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Holly Adams is an educator, facilitator, and enthusiast working and living in Brooklyn, New York. They are an Educational Technologist at the Center for Teaching and Learning and a Visiting Instructor in the department of Humanities and Media Studies at Pratt Institute. Their work has been presented in ACM SIGGRAPH Education Committee Symposium On Innovation, Research & Experiences in Education, The Climatized, and Prattfolio. Holly is additionally engaged with para-institutional work through the School for Poetic Computation, the School of Making-Thinking, Deep Play Institute, and Movement Research.

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Mackenzie Adriance is the Associate Director, Work and Life Specialist. She works with Pratt Institute students, alumni, staff, and faculty to explore resources and strategies for work-life integration and self-care. Within the Center of Career and Professional Development, she helps individuals develop their career plans from the first year through graduation and beyond. As a Gallup Strengths Certified Coach, she enjoys helping others uncover their unique talents and aims, by employing her own strengths, to cultivate compassionate leaders.

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Preston Arment finds her spark in the innovation, creativity, passion, and wealth of experience each student brings to the table. Preston is striving towards lifelong adaptability in her work in order to create inclusive, universally designed spaces and processes in the college setting and beyond. In 2020 she earned a B.S. in Television-Radio at Ithaca College and in May of 2022, earned a M.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs at the University at Buffalo. Preston is originally from Syracuse, NY and is new to the Bay Area. She is always seeking opportunities to engage in creative work and chat about her favorite movies and tv shows. In her free time, she enjoys reading outside at parks, painting, knitting, and listening to podcasts.

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Tom enjoys helping instructors realize their vision, whether that's developing a new curriculum or getting a Canvas course really humming. He also teaches courses on computer programming, our imminent AI overlords, and a conspiracy theory or two.

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As Employer and Internship Specialist, Sylvia focuses on employer engagement and promotion of internship and job opportunities to the Otis community. She manages employer events such as info sessions and career fairs, and helps students and alumnx prepare through job preparation workshops and career counseling

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Talon moved to LA and began working with Otis College in November 2021. In the Career Services department, she proudly supports students and hiring managers with all things on-campus employment. Talon recently graduated with a Master of Science in Human Development from the University of Rochester in May.

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Julia leads Career Services at Otis College of Art and Design with a team that includes career education, employer relations, and student employment. Her personal tenets for success focus on a persistent and organized approach to communicating transferable skills and networking. Prior to Otis Julia worked in Career Services at UC Irvine and Berklee College of Music in Boston. She enjoys traveling and has been to over 50 countries.

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Manages/ oversees housing operations and administrative services

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Emily leads Otis Design Lab, a student-centered design studio whose clients include nonprofits, cultural institutions, and businesses based in Los Angeles. In fact, one of her students designed the logo for this conference! Prior to Otis, she led the design team at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, and served as a brand designer in the Louey-Rubino Design Group studio.

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Jason serves as the Dean of Student Affairs at Otis College of Art and Design and over 18 years of experience in higher education. Jason was born and raised in Maryland and earned a business degree from NC State University and a master’s in student affairs at University of Vermont. Jason is interested in researching racial consciousness and the intersection of faith & race in higher education. He is a Ph.D. candidate in Higher Education at Azusa Pacific University.

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Courtney comes from a long line of creatives, healers, and hustlers, which informs her work as a student advocate, cultural practitioner, dancer, artist, and mother. Entering CCA as administrative assistant for student affairs over a decade ago, she now supports undergraduate students as director of academic program advising and planning for academic affairs. She also founded one of CCA’s longest-running student organizations, Students of Color Coalition (SCC). Courtney recently completed a master of arts in psychology, exploring Native Hawaiian diasporic indigeneity with a specialization in consciousness, spirituality, and integrative health, and is currently working toward attaining her doctorate.

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Maura Conley is a Learning Designer at the Center for Teaching and Learning and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Humanities & Media Studies at Pratt Institute. With a degree in English and Education, and an MFA in Creative Writing, Maura continues academic work in the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program at Stony Brook University. Her writing can be found in Transformative Approaches to Radical Wellbeing in Higher Education in ETH Zurich Learning and Teaching Journal, Feminist Digital Pedagogy: Broadening Horizons, Bridging Theory and Practice, Women in Higher Education Leadership, and forthcoming in Advances in Online Education.

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Education:
MSS - Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work – Clinical Social Work
Ph.D. - University of Southern Mississippi - English/Creative Writing
MFA - University of Notre Dame - Fiction
MA, Binghamton University - English/Creative Writing Concentration
BA, Hollins University - English

As Director of the UArts Counseling Center, Beth takes a generalist approach to treatment of depression, anxiety, trauma, self-harm, and existential concerns. She received her training as a Counseling intern at the UArts Counseling Center in 2016-2017, and graduated from the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research at Bryn Mawr College in 2017. She has also worked in community mental health and with adults with autism. She has a specialized interest in Poetry/Bibliotherapy, and is in training to be a registered Poetry Therapist (PTR). She is also a member-at-large of the board of the National Association of Poetry Therapy. When she's not meeting with students for therapy or doing directorly things, she's working on her second book.

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Amanda Diaz brings a history of amplifying her students' abilities to communicate and engage confidently with others, enabling them to make an influential impact in the world. With 15 years of higher education experience working in various student affairs-related roles, her work has focused on student support, academic coaching, and access opportunity programs.


Amanda received her MSEd in Bilingual School Counseling from Long Island University in 2014 before earning her MBA in Management from Mercy College in 2019. As Director of the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) at Pratt Institute, Amanda invokes her vision and skills to help provide students access and opportunity by curating programs and services that focus on resource discovery, awareness, and decision-making. Amanda inspires her students to explore their passions and work with intention.


Amanda breaks grounds with sound strategy and innovative approaches. She immediately grips others, leaving them feeling empowered and focused. Leading with conviction, Amanda works closely with her team and colleagues to effectively strengthen and elevate their leadership vision.


When she is not diligently working, Amanda spends time with family, friends, and her darling dog Persia.

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Valerie has been at Otis College for over 5 years and is currently the Assistant Director of Career Education as of July 2022. Valerie has a BFA in Fine Arts from SVA and currently makes illustrations.

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Kat has always felt a desire to help and support artistic communities and has been able to do so throughout her time at CCA - from an administrative assistant to academic advisor, and now as assistant director of academic program advising and planning for academic affairs. Originally from Sacramento, Kat went to the University of California, Davis (UCD) where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Communications. She continues to be inspired by the students that she works with and is reminded to make time for her own art practice and personal and professional growth. She also enjoys reading fiction, watching horror movies, and baking cookies in her free time.

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Cole M James (They/Zi/Zhir) is an interdisciplinary artist and Somatic Abolition Communal Consultant. James's pedagogy is centered in Student Centered Instruction and Non-Hierarchical Teaching methodologies. After earning a Master's of Fine Art in Painting & Digital Media from Claremont Graduate University, James served as a Teaching Artist Coordinator at Artworx LA and has facilitated Anti-Recidivism workshops throughout Los Angeles. Their art practice navigates the intersections of Climate Justice & Social Justice.

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M.S. Community and Trauma Counseling specializing in Art Therapy, Thomas Jefferson University

B.A. Early Elementary and Special Education/ American Studies, LaSalle University

As a BIPOC Clinical Fellow, Preya is committed to bringing an inclusive and expressive experience in her practice with the UArts community. In her recent studies at Jefferson, she has explored the effects of trauma as well as incorporated art as a mode of healing. As a creative herself, Preya understands and has special interest in diving into important topics such as identity, relationships, and self-guided wellness.

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Zachary Lucero is a Brooklyn-based higher education professional, artist, and writer.

Zachary has over ten years of academic and student affairs experience. He currently serves as Assistant Director of Integrated Platforms in Undergraduate Advising at Pratt Institute. He advises the interior design program, and manages advising technology and communication for the department.

He received his B.S. in Business Management at University of Colorado in 2011 and received an MFA from Pratt Institute in 2016. His artwork has been exhibited and read in The Boiler Room, Pierogi Gallery, Unnameable Books, No. 4 Studio, The Sunview Luncheonette and Puffin Cultural Forum. He curated Let me hold your breath at Baxter Street Camera Club in New York City, featuring artists Tal Gilboa and Elizabeth Kleberg. He was most recently exhibited at Ann Reid Gallery in Princeton, New Jersey.

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Alex Mitchell is an artist, illustrator, and educator currently living and working out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has a BFA in Studio Art from Illinois Wesleyan University and an MFA in Visual Studies from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. He's a board member for the Autoptic Foundation, a Twin Cites organization devoted to supporting independent creative culture.

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As the inaugural Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Otis College, Dr. Negrete works to move forward the college’s strategic thinking and planning as it relates to DEI, facilitates programs and educational opportunities that build an inclusive and affirming campus climate, and leads Otis College’s DEI Council to move the College in ways that align with our commitment to DEI. The AVP, DEI role is a senior leadership role, reporting directly to the President and advising senior leadership on essential policies, programs, and strategies to achieve inclusion and equity.

Nick’s career experience spans over the past 18 years, with progressive leadership roles at various institution types including UC Santa Barbara, Cal State Los Angeles, the University of Vermont, and Otis College of Art and Design.

Negrete earned his doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Vermont, his Master of Education with a focus on higher education and student affairs administration also from the University of Vermont, and his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Chicano Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

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Physician, Teacher, and Author

Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH, is on the faculty of the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. His teaching and research activities focus on population health, social determinants of health, and the design and evaluation of health improvement intervention programs. With the unique background and training required to bridge scientific and humanistic disciplines, he has contributed to significant explorations into how creative expression mitigates illness and enhances wellbeing. He has become a prominent advocate for creative engagement, ancillary to and integrated with traditional medical care, as a pathway to healing.

Dr. Nobel’s book published by Penguin Random House in 2023 “Project UnLonely: Healing Our Crisis of Disconnection” unpacks our personal and national experience of loneliness to discover its roots and take steps to find comfort and connection. He clarifies how meaningful connection can be nourished and sustained, and he reveals that an important component of the healing process is engaging in creativity.

Dr. Nobel graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University within the Science and Human Affairs program. He received his medical education at the University of Pennsylvania and completed his internal medicine residency at the Beth Israel Hospital, Boston. Board-certified in both Preventive Medicine and Internal Medicine, Dr. Nobel also holds Master’s Degrees in Epidemiology and Health Policy from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Poet & Photographer

A published poet, Dr. Nobel has received several awards for his poetry including the Bain-Swiggett Prize from Princeton University, and the American Academy of Poets Prize from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Nobel has been writing poetry and taking photographs since high school and studied both arts in college. In medical school, as he encountered studies demonstrating that art plays an important role in healing, he realized that his artistic, scientific, and humanistic interests were complementary.

An avid arts supporter, Dr. Nobel has served on the Board of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company of New York City, the Board of Overseers of the De Cordova Art Museum in Lincoln, MA, and the Institute for Contemporary Art/Boston Director’s Circle.

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Julian Oddman is an instructional designer for the Office of Learning Technologies at SVA in New York. He is dedicated to helping guide instructors navigate the tools the school provides to enhance their courses and design courses to give students the best learning experience possible.

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Kelly Olshan is an arts manager and visual artist passionate about providing fiscal and professional development resources for creative practitioners. She currently serves as New York Foundation for the Art (NYFA)’s Program Officer, Career Advice and Training, where she manages a host of professional development programs for individual artists, including the Artist as Entrepreneur Program, NYFA Coaching, and Doctor's Hours.


Prior to joining NYFA, she served as the Program Manager for Queens Council on the Arts, where she served as the founding manager of the Artist Commissioning Program and authored the book How You Can Commission Art, which democratizes traditional commissioning process by enabling local community members to fund new culture. She has also published research on nonprofit professional development programs for artists in the Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society.



In 2019, she participated in NYFA’s Emerging Leaders program, and serves as a frequent panelist for NYC’s Percent for Art Program as well as on the Advisory Committee of the DOT Public Art program. As a practicing visual artist, her sculptural oil paintings invite the viewer to navigate towards an unattainable space, and have been exhibited nationally. She graduated Valedictorian from UNC Asheville, where she obtained a BFA in Painting, and holds an MA in Arts Administration from Columbia University.

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Oversees residential life and housing operations.

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I have been with Otis College of Art and Design since February 2023. I am a Student Employment & HR Payroll Assistant with Career Services. I support students and hiring managers with on campus employment opportunities. I have a bachelor's of Art from Long Beach State University and in May of 2023 was certified in Human Resources Management. I love hiking, camping and love trying foods from different countries.

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Maria oversees the Student Engagement and Leadership team and Orientation, among other things. She has worked as a hall director for first year students at SVA and as Coordinator for student clubs at FIU. She is active as an advisor for a local chapter of her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi.

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As a designer Dr Natalie Salvador focuses on sustainability, crafting new garments from existing materials. As an educator Dr Natalie Salvador specializes in adapting technology, culturally responsive pedagogy/andragogy and Universal Design for Learning practices to fit the needs of the physical and virtual studio classroom. In 2022 she earned her doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. Her dissertation research was a qualitative study on how gender bias is experienced and lived out by female fashion designers. Her current research interests focus on the analysis of race, gender, and class based exclusionary structures in post-secondary art and design education. In addition to her doctorate she holds a graduate certificate in Learning Design and Technology from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California, a BFA in Fashion Design from Otis College of Art and Design, and an AA in Visual Presentation and Space Design from FIDM. She is a lecturer in the Fashion Department at Otis College and has over 10 years of experience working in the fashion industry in various capacities from special event planning to shoe design.

Heather has a Ph.D. in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles and over 10 years of progressive administrative experience in higher education and nongovernmental organizations. For the last 5 years, Heather has overseen the implementation and growth of academic support services at Pratt Institute for all matriculated students. Heather was the functional lead on the implementation of the student success software program Starfish, and has continued as the lead Starfish Administrator. She is now overseeing the creation of the new Student Success Center at Pratt. The center will include Starfish guidance and training, workshops, academic support and tutoring, as well as programming for underrepresented cohorts, all with a focus on retention, persistence, and graduation. Heather previously oversaw academic support services at Bloomfield College, after working for multiple non-profit organizations focused on global education and health initiatives.

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Timea Sipos provides tutoring and coaching support and manages a team of peer tutors as the Lead Coordinator of the Student Learning Center at Otis College of Art & Design, where she also teaches Extension courses in creative writing. Her original fiction and Hungarian-to-English translations have received support from MacDowell, the Vermont Studio Center, PEN America, the Black Mountain Institute, the Nevada Arts Council, and the Center for Steinbeck Studies, among others. She is currently working with her agent on a speculative novel-in-stories set in her hometown of Budapest. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a certificate in literary translation from the Balassi Institute in Hungary.

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Oversees CAB, Peer Mentors, TISOs, and Clubs and Organizations

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I am an LA native, having grown up in Pasadena and residing in Manhattan Beach with my husband and two sons. I am also a Loyola Marymount University Alum, class of 2003. After graduating, I attended St. George’s University School of Medicine for a combined Master of Public Health and Medical Degree.



I completed my first two years of residency training in general pediatrics at Maimonides Infants and Children’s Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, and my last year in sunny Southern California at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. I developed a passion for working with adolescents and young adults during my pediatric residency. I decided to complete a sub-specialty fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.



I have been at Otis College since 2016, having come on board to help build the Student Health and Wellness Center. I continue to see students for medical care and lead the center in administrative duties.

Dr. Armando T. Zúñiga is the Academic Director of English Language and Undergraduate Initiatives; Director, Writing Centers; and an Associate Professor of Humanities and Sciences at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California. Prior to working at ArtCenter, Dr. Zúñiga was Assistant Director of the Center for Equity for English Learners at Loyola Marymount University. He has taught graduate-level courses and consulted in the area of second-language acquisition and culturally diverse pedagogy both domestically and internationally. He earned his doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. His dissertation research was a qualitative study of the knowledge, motivation and organizational influences on the goal attainment of instructional coaches for teachers of ELLs. His current research interests include organizational change and systems theory, English-language acquisition and professional development for faculty to support ELLs.

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Lorinda oversees tutoring support for liberal arts and design courses as the Assistant Director of the Student Learning Center at Otis College of Art and Design, where she also teaches foundation English composition. She is also a fiction writer whose novel-in-progress was named first runner-up for the 2019 James Jones First Novel Fellowship, while her short stories have been published in the Mississippi Review, The Normal School, and elsewhere. She has been an editor for Witness, Lunch Ticket, and other publications. She earned a doctorate in literature and creative writing from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she was a Barrick Graduate Fellow and a Black Mountain Institute PhD Fellow, and she holds an MFA from Antioch University Los Angeles.

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Judit Török is a passionate educator, feminist philosopher, mindfulness practitioner and researcher of learning. She is the founding Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Pratt Institute. With over 20 years of teaching experience she facilitates relational practices within faculty groups and learning communities that inspire creative change in higher education pedagogy. She supports interdisciplinary SoTL in art, design and architecture disciplines, and is committed to fostering wellbeing of students and educators. Prior to joining Pratt, she supported campus-wide ePortfolio projects for learning and assessment, and served as a senior fellow at the Melton Foundation, empowering change-makers across the globe.

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Jean-Marie Venturini is the Director of Learning Centers at Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles. She has worked in Instructional Design since 2012. She received her M.S. in Instructional Design & Technology from CSU Fullerton (2016), M.F.A. from Otis College of Art and Design in Creative Writing (2006), and a B.F.A from Loyola Marymount University in Classics and Classical Civilizations (2004). She has taught in the Liberal Arts and Sciences department at Otis College since 2006. She currently teaches ENGL 107 Writing in the Digital Age (HyFlex) and LIBS 114/214 Time Travel Storytelling (Online).

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As the assistant director of the UArts Counseling Center, Miranda works as a generalist clinician with experiences in treating a wide range of mental health and adjustment related concerns. She also provides supervision and training to graduate level clinical interns.


She completed her training as a counseling intern at UArts Counseling Center in 2018-19 and briefly served as Clinical Fellow before joining UArts full-time. She graduated from University of Pennsylvania with two master’s degrees in Professional Counseling and also has a master's degree in Bilingual/Bicultural Education from Columbia University. Miranda is passionate about supporting students of minority groups who have experienced racial trauma and discrimination, and she has particular interests in international student education and supporting Asian students' wellness.


Miranda currently is a faculty member teaching graduate level class at University of Pennsylvania and has a private practice dedicated to serving marginalized groups of clients.

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