Office of the Dean
The Office of the Dean is home to professionals dedicated to the operations and success of the College of Human Development, Culture, and Media (CHDCM). Aligned with the ethos of the College and in collaboration with leadership from all Academic Departments and affiliated units, each role is designed to elevate the College in its pursuit of innovation, excellence, and prestige. To assist the College community, an overview regarding the Dean’s Leadership Team is articulated below.
CHDCM Administrative Organizational Chart (PirateNet login required)
Founding Dean
Bryan Crable is the chief academic officer of the College and is responsible for the
strategic, programmatic, fundraising and management operations that support the mission
and vision of the CHDCM and its role within the University. In collaboration with
the College’s faculty, administrators and staff, Crable leads the development of the
College’s vision, strategic direction, and related implementation. Additionally, he
is responsible for the College’s financial management, as well as administering its
educational programs, leading and mentoring current faculty, and supporting faculty
research initiatives.
Senior Associate Dean, Strategy, Planning, and Administration
Ryan Hudes leads and collaborates with faculty and administrators from the College’s
academic departments and affiliated administrative units to realize the CHDCM’s integrated
strategic plan. Aligned with the dean’s direction for the College, functional areas
of responsibility and leadership include the integration of strategy, enrollment management,
communications and outreach, accreditation and assessment, and engagement.
Associate Dean, Student Success and Engagement
Omayra Arocho is responsible for an array of student- and College community-related
initiatives, including: (1) leadership of College community development opportunities
with the aim to engage, academically and professionally prepare, as well as acknowledge
the achievements of faculty, administrators, students and alumni; (2) direction and
development of internal and external community partnerships and collaborations; (3)
development of co-curricular opportunities to contribute to and enhance the CHDCM’s
commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; and (4) direct undergraduate and graduate
student services and support, including an emphasis on cultivating a premier student
experience and activities to facilitate persistence and retention.
Associate Dean, College Effectiveness
Amy Kline provides leadership and essential knowledge across the College related to
assessment goals, certification and fieldwork requirements for applicable programs
across each academic department. Kline is directly responsible for management and
oversight of the national accreditation processes including the quality assurance
system, and use of data for improving candidate learning and program quality. Related,
Kline supervises the leadership of the CHDCM’s Office of Fieldwork and Certification.
Assistant Dean, Academic Administration
Diana Minakakis provides functional leadership and collaborates with department chairs,
the Office of the Dean, and campus partners related to graduate and undergraduate
academic administrative operations across the College. Areas of responsibility include:
(1) primary reviewer of academic administrivia from each of the College’s academic
departments for compliance with College- and University-related policy and processes
– inclusive of logistical components associated with academic majors/programs, course
schedules, faculty workload, and new and modified curricula; (2) primary data steward
and point-of-contact for the College’s data across University technology systems;
(3) liaison between the CHDCM and its academic departments with enrollment services,
specifically registrar- and bursar-related functions; and (4) lead efforts to consistently
refresh and maintain comprehensive suites of resource materials, related to each of
the College’s undergraduate and graduate academic portfolios.
Interim Executive Director, Center for Sports Media
B.J. Schecter is responsible for the strategic vision and operation of the College’s
Center for Sports Media. The Center seeks to redefine how students are trained in
media, journalism, communication and sports business, plus how they engage with the
sports community and produce groundbreaking content through channels and partnerships
with major media outlets. Specifically, Schecter leads initiatives associated with:
(1) strategic planning and collaborative partnerships; (2) innovative co-curricular
programming; (3) development and external relations; and (4) marketing and operations.
Sr. Director, Communications and Enrollment Management
Brittany Scoles reinforces and promotes the identity and voice of the College with
prospective graduate and undergraduate students, as well as internal and external
stakeholders, through integrated communication planning, messaging, outreach and engagement.
Scoles implements and directs integrated recruitment-related events, including open
houses, yield, and preview opportunities. For specific graduate programs, Scoles provides
professional advising to enrolled students. In addition, Scoles leads efforts across
the CHDCM related to Graduate Assistant recruitment, selection, onboarding and supervision.
Christopher Aurilio, M.A.
Director, Production/Facilities
Chris Aurilio serves as the integrated director of the College’s experiential media
and performing arts co-curricular and extracurricular facilities. Each unit represents
a professionally run production entity housed within the CHDCM, including WSOU 89.5
FM, the Television Studio, on-campus Theatre, and ancillary related facilities (University
Center satellite studio, Sound Production Lab, Creator Spaces, and others).
Director, Fieldwork and Certification
Juliana Gijima oversees two essential components of the College at both the undergraduate
and graduate levels: field-based experiences and certification. Gijima is responsible
for the leadership and administration of internships, practicum and academic clinical
field experiences, including coordinating all activities related to the day-to-day
operations, strategic initiatives, and evolving site-based partner liaising. Additionally,
Gijima manages the collection of student data to ensure adherence to state requirements
for certification through the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) and national
requirements for accreditation.
Jeronimo Valcarcel, M.S.
Director, Student Success
Jeronimo Valcarcel is responsible for the holistic support of graduate and undergraduate
students. Valcarcel directs and develops support services to graduate and undergraduate
students through onboarding, co-curricular programs, and individualized academic success
plans. Additionally, Valcarcel collaborates with faculty across the College and its
academic departments on best practices for academic support, advisement, and retention
services.
Juergen Heinrichs, Ph.D.
Analyst, College Effectiveness
Juergen Heinrichs functions as a key member of the College Effectiveness team where
he provides support for administration of the College’s assessment management system,
ensuring proper deployment of course embedded and other related assessments. Heinrichs
functions closely with faculty for development and training on essential knowledge
for programmatic data collection from set-up to effective reporting to inform continuous
improvement discussions to improve candidate learning and program quality.
Assistant Director, Fieldwork and Certification
Erica Russomanno provides support for two essential components of the College at both
the undergraduate and graduate levels: field based experiences and certification.
Russomanno is responsible for the coordination and administrative support of internships,
practicum, and academic clinical field experiences, under the direction of the Director
of Fieldwork and Certification. Russomanno tracks the collection of student data to
ensure adherence to state requirements for certification through the New Jersey Department
of Education (NJDOE) and national requirements for accreditation.
Manager, Administrative Services
Stacey Anderson is responsible for leading and supervising the College’s support staff
to facilitate critical business processes both within the College and with campus
partners across the University. Anderson leads efforts related to the timely completion
and accuracy of an array of administrative services, systems, procedures and policies.
Anderson provides functional direction with administrative systems, including PageUp,
Formstack, and SharePoint. Additionally, she is the liaison with Facilities Engineering
for Jubilee Hall, Arts and Sciences Hall, Arts Center, Corrigan Hall Music Center,
Fahy Hall lower level, University Theatre, and WSOU 89.5 FM.
Coordinator, College Initiatives
Sherry Mahfouz oversees the planning and execution of a range of executive-level events
and related programming across the College, including activities associated with each
academic department as well all Centers and Institutes within the CHDCM. Mahfouz functions
closely with a variety of campus partners in the execution of varied collaborations,
partnerships, recruitment initiatives and critical special projects.
Secretary
Ann Rodrigues supports faculty and students across several graduate programs, specifically
in areas related to applications, exams, records and communications. Rodrigues works
closely with both full-time and adjunct faculty, regarding course scheduling, payments and program logistics.
TBA
Secretary
The Secretary supports the day-to-day operations of the Office of the Dean, including
efficient and effective assistance with a range of activities related to the College's
Business Affairs, Graduate Studies, Events Management, and Office Maintenance.