NECHE Engagement Team and Working Groups

NECHE Engagement Team

The NECHE Engagement Team is the steering committee for our 2026 NECHE accreditation. The Engagement Team consists of the two co-chairs who lead and have oversight of RISD’s accreditation efforts, and the chairs/co-chairs charged with leading working groups focused on specific NECHE accreditation standards.

  • Touba Ghadessi, Co-Chair 
  • Jennifer Roberts, Co-Chair 
  • Rob Albanese, Standard 9 Co-Chair 
  • Renee Byas, Standards 1 and 3 Chair
  • Dan Cavicchi, Standard 4 Co-Chair 
  • Xiangli Ding, Standard 8 Chair 
  • Paula Gaetano Adi, Standard 4 Co-Chair 
  • Jennifer Liese, Writer 
  • Brittany Lok, Standard 9 Co-Chair 
  • Rick Mickool, Standard 7 Chair 
  • Margot Nishimura, Standard 6 Chair 
  • Sara Rothenberger, Standard 5 Chair 
  • Jack Silva, Standard 2 Chair (retired)

Working group members

Standards 1 and 3: 

  • Renee Byas – General Counsel, Chair 
  • Sofiya Cabalquinto – Chief Marketing & Communications Officer 
  • Bethany Costello – Executive Director, Center for Community Partnerships 
  • Antonia Craig – Special Assistant to the President & Secretary to the Board of Trustees 
  • Cheryl Heroux – Executive Legal Assistant/Paralegal 
  • Sarah Knarr-Therrien – Director, Center for Student Involvement 
  • Rebecca Lazouras – Executive Assistant & Policy Coordinator 
  • Kajette Solomon – Museum SEI Specialist 
  • Tracy Voccio – Student Account Manager, Continuing Education

Standard 2: 

  • Jack Silva – Vice President, Campus Services, Chair (retired) 
  • Amanda Clark MacMullan – Vice President, Institutional Advancement 
  • Dylan Costa – Audio Visual Tech Coordinator/Programmer 
  • Jennifer Howley – Director, Risk, Emergency Management, & RISD Property Holdings 
  • Jay Lowrey – Associate Director, Institutional Effectiveness 
  • Leora Maltz-Lecaz – Professor 
  • Tom Mattos – Assistant Vice President of Finance/Controller 
  • John Murphy – Senior Director, CE Strategic Operations & Adult Programs 

Standard 4: 

  • Dan Cavicchi – Professor, History, Philosophy, and the Social Sciences, Co-chair 
  • Paula Gaetano Adi – Professor, Foundation Studies, Co-chair 
  • Susan Andersen – Associate Director, Career Center 
  • Amalia Galdona-Broche – Assistant Professor, Textiles 
  • Brittany Goodwin – Student Success Project Manager 
  • Westley Holiday – Senior Project Manager 
  • Amy Horschak – Director, Graduate Studies 
  • Carol Lasch – Associate Professor, Foundation Studies 
  • Christine Peterson – Registrar 
  • Ramon Tejada – Associate Professor, Graphic Design 
  • Traci Vaspol –  Senior Academic Department Administrator, Computation, Technology and Culture Department 

Standard 5: 

  • Sara Rothenberger – Associate Dean of Students, Chair 
  • Ginnie Dunleavy – Executive Director, Auxiliary Services 
  • Jess Harris – Student Support & CARE Network Program Manager 
  • Sean Nesselrode Moncada – Associate Professor, Theory and History of Art and Design 
  • Dallas Pride – Executive Director, Alumni + Family Relations 
  • Ray Quirolgico – Vice President, Student Life and Engagement 
  • Richard Song – Director, Intercultural Student Engagement 
  • Maria Stadanlick – Director, Student Accounts 

Standard 6: 

  • Margot Nishimura – Assistant Provost for Academic Engagement, Chair 
  • Alero Akporiaye – Associate Professor, History, Philosophy, and the Social Sciences 
  • Meredith Barrett – Associate Director, Writing & Related Literacies 
  • Justine Bubar – Faculty Recruitment & Development Coordinator 
  • Joshua Chodorow – Administrative Assistant, Provost’s Office 
  • Jen Horwitz – First Year Liberal Arts Academic Advisor 
  • Norm Paris – Professor, Foundation Studies 

Standard 7:

  • Rick Mickool – Chief Information Officer, Chair 
  • Joe Bernier – Senior Director, Information Technology Services 
  • Tara Blaney – Treasury Director 
  • Sarah Caggiano – Assistant Vice President of Institutional Advancement Business Operations & Annual Giving 
  • Janine Connelly – Director, Academic Budgets, Planning, and Analysis/Strategy 
  • Jill English – Executive Director, Compensation and Benefits \
  • Anthony Gallonio – Assistant Vice President, Enrollment Services 
  • Aliza Leventhal – Director, Fleet Library 
  • Jerlyn Vidal – Director, CE Finance & Business Administration

Standard 8: 

  • Xiangli Ding – Associate Professor, History, Philosophy, and the Social Sciences, Chair 
  • Veronica Dupuis – Administrative Coordinator, Student Life 
  • Elyana Kadish – Health Educator 
  • Jay Lowrey – Associate Director, Institutional Effectiveness 
  • Dimitris Papadopoulos – Senior Instructional Designer, Teaching & Learning Lab 
  • Brian Ulrich – Professor, Photography

Standard 9: 

  • Rob Albanese –  Associate Director, Digital Content Production and Operations, Co-chair 
  • Brittany Lok– Associate General Counsel, Co-chair 
  • Claudeline Chery – Associate Director, Center for Community Partnerships 
  • Justeane Odams – Senior Enrollment Reporting & Research Analyst 
  • Phil Oliveira – Director, Student Conduct and Community Standards 
  • Liz Rainone – Director, Employment & Employee Development