������ɫ

Felicia Moreira has been on the Alumni Association board since 2019 and has served as the board secretary since 2021. She has served on the Lifelong Learning Committee and Networking and Social Engagement committees. As a ������ɫ native, Moreira has maintained a strong bond with her alma mater throughout her professional journey. Currently serving as the associate director of employer relations and engagement at the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development, she leverages her expertise to facilitate meaningful connections between students, alumni and employers. Her previous roles within the Residential Life department, Office of Alumni Engagement and Athletics department have provided her with a comprehensive understanding of ������ɫ's operations and a vast network of contacts across various departments. 

Moreira’s dedication extends beyond her professional responsibilities. As a former member of the ������ɫ varsity softball team, she has continued to stay involved with Athletics, actively supporting the team by attending games and alumni events. Moreover, she actively engages fellow softball alumni, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie and encouraging their support through active participation and donations.

As a native of the ������ɫ area, Moreira holds a deep appreciation for the University, the local community and the alumni network. She cherishes the University's presence in her backyard and frequently visits with her husband Jose, also a ������ɫ alumnus, and their three children, Isadora, Liliana and Jose III. Contact her by email.

Dan Black is responsible for EY’s global recruiting strategy, leading a team of more than 1,200 recruiters around the world who are responsible for hiring talent at all levels, across all of EY’s locations and lines of business. Prior to his career in recruiting, he was an auditor for financial services clients as a Certified Public Accountant. He also serves on the Americas Inclusiveness Advisory Council, a group of senior leaders focused on advancing the firm’s efforts related to belonging, equitable sponsorship and accountability in the context of leading culture change.

Black regularly provides commentary for top media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, CNN, FORTUNE, Forbes, FOX Business and The New York Times, among others. He frequently serves as a keynote speaker at conferences, universities and industry events around the world, and was the School of Management Commencement speaker in 2016.

He is a former president and board member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the country’s leading organization focused on the employment of the college-educated. He currently serves as chair of the Executive Leadership Committee for the Tri-State New York chapters of the March of Dimes, ranking among its top-100 U.S. fundraisers nationally for the past 10 years. Black is also active within his local community, serving as a volunteer firefighter for the Archville Fire Department and as a coach, referee and active supporter of youth sports in his hometown. He remains an active alumnus of ������ɫ as a regular speaker and contributor at alumni, admissions and mentoring events, as well as a site leader for the Global Days of Service. His leadership role in recruiting has helped to solidify ������ɫ as a top source of talent for EY for the past two decades.

Balki Iyer has been on the Alumni Association board since 2019 and has served on the Mentoring and Career Development and Signature Events committees. He is a seasoned energy and utilities industry management professional, with rich experience driving business development for global conglomerates and successful startups. He has successfully steered three startups from inception to exit, with investments from some of the largest utilities and financial investors worldwide. Iyer strongly believes in the power of mentoring and the lasting impact it can leave. A prolific speaker at global conferences, he is passionate about the role of clean energy in changing the world and the role of education in empowering the people who can change the world. His business and entrepreneurial pursuits over the past decade have been guided by this passion. He is on the advisory group for INK, a TED-like platform in India that promotes inspiring ideas by game-changers. Iyer sat on the executive board for GE’s Asia Pacific American Forum, a diversity group focused on mentoring Asian American business leaders. As someone who believes in making a positive community impact through education, he, along with his wife, co-founded Iyer Educational Institutions with the mission to offer inclusive learning opportunities for children with autism. He is a recipient of the prestigious Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business award in 2017 and was listed in the Top 100 North American Power List 2020.

Matthew DeSaro has been on the Alumni Association board since 2019 and serves as chair of the Mentoring and Career Development Committee. He earned a Bachelor of Science in management from the School of Management, a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Harpur College, and a Master of Public Administration from the College of Community and Public Affairs. Thereafter, he graduated from Brooklyn Law School, where he was the president of the Moot Court Honor Society. 

DeSaro is a special assistant attorney general in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Office of the New York State Attorney General. In that role, he investigates and prosecutes a wide range of issues related to the state’s Medicaid program, including violations of the False Claims Act, and qui tam litigation. Prior to that, he served as both a county and federal prosecutor, and clerked for judges at the state and federal levels. 

Since graduating from ������ɫ, DeSaro has remained engaged with the University in both formal and informal capacities. He has been an active member of both the Metro New York and the Long Island chapters of the Alumni Association, a perennial volunteer at Metro Connections Night, a regular attendee of School of Management events in New York, and a judge for the ������ɫ Mock Trial team. In recognition of his efforts on behalf of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, he received an Alumni Association Medal of Distinguished Service. 

������ɫ is a special place for DeSaro, as he proposed to his wife, also a ������ɫ University graduate, outside the University Union where they first met as undergraduates. As a student, he was a resident assistant in College-in-the-Woods, where he twice chaired the Casino-in-the-Woods charity event, a graduate assistant in the Center for Civic Engagement, executive director of the ESCAPE Bus Company, and a tour guide with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Cara Treidel has served on the board since 2017 and has been chair of the BOLD/FAN committee, liaison to the BOLD Leadership Council and served as the board’s secretary since 2019. As a student, she was highly involved in President Harvey Stenger’s Road Map Committee as a consulting intern, overseeing the Road Map Student Task Force and assisting with the progress of each strategic priority. In addition, she was a resident assistant in College-in-the-Woods and was an active member of the Alpha Kappa Psi professional business fraternity. At one point, she was president of Onondaga Hall and part of the Emerging Leaders Program. She continues to be a member of the Road Map Renewal Committee and frequently attends University events in the Metro New York area. 

Vasu Dev Rao Aitharaju is a director of product management at a construction-fintech startup in New York, an entrepreneur and an active mentor at Yale tsai CITY. He graduated with a master of science degree in industrial and systems engineering from ������ɫ University in 2005. He holds a bachelor of technology degree in mechanical engineering from National Institute of Technology – India, and an MBA from Yale University. Aitharaju is a passionate entrepreneur, product strategy and management leader, digital transformation expert, and a sustainability and social responsibility enthusiast. He built multiple products from ideation to go-to-market. He led multiple successful software and physical product launches in diverse environments including several geographical regions, multiple industries and organizations of different sizes from startup to global market leaders. Aitharaju's passion and motivation extend beyond professional work. Some of his community activities include donor and volunteer for New York Blood Center since 2014; mentor at Junior Achievement USA since 2019; 5K runner for charity since 2015; active American Red Cross Volunteer - Certified Adult First Aid/CPR/AED since 2014; and Yale SOM Class Secretary since 2019. He is a father of two, son Ishaan and daughter Trishika. He loves to spend his spare time with family and friends. He also likes racquetball, cricket, camping, hiking and wine tours along the Finger Lakes.

Amanda Casares was elected to the board in 2025, From Rahway, N.J., to the nation's capital, she has built a remarkable career marked by academic excellence and athletic prowess. A 2010 graduate of ������ɫ with dual degrees in geography and philosophy, politics and law, Casares was a standout athlete, captaining the ������ɫ Women's Soccer team and earning numerous accolades, including Dean's List honors, NSCAA All-Region recognition, and the prestigious John Bilos Award for outstanding career achievement. She furthered her education with a master's degree from ������ɫ in 2012, while also serving as a graduate assistant and volunteer assistant soccer coach.

After graduation, Casares served as chair of the Bearcats of the Last Decade (BOLD) Washington, D.C. chapter, fostering connections among young alumni. Currently, as a federal technical program manager at RedSeal, she leverages her expertise to support the U.S. Intelligence Community's cybersecurity needs.

Passionate about soccer, Casares remains deeply involved in the sport.  She coaches at every level from high school to youth development programs. She leads the National Cathedral School's varsity team, coaches for Arlington Soccer and the Maryland Olympic Development Program, inspiring the next generation of athletes.

Diane Castiglione has been on the Alumni Association board since 2019 and has served on the Mentoring and Career Development and Regional Chapters committees. She retired in 2017 after a 32-year career at the U.S. Department of State. As a student, Castiglione was active in Hinman College Council, including serving as president, and was on the Political Science Undergraduate Committee and the Commencement Committee. After graduating, she was one of the founding members of the Potomac Club/D.C. Metro Chapter, serving as co-chair 1989-90. She was on planning committees for Hinman College’s 40th and 50th anniversary celebrations and also volunteers with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. She considers her work with the Fleishman Center, and other programs in which she provides career information and mentoring, including being a four-time sponsor of Liberal Arts to Careers Externship students, to be her most fulfilling connection with the University. She received the 1990 Young Alumni Award and in 2015 was given an Alumni Association Medal of Distinguished Service.

David Cohan was elected to the board in 2025. He has been an active alumnus since he and his wife graduated in 1987. Recently, he has deepened his involvement as both of his children began attending ������ɫ. For the past five years, he has been very actively involved in the Parents Leadership Council and served as chair for three years.  During Family Weekends, he has spoken at legacy brunches and has organized a Campus Pub pop-up for alumni parents to enjoy and reminisce. He has also hosted summer sendoffs for new students and their parents to gather and meet with alumni and other parents and students prior to beginning their college career.

Joseph Cordero is a managing director of place at the William Julius Wilson Institute at Harlem Children’s Zone, a national resource for place-based, people-focused solutions that open pathways to social and economic mobility. He was principal of the renowned Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy I Elementary School. Over the past decade as principal, his students had seen substantial growth on the New York State math and English examinations. They regularly outperform the district, city and state on these tests. In 2023, he received the Edward Weisband Distinguished Alumni Award for Public Service or Contribution to Public Affairs from the Alumni Association. The award recognizes one graduate each year whose life, work, career and contributions exemplify the highest standards of service and deepest dedication to the common good. His training as a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity while an undergraduate prepared him for a lifetime of service. As Frederick Douglass once said, “It is easier to build strong children than it is to repair broken men.

Michael Devinoff learned to manage a diverse group of individuals through leadership roles on the College-in-the-Woods Student Council. Then, he learned to manage fundraising and charitable work in association with his fraternity, where he held senior leadership roles. He worked to improve the overall Greek experience at ������ɫ, becoming the Inter-Fraternity Council president and helping shape the rules that govern fraternity pledging and behavior.

Devinoff leveraged his ������ɫ education and the leadership skills he acquired to create a successful 25-year career in the healthcare/pharmaceutical industry. During his extensive analytics and insights career, he has shaped how medicines get discovered and developed, how they go through approval processes globally, and how they ultimately arrive in the hands of patients. He runs an enterprise-wide team of more than 300 individuals who serve as strategic consultants for his company’s C-suite.

Devinoff has increased his commitment to giving back, participating in various ������ɫ University alumni events, career development activities, career fairs and campus recruiting efforts.

Richard Gibney was elected to the board in 2025. He recently retired from an extensive career in retail merchandising, buying and planning in the Metro New York area. He started his retail career at Abraham & Straus (A&S) Department Stores, a division of Federated Department Stores, and later would work at Macy’s 34th Street store as planning vice president for young men’s and boys. His most recent position was vice president of planning for women's ready to wear and accessories private brand.   

While attending ������ɫ, Gibney worked part-time in Hinman Dining Hall but resided at Newing College in Endicott and Delaware, and later at College in the Woods in Oneida Hall. He spent one semester in Washington, D.C. as part of an internship program working for a Congressman on Capitol Hill. He stays connected with his friends from ������ɫ and comes back to visit campus often.  Gibney is originally from Long Island but now resides in New Jersey where he stays involved in local politics and elections. He also stays active with membership at the local YMCA and also biking, hiking, kayaking and birding. 

Adam Greene was elected to the board in 2025. He is an attorney at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC in the investment banking legal area since May 2004, focusing on capital markets transactions and providing day-to-day general corporate and business counsel on legal, policy, commercial and reputational matters. He graduated from ������ɫ in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and philosophy, politics and law and earned a Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law in 1999.

As an undergraduate, Greene was president of Cleveland Hall in Hinman College in his sophomore year and president of Hinman College in his junior year. He met his wife Katherine S. Meshkati ’97 in his sophomore year in Cleveland Hall. They created an endowed scholarship which provides recognition and financial support to one undergraduate student studying in Harpur College. Greene and Meshkati live in Rockville Centre, N.Y., and have two sons, one of whom, Owen, is currently a freshman at ������ɫ University studying financial economics.

Greene currently serves on the ������ɫ Parents Leadership Council. In addition, he has stayed very involved with the University by being a longtime volunteer at Metro Connections Night, has hosted multiple Employer Treks at Goldman Sachs, and acts as a mentor to many current and former ������ɫ students.

Kate Gromatsky is a highly skilled professional with a bachelor's degree in English from Harpur College of Arts and Sciences. She has always been passionate about her alma mater and, as an alumna, she has remained actively engaged with the University, volunteering with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Metro New York Networking Nights. Gromatsky has served as an inaugural Bearcats of the Last Decade (BOLD) Leadership Council member, where she successfully chaired the Social and Networking Committee and Career and Mentoring Committee, and led the Long Island Chapter before relocating to the Hudson Valley.

During her time as a student, Gromatsky was a highly active member of the campus community. She served as an admissions tour guide, intern in the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development, and student information assistant in the Call Center. After graduation, she pursued her passion for integrated marketing and communications by earning a master's degree from Marist College.

Gromatsky is a seasoned marketing professional with extensive experience in Demand Generation marketing for CVENT, the industry-leading meetings, events and hospitality technology provider. With over 10 years of experience in higher education, specializing in engagement events, marketing, communications, and volunteer management, she is a confident and capable leader in her field.

Amy Hyatt is recently retired from serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Palau 2015-20. Previously she worked for the U.S. Department of State in various postings negotiating successful outcomes around the world in Egypt, Finland, North Korea, Australia, Korea, Thailand, Philippines, Norway and the Czech Republic. Hyatt was also a trial attorney in San Francisco during her early career. In 2016, the Alumni Association presented her with the Edward Weisband Distinguished Alumni Award for Public Service or Contribution to Public Affairs. She has also served as a TIER Talks speaker for the University, coming back to campus for Homecoming in 2018 when she spoke with two other panelists on “The Effects of Climate Change."

Julius Johnson was born and raised in the Brownsville and Crown Heights neighborhoods of Brooklyn. He attended Clara Barton High School for health professionals while starring in football for the Brooklyn Skyhawks. He received his bachelor of science, with a major in nursing from ������ɫ in 2005, and received his master of science with a major in family nurse practitioner from ������ɫ in 2009, and his Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Miami in 2016. Johnson specializes in home-based primary care, transitional care and transformational community intervention projects. He has spent the past 13 years serving underserved communities and reducing hospital rates for at-risk populations. He is a founding member of the Greater New York City Black Nurses Association and currently serves as president. Also, Johnson is the founding president of the Omega Nu chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society at Long Island University (LIU) Brooklyn. He serves as an associate professor, chair of faculty affairs and director of the family nurse practitioner program at LIU-Brooklyn’s nursing school. In 2018, he was recognized as one of the National Black Nurses Association’s 40 Under 40 Rising Stars. In 2021, he received the Trailblazer in Nursing Award from the National Black Nurses Association. In his spare time, he is the defensive coordinator of the Brooklyn Skyhawks who are the current back-to-back U12 champions of the New York City youth football league.

Stuart Koenig is chair of the ������ɫ Foundation Board of Directors. He is a seasoned executive with significant experience in real estate private equity, investment banking and finance. He is a retired senior partner and chief operating officer of the real estate division of Ares Management and served as chair of all of its real estate investment committees, including Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp. (ACRE), a public mortgage real estate investment trust.

Koenig recently served seven years as an independent director of a multibillion-dollar, NYSE-listed company. He has a 40-year work history of increasing responsibility and leadership, with the last 20 years in senior management roles of chief financial officer, chief administrative officer, and/or chief operating officer.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from ������ɫ. He also has a Master of Business Administration in accounting from Baruch College.

George Lourentzatos was elected to the board in 2025. As a seasoned healthcare strategist, he leverages his expertise in operational excellence and cost reduction to drive positive change at Union Health Center as chief of strategy and operations. He focuses on optimizing processes and patient experience, ensuring smooth patient flow, high satisfaction and maximum efficiency. Additionally, he leads the development and implementation of clinical programs and products designed to decrease the total cost of care for labor union members while maintaining, or even improving, the quality of care provided. Data-driven decision-making is central to his approach, ensuring strategic direction, resource allocation and program effectiveness.

Prior to joining Union Health Center, Lourentzatos honed his skills at IBM, Montefiore, Northwell and Mount Sinai. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial and systems engineering from Watson College, crediting his success in outpatient practice transformation, clinical strategy, process improvement and program development to the exceptional education and mentorship he received there.

Beyond his current role, Lourentzatos fosters future leaders through his involvement with ������ɫ. He offers internship opportunities, mentors students through the Mentor Match program, participates in NYC CONNECT initiatives, contributes to the Alumni Association’s Metro New York Chapter, and guides current members of the professional engineering fraternity Theta Tau.

Jonathon Nevett was elected to serve as Student Association executive vice president in his junior year and president in his senior year. In the mid-1990s, he chaired the Alumni Association’s Potomac Club/D.C. Metro Chapter and was given the association’s Young Alumni Award in 1996. He has volunteered for admissions, the mentorship program and other Alumni Association activities over the years. 

Professionally, Nevett is president and CEO of Public Interest Registry (PIR), the nonprofit domain name registry that operates.org and other Internet domain extensions targeted to mission-driven entities and individuals. He is a veteran of the domain name industry, co-founding Donuts Inc., in 2010 and helping to raise in excess of $150 million to form a registry of more than 240 Internet domain extensions. Before PIR and Donuts, he was senior vice president at Network Solutions, where he was responsible for policy, government affairs, registry relations and corporate ethics. During the Obama Administration, he was appointed to the Online Safety and Technology Working Group to help protect children on the Internet.

After ������ɫ, Nevett worked in the New York State Legislature and earned a juris doctor from Harvard Law School. He lives in Rockville, Md., with his wife, Karen Post, and they have three grown children.

Stacy Newman is an executive director, experience lead at JP Morgan Chase & Co., where she has been since October 2018. She graduated from ������ɫ with a bachelor’s degree in art and received a master's degree in human-computer interaction from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Newman has been on the Alumni Association board since 2018 and serves as the chair for the Mentoring and Career Development Committee. She is also on the board of directors for the Wilson Area Partners in Education Foundation and serves as chair of its Fund Development Committee. In her free time, Newman apprentices in printmaking and also runs. She recently completed the Boston Marathon. Newman resides in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley with her three children, daughter Tillie and sons Murray and Harry.

Oluwateniayo Sopitan is the first graduate of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences to be elected to the ������ɫ Alumni Association Board of Directors. She is a PharmD fellow in the Rutgers University Fellowship program, working as a product manager at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. At ������ɫ, Sopitan was a volunteer coach for the women’s volleyball team for two seasons. She served as vice president of the Oncology Pharmacy Student Organization and served on various committees for the pharmacy school's student government. Prior to attending ������ɫ, she earned her undergraduate degree at North Carolina State University where she was a scholarship volleyball player and team captain.

Marjorie Strelzyn is an optometrist and director of the contact lens service at Montefiore Medical Center. She is an assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the Einstein College of Medicine and enjoys teaching residents, interns and medical students. Strelzyn has served on the ������ɫ Parents Leadership Council from 2016-22 and has chaired the council for the last three years. She was on the advisory committee for the ������ɫ Women’s Weekend in 2017 and was a speaker at the ������ɫ Women’s Workshop in New York City in 2019. She and her husband, Barry Witt ’80, created an endowed “Acts of Kindness” scholarship which provides recognition and financial support to one undergraduate student annually who has impacted the community through acts of kindness. Strelzyn is an active member of the ������ɫ Campaign Committee. Strelzyn and her family have hosted numerous “summer send-offs” at their home for incoming undergraduate students and their families, and organized and hosted dinners at local restaurants for parents of students to create connections with each other and to promote their engagement with the university. They also held a fundraiser for a ������ɫ mental health and wellness initiative. As a student, Strelzyn enjoyed participating in co-rec sports and was secretary of the Canoe Club and sang in various campus shows. She worked in the dining hall as well as in the administration office and was a Telefund caller. Strelzyn and her husband have two sons, Dylan and Adin, who are also ������ɫ graduates. Dylan received a bachelor of arts in biology then a bachelor of science via the accelerated nursing program. Adin received a bachelor of arts in economics and then pursued an MBA in management information systems.

Dana West has been on the Alumni Association board since 2019 and has served on the Lifelong Learning Committee. He is founder and leader of the Westchester Chapter of the Alumni Association and lives in Westchester County with his wife, Nancy, and their two children. In his spare time, he enjoys exploring the great outdoors and seeking out all the food, beverages and towns that make the Hudson Valley unique. As a student, he was active in volunteer opportunities with College-in-the-Woods, working as stage crew for Woods Jam and decorating for Woods War. Now, he is proud to see the success of TIER Talks and the rapid growth of the Westchester Chapter. Professionally, West is passionate about providing his clients with the planning tools and education they need to navigate life’s financial challenges. With more than 20 years in the financial services industry, he recognizes the more knowledge his clients have, the more empowered and confident they feel about achieving their goals.