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