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Alumni in Action

Higher and Postsecondary Education

Master's in Higher Education and Student Affairs

Daniel Esquivel

Name: Daniel Esquivel
Degree: MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs (2011)
Current position: Program Manager, NYU Los Angeles
The most valuable aspect of the program has been “the opportunity to better examine international education both in the classroom and on-ground through robust study away experiences that enhance critical thinking, community development, and a deeper context for the importance of student support.”

Juan San Taveras

Name: Juan San Taveras
Degree: MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs (2020)
Current position: Operations Administrator, NYU Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools
“The master's program allows you to explore and unmask your true potential and purpose. I have discovered a whole new lens of why I love what I do, and I enjoy being able to connect with like-minded individuals who share the same passion.”

Molly Cravens

Name: Molly Cravens
Degree: MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs (2020)
Current position: Senior Assistant Director of Admissions, Oberlin College
“The master's program is incredibly diverse. In addition to having faculty from a variety of backgrounds and research areas, my peers had a wide array of professional and personal experiences that brought a mixture of opinions to the classroom and enriched my education."

EdD in Higher Education Administration

Danielle Mebert

Name: Danielle Mebert
Degree: EdD in Higher Education Administration (2020)
Current position: Manager of Academic Advising, NYU Tisch School of the Arts
“While I assumed pursuing a doctorate would entail a lot of solo reading and lots of writing, I met two lifelong friends in the program. We were there to bolster us academically, could bounce professional hypotheticals amongst each other, and become each other's best sounding boards. I hoped to find colleagues with similar academic, research, and professional interests; I feel particularly lucky to have found people I can call upon as colleagues and also friends for the duration of my career and beyond.”
(Photo copyright Hollenshead: NYU Photo Bureau)

Hah-neef Mack

Name: Hah-neef Mack
Degree: EdD in Higher Education Administration (2020)
Current Position: Assistant Director, NY School of Law Office of Student Financial Services
“The combination of curriculum content and faculty both pushed my level of comfort as a learner and allowed me to explore the past, present, and future of higher education within my research. Working at a professional school is a sobering reminder that despite significant educational advances, student diversity in higher education remains a challenge that we must continue to address. I view my experience within Steinhardt’s Higher Ed program as an invitation to continue to contribute to the wealth of research and practice that guided me during my tenure as a student.”

Will Simpkins

Name: Will Simpkins
Degree: EdD in Higher Education Administration (2016)
Current Position: Vice President for Student Affairs, Metropolitan State University of Denver
“I consistently draw on two aspects of my NYU Steinhardt experience – engaging in public policy conversations using scholarship and philosophy, and the connections that grew out of my cohort-mates and the outstanding faculty. Whether I am speaking in front of the Colorado state legislature or developing grant proposals, the knowledge and relationships I gained from NYU are the keys to my success.”

PhD in Higher and Postsecondary Education

Drew Allen

Name: Drew Allen
Degree: PhD in Higher and Postsecondary Education (2015)
Current position: Associate Vice President, Institutional Data Analytics at Georgetown University; Adjunct Faculty at NYU
“The doctoral program's most valuable aspect is the diverse community of faculty, students, and alumni who all share a common passion for higher education. Steinhardt's intellectual community – representing researchers and practitioners from all types of higher education contexts and locales – exposed me to many new ideas and research inspirations. I still rely on many of the people I met in my doctoral program for continuing inspiration and professional growth.”

Maurice Shirley

Name: Maurice Shirley
Degree: PhD in Higher and Postsecondary Education (2019), MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs (2012)
Current position: Assistant Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs, Indiana University Bloomington
“The most valuable aspect of the program is its emphasis on diversity, policy, and effecting change in higher education. This emphasis helped cultivate my work in researching and advocating for underrepresented students on college and university campuses across the nation.“

Victoria Ballerini

Name: Victoria Ballerini
Degree: PhD in Higher and Postsecondary Education (2018)
Current position: Research Associate, Research for Action
“The program exposed me to the most important conversations in the higher ed field. I had many opportunities to engage with and learn from different folks, including the brilliant members of my cohort, academics, policymakers, and institutional leaders. These in-depth exchanges with different stakeholders gave me the opportunity to develop and nurture my own voice in the field.”