Sony Audio Institute Program Manager Shanieka Brooks is a highly accomplished and results-oriented leader with over 25 years of cross-functional project management experience in higher education and the music industry. Her expertise lies in driving inclusive, student-centric initiatives and optimizing organizational performance through strategic leadership, collaborative partnerships, and innovative problem-solving.
Prior to her return to NYU, Shanieka served as the Director of Undergraduate Advising at Pratt Institute, where she led a team of 12 academic advisors to deliver personalized, student-centric advising experiences to over 3,500 undergraduates. She was instrumental in shifting the advising model from transactional to holistic, developing impactful student outreach and engagement, collaborating with campus partners, monitoring student progress and retention, and overseeing academic standing and performance management. Notably, she designed and launched a First Year Experience pilot and worked to break down barriers to student success and improve communication.
During her decade of service at NYU Steinhardt’s Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions, Shanieka held several key positions. As Assistant Director of Advising and Student Services from August 2021 to July 2023, she spearheaded the reshaping of the centralized advising unit, optimized student service delivery, and streamlined administrative workflows for faculty advisors. She partnered with school leadership to implement standardized advising protocols, provided strategic guidance to 20 academic programs, and steered a high-performing team of six academic advisors. Additionally, she delivered personalized advising to over 300 students in the Music Business program and contributed to the assessment and redesign of many school wide policies. Shanieka also served as Senior Academic Advisor (January 2017 - August 2021) and Academic Advisor (August 2013 - December 2016) at NYU Steinhardt’s Music and Performing Arts Professions. In these roles, she implemented comprehensive academic advising and student support services, orchestrated impactful orientation and recruitment programs, promoted study away opportunities, contributed to curriculum innovation, and brokered internship opportunities.
Shanieka's career also includes extensive experience in the music industry. She was the Owner and Principal Consultant at Hip Chick Consulting from August 2013 to October 2018, where she engineered marketing roadmaps and operational teams for diverse clientele. As Director of Marketing at Blue Note Records from October 2003 to October 2013, she developed and executed data-driven marketing strategies, orchestrated end-to-end product/project management for releases, and managed multi-million dollar budgets. Her earlier music industry roles include Manager of Sales and Marketing at ARTISTDirect Records, and Product Development Coordinator at BMG Distribution.
Shanieka holds a Post-Master's Certificate in Advanced CBT from New York University. She earned an MSEd in Counseling from Hunter College, an MA in Arts, Entertainment, & Media Management from Columbia College, and a BBA in Marketing & Management from Loyola University.
She has been an active presenter at several higher education conferences, with recent presentations at the 2025 AICAD Student Success Conference and the 2024 NAFSA Conference. She has also presented at the 2020 NACADA Conference on supporting neurodiverse students. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Pratt Institute Outstanding Staff Member of the Year (2025), the NYU Steinhardt GSO's Patricia M. Carey Advisor Award (2023), NYU Steinhardt Champions of Equity Heart and Soul Award (2021) and the NYU Steinhardt USG Linda Vega Award for Excellence and Dedication (2018). She was also a Distinguished Administrator of the Year Nominee from 2013-2022.