a number of significant revisions to the composition series extending over the course of a decade and culminating in work done under the auspices of a Title III Grant.  Currently, she is serving as one of the primary investigators for the college's Teagle Cornerstone: Learning as Living Grant, seeking to increase student success and engagement in Composition and General Education courses.

She also serves the college as the Coordinator of the Honors Concentration, a continuation of  her commitment to student excellence and engagement.  Another interest is assessment: she is the chair of the college's Academic Assessment Committee, is a member of the General Education committee, and has assisted in the development of Institutional Learning Outcomes.  She is active in shared governance, being a College Senator since that body's inauguration in 2011 and is currently a member of its Executive Committee.

Liz Carris is an Associate Professor of Mathematics and Shared Governance President at SUNY Orange. She earned her B.A. in Mathematics and M.A.T. in Secondary Education, Mathematics from SUNY New Paltz and her M.A. in Pure Mathematics from Western Connecticut State University.

At SUNY Orange, Liz has been an active leader and collaborator in developmental education reform and math pathway redesign. As a member of a faculty team, she contributed to the restructuring of the college’s mathematics sequence to support first-year completion of gateway courses through multiple measures placement and corequisite support models. This work has contributed to improved outcomes for students from historically underrepresented backgrounds and recognition as a 2026 Bellwether Award winner in Instructional Programs and Services.

In addition to her teaching, she is currently serving her second term as Shared Governance President, facilitating institutional policy discussions and co-leading strategic initiatives aligned with student success and equity. She has also led the efforts on faculty use and implementation of the early alert system that strengthened the collaboration between faculty and student support services.

Dr. Nikki Childrose is a Professor at Columbia-Greene Community College and the Founding Director of the Center for Innovation, Teaching, and Learning (CITL), where she leads institutional strategy to advance student success through teaching excellence, faculty development, and academic innovation. In this role, she designs and implements scalable initiatives that strengthen a culture of innovation and effectiveness, support faculty in the integration of emerging technologies, academic programming, and improve student engagement, retention, and completion.

Her work focuses on building sustainable systems that align pedagogy, professional development, and student support with institutional goals for access, persistence, and achievement. With a commitment to digital equity and expanding opportunity for rural student populations, Dr. Childrose partners with faculty and campus stakeholders to enhance onboarding, streamline instructional practices, and increase access to high-quality, technology-enabled learning environments.

As an Academic Momentum Fellow, Dr. Childrose seeks to further advance initiatives that empower faculty leadership, improve student learning outcomes, and foster a culture of continuous improvement across academic programs. Her leadership reflects a commitment to institutional effectiveness and the development of innovative, student-centered practices that prepare learners for academic and professional success.

Casey Cowburn is the Assistant Director of Student Success at Alfred State with over 20 years of college-level experience in curriculum design, academic support leadership, and retention strategy development. Casey graduated with a Master's in Education (Curriculum Development) from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.  He has led institution-wide initiatives that integrate predictive analytics, structured learning, and academic coaching to improve student momentum and completion outcomes. Casey spearheaded the implementation and faculty training of the Pioneer Success Score (Starfish), aligning data-informed advising with early intervention practices.

He has helped design and deliver 15–20 Structured Learning recitation courses per semester linked to gateway classes, expanded academic coaching for at-risk populations, and created a First Year Experience pilot for low-retention programs. His curriculum work includes redesigning ASDC 1092 (Methods of Inquiry) to integrate emotional intelligence and evidence-based learning strategies, adapting study skills curriculum to OER, and authoring a customized College & Life Skills text.

A Certified Academic & Life Coach, Casey is committed to instructional innovation, faculty collaboration, and scalable retention solutions that strengthen academic momentum across diverse student populations.  In his free time, Casey loves traveling to watch his children play sports, cooking, and watching the Boston Red Sox.

Jacqueline Emery is an associate professor of English and department chair at SUNY Old Westbury. She has a strong commitment to first-year student success. Emery served as the project director for two SUNY grants that enabled Old Westbury to offer students extra writing support in their English composition courses: SUNY Developmental English Learning Community and Strong Start to Finish Grant in 2018 and 2019, respectively. She designed EL1010: Writing Workshop, a two-credit corequisite course linked to English Composition I and II. Emery also piloted a portfolio in the corequisite course that has since been adapted in all first-year writing courses. She is excited to serve as an Academic Momentum Fellow.

Christian Heisler is a Professor of English and Creative Writing and serves as the English Discipline Coordinator at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, NY. He holds a BA in English and Creative Writing from SUNY Oswego and an MA in English and Creative Writing from Miami University.

Christian's professional and instructional work focuses on helping students develop and harness their voices and experiences as significant parts of their learning. He emphasizes the connections between academic skills and their real-world applications, working to help students see the relevance of what they learn while they are in the classroom with what they do when they are out of it.  His work with Achieving the Dream, OCC's Student Success Council, and multiple Gateway English curricular redesign efforts helped to begin campus-wide discussions of academic momentum and pedagogical reforms. He led OCC's Persistence Project: a multidisciplinary initiative focused on supporting first-year student retention by addressing noncognitive barriers to academic success. His recent work includes creating OCC's Creative Writing Program, designing the college's new Writing with AI course, and collaborating on the development of an information literacy module to be integrated into gateway ENG courses.

Outside of work at OCC, Christian can be found chauffeuring his teenage daughter to marching band and color guard competitions, trying to write a book, and enjoying time with his wife and their two dogs.   

Andrea Hemmerich serves as the Director of Student Academic Success & Advising at SUNY Polytechnic Institute. Originally from the southern Adirondack Mountains of New York, she developed an early appreciation for community, resilience, and connection—values that continue to shape and inform her leadership in higher education.

Andrea began her career at Paul Smith’s College, where she worked closely with first-year and transfer students through the admissions and enrollment process. In this role, she discovered her passion for guiding students through pivotal transitions and ensuring they felt supported.  This foundational experience solidified her dedication to student-centered practices and developing collaborative campus partnerships.

She earned her Master’s degree in higher education administration from Merrimack College, where she conducted research on persistence factors for adult students attending community colleges. Andrea went on to serve for six years as Transfer Services Coordinator at Finger Lakes Community College, followed by her role as Director of Guided Pathways Advising at CT State Community College – Quinebaug Valley.

She returned to her home state of New York in 2024 to join SUNY Polytechnic Institute, where she has prioritized advancing holistic advising initiatives within a shared faculty-professional advising model for both undergraduate and graduate students. She also provides leadership for SUNY Polytechnic’s ACE program and Learning Center. Through this collaborative approach, Andrea works to empower students, strengthen institutional systems and build support that promotes persistence and graduation.

Daniel C. Holz is a Professor of Mathematics at SUNY Schenectady where he teaches courses below the Calculus sequence to students that face significant barriers to success and tend to have severe math phobia and gaps in their mathematical background. He believes that all students can succeed regardless of prior experience; specializing in taking the sometimes-overwhelming language and Mathematics topics and by removing technical jargon, present the content in language that is understandable to all students regardless of their varying abilities, mathematical backgrounds, or general interest in the subject. While his focus is helping students complete their gateway Mathematics course, he also teaches the First Year Seminar course to help students adjust to and navigate life as a college student.  Professor Holz is also very active on campus, serving as the Chair of the Student Affairs Committee, the Secretary of the Academic Senate, the Treasurer of the union, and the alternate delegate for the FCCC.

Roberta Hurtado is the Associate Professor of Latino Literature and Culture, and inaugural Director of the Latino and Latin American Studies program, at SUNY Oswego. Her research interests focus on Latina Decolonial Feminisms, with an emphasis in Puerto Rican Women's Literature, Epigenetics, and Trauma Studies. She has published in journals such as Chiricú, Label Me Latina/o, and Diálogo. Her book, Decolonial Puerto Rican Women's Writings: Subversion in the Flesh, was published in 2019 as part of Palgrave Macmillan "Literature of the Americas" series and was a ranked finalist for the International Latino Book Awards. She is the editor of collections such as Not Token Gestures, published by Bloomsbury, and "The State of Women of Color in New York Higher Education" special issue for Gatherings Journal. Her current projects include a manuscript entitled But is it Sexy? Decolonial Erotic Aesthetics in Puerto Rican Women's Literature and a forthcoming publication in the Y Yo, También edited collection by Rutgers University Press. She currently serves on the editorial board for Conocimientos Press. She has been a fellow in the SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute and the inaugural Faculty Fellow for the Triandiflou Institute at Oswego.

Dr. Nadine D. Hylton serves as Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Planning at Nassau Community College. Prior to joining the team at Nassau, Dr. Hylton held positions in institutional research, assessment, strategic planning, program evaluation at public and private institutions, ranging from mid-sized regional colleges to large R1 universities. Dr. Hylton also served in public health planning roles in upstate New York. Dr. Hylton's expertise lies in applying up-to-date and equitable principles of social science research to understand organizational challenges and identifying sustainable methods of addressing these challenges. Dr. Hylton received her PhD from the University of Rochester Margaret Warner School of Education and Human Development in Education Policy and her BA/MA from the City University of New York John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Forensic Psychology.

Jennifer S. Kurtz is an educator and student success leader with more than thirteen years of experience advancing academic achievement across secondary and higher education. She currently serves as Director of the Math & Science Center at SUNY Dutchess, where she leads campus-wide initiatives that strengthen student access, retention, and momentum in gateway math and science courses. In this role, she oversees tutoring, peer mentorship, data informed programming, and recruitment and training of a diverse team of peer educators. Her collaborative approach brings together Enrollment Services, Student Success teams, and opportunity programs to support equitable learning outcomes.

Jennifer’s background includes roles at SUNY Ulster as both an adjunct instructor for non-STEM majors and program assistant for the New Start for Women program, where she supported academic outreach, coordinated faculty–student engagement, and managed internship programming. She began her career as a Special Education Math Teacher at Newburgh Free Academy, designing differentiated instruction and contributing to schoolwide student success initiatives.

She holds an M.Ed. in Learning and Technology from Western Governors University, a B.A. in Mathematics from Mount Saint Mary College, and an A.A. from SUNY Dutchess. Jennifer also maintains New York State professional certifications in Mathematics and Students with Disabilities (Grades 7–12).

Dr. Rachel Mead is the Dean of Career and Workforce Innovation at SUNY Rockland Community College. She holds a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from New York University, where her dissertation examined the effectiveness of Student Affairs assessment plans aimed at reducing academic equity gaps. In 2023, she contributed a book chapter on equity centered assessment to Coordinating Divisional and Departmental Student Affairs Assessment.

With nearly two decades of experience in higher education, Dr. Mead has served in a wide range of student and academic affairs roles. Her work spans academic advisement, retention and completion initiatives, the development of a First Year Experience program, curriculum design, academic and administrative assessment, and grant writing and management. This diverse background has shaped her holistic understanding of how institutional policies, processes, and structures support student learning and overall success.

Dr. Mead is also a dedicated educator and parttime faculty member. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the City College of New York (CUNY) and specializes in teaching English. For more than ten years, she has taught prerequisite and co-requisite courses, along with English Composition I and II, bringing her passion for writing, learning, and student development into the classroom.

Cirita Moffett is an Academic Advisor and Psychology Instructor at SUNY Empire State University, where she is dedicated to supporting diverse learners and advancing equitable student success practices. She holds a Master of Arts in Adult Learning with a concentration in Higher Education from SUNY Empire State University.

As a first-generation college student and higher education practitioner, Cirita is deeply committed to developing and implementing initiatives that support first-generation students, promote persistence, and foster a strong sense of belonging. Her professional and scholarly work centers on equity-minded practices, student success coaching, and institutional strategies that address systemic barriers in higher education.

Cirita is currently pursuing her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership and Change at SUNY Empire State University, with an expected graduation in 2027. Her research focuses on building comprehensive support frameworks that enhance outcomes for first-generation college students.

Dr. David A. Rubenstein is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and serves as the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs in the Graduate School at Stony Brook University. His research examines the progression of vascular diseases at the intersection of innate immunity and thrombosis, and techniques to optimize microvascular tissue engineering, with an emphasis on translational bioengineering approaches. He is also the lead author of Biofluid Mechanics: An Introduction to Fluid Mechanics, Macrocirculation, and Microcirculation. Dr. Rubenstein's educational work centers on student success, persistence, and timely degree completion. He integrates classical engineering principles into biomedical contexts while developing evidence-based strategies to improve undergraduate and graduate retention while reducing time-to-degree. As GAANN Director for Biomedical Engineering, he supports structured mentoring and professional development initiatives that strengthen academic completion for doctoral trainees. In his role in the Graduate School, Dr. Rubenstein works closely with programs across the university to clarify curricular pathways, modernize academic policies, and enhance student support systems. He serves as Chair of the Stony Brook University Assessment Council and participates in university-wide initiatives on the responsible integration of generative AI into higher education. Across research, teaching, and academic leadership, his work advances institutional practices that promote student progression, accountability, and equitable academic outcomes.

Dr. Iwan A. J. Sianturi is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education and Adolescence Mathematics Coordinator in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the State University of New York at Oswego. His teaching and scholarship focus on mathematics teacher education, particularly students' and teachers' number sense, spatial ability, problem-solving strategies, problem-solving orientations, and confidence in solution accuracy. His work seeks to better understand how future educators support the development of students' mathematical thinking and how teacher preparation programs can foster strong, equitable, and conceptually rich mathematics instruction.

Dr. Sianturi's research includes international and comparative studies of mathematics education across six countries, including Finland, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States. His work examines how curriculum, instruction, and teacher preparation influence students' mathematical learning and development. His scholarship also includes developing and validating assessment tools that examine students' mathematical understanding and teachers' beliefs about equity in mathematics education.

As a SUNY Academic Momentum Fellow, Dr. Sianturi contributes his expertise in mathematics education to initiatives that support student learning, retention, persistence, and degree completion. Through his teaching, research, and program leadership, he works to strengthen teacher preparation and promote accessible, equitable, and transformative learning environments that support long-term student success.

Nicole Simon is a Professor in the STEM disciplines at SUNY Nassau Community College, where her work centers on strengthening academic momentum for students—particularly during the critical first year and at key transition points along their academic pathways. With more than two decades of experience in academic advising, curricular planning, assessment, and first-year programming, she develops scalable, evidence-based course and program designs that support student persistence, progression, and completion.

Nicole holds a doctorate in Educational Technology Management and Instructional Design and is a Certified Instructional Designer. She served as SUNY EmTech Director and is the recipient of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Creative and Scholarship. She is a certified OSCQR Trainer and Creative Commons Certified professional, and she has been engaged in Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) for over a decade, serving as a COIL Trainer supporting globally networked learning initiatives.

She teaches a Sustainability course aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), integrating COIL projects to foster global collaboration and applied problem-solving. Nicole has authored several works on Generative AI, cybersecurity, academic assessment, and equity-focused learning, and has participated in numerous grant-funded initiatives advancing innovation in teaching and learning.

Her research focuses on the effective use of instructional technology, virtual experimentation, and innovative design strategies that enhance student engagement, equity, and academic success.

Rebecca Smith is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at SUNY Brockport, where she teaches courses ranging from general education through the master's level, with a focus on foundational courses for STEM majors. She is a recipient of Brockport's Presidential Teaching Excellence Award. She served as co-chair in the second iteration of the SUNY Mathematics Transfer Path Discussion. She is the Principal Investigator on an NSF S-STEM grant supporting students in Mathematics, Computing Sciences, and Physics. Rebecca's research is in combinatorics, specializing in permutation patterns and sorting algorithms. She pursues most of this work collaboratively, including with students.

Erin Tochelli is the Associate Director of Academic Administration at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), where she has grown in academic support and leadership for over ten years. Erin leads key initiatives in Academic Affairs, student success, and institutional policy development. She oversees curriculum approval processes, academic policy design, and special session planning, while working closely with faculty and campus partners to strengthen academic programs and remove barriers to student progression.

Erin plays an active role in campus-wide student success efforts, contributing to data‑informed retention strategies and proactive advising strategies. She has also shaped major institutional policies, including those related to academic standing, midsemester progress reporting, and credit for prior learning.

She regularly collaborates with the Registrar's Office, International Education, and Special Sessions to provide students with more opportunities for meaningful educational experiences. With professional background spanning advising, curriculum coordination, and graduate education administration, Erin brings a collaborative, student‑centered approach to improving academic systems and supporting ESF's mission to improve our world.

Carol Van Der Karr is the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness at SUNY Cortland, where she collaborates with faculty and professionals on curriculum, student success, and continuous improvement. Her first role in higher education — at the SUNY Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center — instilled a lasting commitment to educational access, student mobility, and the ways organizational structure and culture can empower student achievement. She has worked across academic support, enrollment management, and institutional research, and has taught graduate coursework in higher education.

Carol serves as SUNY Cortland's Accreditation Liaison Officer to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, is a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service, and has served as a SUNY SCOA mentor. She enjoys opportunities to present and publish and learn from colleagues.

Her degrees include a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Syracuse University, an M.S.Ed. in Counseling and Educational Psychology from the University at Buffalo, and a B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology from Lehigh University.

Ben West is a Professor of English at SUNY Delhi, where he teaches literature and composition courses. He is the author of Crowd Violence in American Modernist Fiction and the co-editor of the Modern Language Association collection Approaches to Teaching the Works of Cormac McCarthy. Over the last decade, his scholarship has focused on American writer Cormac McCarthy, with recent publications including a chapter on McCarthy and Gnosticism for the Cambridge volume Cormac McCarthy in Context and an article outlining McCarthy's influence on American indie rock band Modest Mouse in The Journal of Popular Culture. He has also published on writers such as Willa Cather, Herman Melville, William Faulkner, and Virgina Woolf.

At SUNY Delhi, Ben has served as the long-time chair of Writing Across the Curriculum. He is co-chairing the campus Academic Momentum workgroup focused on Gateway Courses, and he serves as a faculty editor for Agate, SUNY Delhi's literary and arts magazine. He is also the campus Faculty Athletics Representative. He received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Scholarship and Creative Activities in 2022.

Eunice D. Williams, Ed.D., is the Vice President/Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) at Onondaga Community College. As the CDO, she is 
primarily responsible for providing leadership and support for the College's Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Belonging Council,
working with college groups and college administrators in the formulation and review of programs and policies about the needs of 
diverse and underrepresented populations, and advising college constituencies on diversity and equity issues, trends, and 
program activities. Additionally, she serves as an adjunct instructor in the General Studies department at Onondaga Community 
College.

Dr. Williams serves as a Peer Evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and as a member of 
various local, state, and national boards. She serves on the board of the YMCA of Greater Syracuse-Southwest and its DEI
Committee, the Northside Learning Center, Crouse Hospital's DEI&B Advisory Board, and the National Advisory Council (NAC) for 
the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE). Williams is the former Vice President of the YWCA of 
Syracuse and Onondaga County Board of Directors, Vice President of the CNY Arts (a/k/a Cultural Resource Council) Board of 
Directors, Vice President of the National Diversity Council's Tri-State Board, member of Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation, Brady 
Faith Center Board, InterFaith Works of CNY, the Interreligious Food Consortium, Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways, Inc., and 
Commissioner of the Onondaga County/Syracuse Commission on Human Rights.

Vice President Williams received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the State University of New York/University at Buffalo, 
Master of Science in Counseling Education at Syracuse University, and a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Learning with a 
specialization in Higher Education Leadership at Aspen University. Throughout her academic career, she has written several 
approved grant proposals and presented a series of lectures and workshops on diversity-related issues throughout the United 
States. Her recent interests focus on the role "fear" plays in the progression of diversity, equity, and inclusion, how refugee and 
immigrant college students make meaning out of their college experiences, and factors that impact the persistence of residential 
Black male community college students.

Williams has received numerous awards for her commitment to student success and service to the college community and the 
state of New York. In 2004, Onondaga Community College presented her with the "Above and Beyond the Call of Duty" award,
and in 2007, the "President's Award for Excellence in Teaching." Later, in 2008, Onondaga Community College's Board of 
Trustees presented her with the "Trustee's Award" and the "Ralph R. Whitney, Jr. Award." In 2012, the State University of New 
York presented her with the "Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service." In 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017, the 
National Diversity Council's Tri-State Diversity Council presented Williams with an "Appreciation Award" for co-chairing its annual 
Upstate New York College Diversity Summit. In 2015, she received the Tri-State Diversity Council's Most Powerful & Influential 
Women Award. In 2019, she was awarded the Ann Felton Multicultural Leadership Award from Onondaga Community College. In 
2024, the New York State's Division of Human Rights presented her with an "Appreciation Award" for her contribution and 
support to the Mohawk Valley Hate and Bias Prevention Unit Regional Council