Dean’s Council

Photo of 1 Washington Square North showing a tree lined street with red brick townhouses and white framed windows

NYU Silver School of Social Work Dean’s Council is a select group of distinguished alumni and friends of the School that provides support to the Dean in accomplishing the School’s strategic philanthropic and growth goals.

Constance McCatherin Silver, PhD (NYU Trustee)

Silver ’78, ’79

Dr. Constance (Connie) McCatherin Silver is a psychoanalyst, acclaimed social worker, educator, philanthropist and extraordinary artist. Throughout her life, Connie has shown fierce dedication and courage as a champion in the fight against inequality. Working together with her husband Martin, Connie has helped to transform the field of social work, setting the highest bar as a philanthropist committed to social change and bettering the lives of all people.

In 2007 Connie’s vision of disrupting generational poverty led to the founding of the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at New York University. It is her spirit and values that continue to guide McSilver Institute’s work. Connie is a member of the NYU Board of Trustees and she has served as a lecturer at NYU for many years. Her artwork can be found in private and corporate collections. Her 10-foot tall sculpture, “Whoopie,” is displayed on the Florida International University campus. She earned a BS degree in social work in 1978 and an MSW in 1979 from NYU. She also received a PhD from the Union Institute and University in 1983.

Phyllis Putter Barasch, MBA (NYU Trustee)

Stern ’81

Phyllis Putter Barasch served as vice president in the Multi-National Lending and Commodities Lending Groups of the International Division of the Bank of New York before joining BNY-Mellon’s Personal Trust and Investment Division. Prior to her career in banking and finance, she was a speech pathologist at NYU Langone Health’s Rusk Institute and at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. In addition to NYU Silver’s Dean’s Council, Phyllis is a member of NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center Advisory Committee, the NYU Board of Trustees, and the NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research Advisory Committee. She is a former president and a current member of the NYU Alumni Association Board of Directors. Phyllis is the secretary of the board of Town Hall of New York.

Darren P. Arthur, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C

Silver ’03

A bilingual practitioner with expertise in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (PELC); Oncology; Grief, Loss, and Bereavement' and LGBT issues, Darren P. Arthur is a Board-Certified Oncology SW with over 20 years of experience. Additional clinical experience involves Mental health and HIV/AIDS. Darren is a certified Field Instructor and has a post-Master’s Certificate in PELC. He has post-graduate training in Mental Health, Human Development, Trauma, Children, Couples, and Families, and multiple theoretical approaches.

Darren was a Fellow in NYU Silver’s Zelda Foster Studies Leadership Fellowship in PELC, and received the NASW-NYC Emerging Social Work Leader Award in 2013. He is a published author and presents both regionally and nationally. He is an adjunct faculty member at NYU Silver and has sat on the school’s Dean’s Advisory Council since 2002. Darren facilitates groups at Red Door Community, is Co-Chair of the Board of the National LGBT Cancer Network, and is on the Finance Committee of the Association of Oncology Social Workers.

Jane Borg, MSW

Silver ’86

Jane Borg graduated with her MSW from NYU Silver in 1986, after which she began her career with Catholic Charities working to help keep children out of foster care and in homes with their families. While raising her three children, she facilitated parenting groups and worked with mothers on adjusting to their new roles. Jane has been involved with many organizations including UJA, Jewish Women's Foundation of New York, Moving Traditions and has done extensive volunteer work including at Westchester Jewish Community Services and at the Pleasantville Cottage School, one of the oldest and most respected residential treatment programs in the U.S. In addition to the Silver School, she and her husband Barry (Stern ’86) are supporters of The University of Michigan and The Barger Leadership Institute.

Jane Eisner Bram, PhD

Silver ’79, ’00

Jane Eisner Bram is a clinical social worker with a private practice treating individuals and groups in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. She received her PhD in 2000. In addition to her role as a trustee associate of NYU, she is a former chair of the NYU Silver School of Social Work Dean’s Council. She also serves on the board of the Joseph Eisner Camp for reformed Judaism, which is named for her father ‒ a graduate of the NYU Stern School of Business and NYU School of Law.

Carmen Collado, LCSW-R

Silver ’92

Carmen Collado is Chief Relationship Officer for The Shield Institute, which empowers children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to achieve life goals. She held previous executive positions at ICL and JBFCS, securing over $10 Million in funding for nonprofit health services in addition to advocacy for preserving essential human services contracts. She is Senior Advisor with The Village Enrichment, helping human services organizations to address structural racism. She led two pioneering conferences on Behavioral Health issues in the LGBTQ community and Communities of Color.

Carmen is the former Chair of the New York State Board of Regents Advisory Board for the Social Work Profession. In that role, she was appointed representative of New York to the National Association of Social Work Boards, voting on major social work policy decisions. Carmen is a graduate of Queens College and earned her master’s degree at NYU Silver School of Social Work.

Antonieta Contreras, MSW

Silver ’11

A former banker and consultant, Antonieta Contreras is a Gestalt trained psychotherapist who graduated as a social worker from NYU Silver. After a few years working at agencies with highly traumatized people, she went on to get a specialization in Trauma Studies from the Institute of Contemporary Psychotherapies (ICP) and in Human Sexuality from NYU School of Medicine.

Antonieta maintains a private practice in Chelsea where she combines the different modalities that are concerned with trauma, as well as the contemplative techniques that she learned in India and from the Tibetan Buddhist traditions. She is currently serving as Secretary of the Board of Our Home Base, a non-profit organization that targets foster care kids in transition. She has also contributed to several non-for-profit organizations in different volunteer roles. Antonieta is also a consultant, supervisor and faculty at the Institute of Contemporary Psychotherapies where she chairs several committees.

Cara Davidson, LCSW

Silver ’02

Cara Davidson is a supervisor at the Larchmont Mamaroneck Community Counseling Center, a public non-profit agency that provides counseling and prevention services to young people in the local community. She also has a private practice treating adolescents and young adults with a focus on DBT and other psychodynamic approaches to meet the needs of this population. Cara started her career at FEGS, a human service agency in NYC, followed by a stint in criminal justice at the Center for Court Innovation and New York County Defender Services where she advocated for the mentally ill to receive alternatives to incarceration. She also worked as a therapist at the Fifth Avenue Center for Counseling and Psychotherapy, a fee-for service clinic.

Cara earned her bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State University and a master’s in Social Work from NYU. She currently lives in Westchester with her husband and two children.

Anne DeLaney, MSW

Silver ’88

A licensed clinical social worker and partner of DeLaney Psychotherapy, Anne DeLaney has provided grief counseling services to individuals and families in northern NJ for the past 30 years. Anne is also the co-founder of OneGift, the nation’s first wish fulfillment program for adults with cancer. She is a founding member of the International Advisory Board for the Columbia University Global Mental Health Program, a former trustee of The Pingry School, Morristown Medical Health Foundation, Mayo Performing Arts Center, and Homeless Solutions. For the past 7 years, she has been an active volunteer and champion for Collaborative Support Programs of NJ (CSPNJ), dedicating countless hours to the Morris, Newark and Jersey City wellness centers. From 2006 to 2014, Anne collaborated with the Global Literacy Project, fostering community-based literacy initiatives throughout Africa, South Asia and the Caribbean.

Anne received her BA from Connecticut College in 1983 and her MSW from NYU Silver School of Social Work in 1988. In 2014, she received NYU Silver’s “Making a Difference” Award. Anne resides in Mendham, NJ with her husband, Chip Carver. Together they have two daughters, Emma and Chloe, and twin sons, Sean and Reeve.

Nancy H. Edelman, MSW

Silver ’89

Nancy Edelman is a graduate of Finch College and NYU Silver School of Social Work. Her areas of clinical concentration are divorce mediation and most recently, helping military casualties of the Iraqi war and their families. NYU Silver honored Nancy Edelman with the “Making a Difference” Award. Nancy worked in private practice as a family therapist with individuals, couples, and families at the Center for Family Learning in Rye Brook, New York from 1992 until retiring in 2005.

Active with several volunteer organizations, Nancy has been a member of the board of trustees of Fisher House Foundation, Inc. since 2003. She is also a dedicated member of the NYU Silver Dean’s Council.

Erica Fisher, MSW

Silver ’03

Erica Fisher is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin where she received her BA in History. She continued her education receiving a Master of Social Work from NYU Silver School of Social Work. After moving to Los Angeles, Erica continued studying at the Los Angeles Psychoanalytic Society, while working as a trustee for the Dreiseszun Family Foundation.

Through her foundation work, Erica has been honored to work closely with many local and national nonprofit organizations. In 2012 she co-founded and is the current co-board chair of the non-profit organization PRESENT NOW, which supports children living in transitional domestic violence shelters. PRESENT NOW is partnered with 62 shelters in 11 states and has impacted the lives of over 7,000 families living in DV shelters. Erica has three daughters and lives in Pacific Palisades, California with her husband, Evan Fisher.

Rosann Geltzeiler, MSW

Silver ’13

Rosann Geltzeiler lives and practices in both NYC and Boca Raton, Florida. She earned her Master of Social Work at NYU Silver School of Social Work. She has worked with various populations including survivors of rape and domestic violence and elderly, bringing them comfort and support. Rosann then became passionate about working with people in distress and became a group leader on Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT) at The Washington Square Institute.

Rosann utilizes a solution focus approach that helps both individuals and couples. She creatively combines several modalities such as positive psychology, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), DBT, psychodynamic therapy, and some others, to provide the customized treatment for her clients.

Susan Gerbino, PhD

Silver ’94

Dr. Susan Gerbino, Clinical Professo at NYU Silver School of Social Work, directs the School’s Zelda Foster Studies Program in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (PELC), which includes training and mentoring across the career trajectory from MSW student to advanced PELC professional. She has worked in PELC for over 45 years and has a private practice working with people with life-limiting illnesses and the bereaved. She also volunteers at Gilda’s Club Westchester and GMHC. Dr. Gerbino received the 2014 Career Achievement Award from the Project on Death in America and the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network, the 2014 Distinguished Teaching Award from the NYU Silver School of Social Work and the 2015 Quality of Life Award from the American Cancer Society and the Association of Oncology Social Work.

Lori Greifer Kaufman, MSW

Silver ’83

Lori Greifer Kaufman is the Associate Clinic Director of Mosaic Mental Health, an integrative clinic that provides a complete host of services that include medication, vocational, individual psychotherapy, group therapy, substance abuse treatment, family support service, housing, and respite services. Lori also has a private tele-health psychotherapy practice where she sees a culturally diverse population around a variety of problems including Pandemic Stress Experience (PSE) symptoms. Prior to Lori’s current position, she was an adjunct professor at NYU for seven years. She created a mental health program for a school in Harlem under a special project for Hunter Silberman School of Social work. Lori has extensive hospital social work experience including Obstetrics, Pediatrics, Emergency Room (child abuse) and Communication Disorders. Lori has a BSW, MSW and Post Masters Certificate in the treatment of Children & Adolescents from NYU, as well as a degree in Integrative Nutrition from IIN.

Lori has served and continues to serve on a variety of Boards including Westchester Children’s Association, Temple Beth Abraham, Riverdale Mental Health, and Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Advisory Board. She lives with her husband Glenn and has two children ages 19 and 21 who attend the University of Pennsylvania.

Cécile Hanft, MSW

Silver ’03

Cécile Hanft began her career in international finance after becoming one of the first women to receive a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and studying International Business at Columbia University. Cécile pivoted to a career in mental health after helping a family member who was struggling with mental illness. She chose NYU Silver to pursue her MSW because of its focus on clinical work. Since graduating from NYU Silver, Cécile has worked on an NIH-funded mental health study through Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at a residence for previously homeless people, and has worked with chronically mentally ill patients at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Prior to the Covid pandemic, she was working with undocumented immigrant children through the Safe Passage Project at New York Law School.

Cécile is currently writing a book about her own family’s origins as Jews in Europe and the psychological effect these experiences have had on her father, his children, and his grandchildren.

Carol Kanarek, JD, MSW

Silver ’00

Carol Kanarek has worked as a consultant and coach to lawyers and law firms for many years on a wide range of issues relating to professional development. For the past twenty years she has also maintained a private psychotherapy practice focusing on the unique challenges faced by professionals in the early and late stages of their work lives, including career choice, career change, and creative alternatives to retirement. Prior to establishing her private practice, Carol worked as a corporate lawyer at Thacher, Proffitt & Wood and as the Director of Career Services and a legal writing instructor at New York Law School. Her academic credentials include a JD from the University of Michigan Law School and an MSW from NYU Silver School of Social Work, where she currently serves as an advisor to the Center for Health and Aging Innovation (CHAI).

Howard Leifman, PhD

Silver ’87, ’01

Dr. Howard Leifman is an internationally recognized expert in human development. Howard specializes in helping organizations and individuals work through their personal and human resources issues. He also works with two management consulting firms and consults with the Administration for Children’s Services. He is providing executive coaching to individuals at several Fortune 500 companies. He has been in private practice for over twenty years, specializing in work related and anxiety issues. He is an adjunct Professor at NYU, LIM College, CUNY and formerly Vaughn College of Aeronautics. Howard has guest lectured at Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and the College of Aeronautics. He has worked and lived internationally. Howard has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Communications Management from Syracuse University, and master’s and PhD degrees in Social Work from New York University. His doctoral dissertation was on "Family of origin roles and adult work roles in relation to employee adjustment, satisfaction, and success." He is qualified to interpret a wide range of psychological and career assessments.

Claudia Oberweger, MSW

Sociology ’69, Silver ’88

Claudia Oberweger has a long-standing interest in working with people with substance abuse, particularly alcoholism. After graduating from NYU with a BA in Sociology in 1969, she obtained training in addiction counseling, receiving a certificate of Credentialed Alcoholism Counselor (CAC, now CASAC). Claudia worked at The Freedom Institute in New York, where she counseled individuals and families with drug abuse/alcoholism and conducted group therapy. She also taught courses in alcoholism counseling at Marymount Manhattan College in NYC.

Claudia attended the Ehrenkrantz (now Silver) School of Social Work at NYU receiving her Master of Social Work degree in 1988. She returned to the Freedom Institute as its Clinical Director, supervising counselors and staff, and providing therapy to individuals, families and groups. Claudia maintains a private practice, specializing in counseling individuals with substance abuse and their partners. She has been a member of the Dean's Council and was the Council's previous Chair. Claudia serves on the clinical advisory council at Sanctuary for Families in NYC.

Ferne Traeger, LCSW, MBA

Silver ’98

Ferne Traeger is a psychotherapist/psychoanalyst, executive coach and the Founder and President of Beyond the Boardroom, a consultancy that works with individuals and organizations to facilitate career transitions, including the transition to working parent. With expertise in human behavior in both private practice and organizational settings, Ferne combines her many years’ experience in clinical practice and business management to assist individuals in career management, leadership development and making career/life decisions. Her approach merges goal-oriented pragmatism with an ability to listen for, identify and address obstacles to personal and professional success.

Ferne has Master’s Degrees from NYU Silver School of Social Work and from Columbia Business School, and is a magna cum laude graduate of The University of Pennsylvania. She is a Training and Supervisory Analyst at The Contemporary Freudian Society, is a Member of The Institute for Psychoanalytic Training and Research and has a Certificate in executive coaching and organizational consulting.

Nancy Wender, MSW

Silver ’96

A 1996 MSW graduate, Nancy Wender is in private practice working with adult individuals and couples focusing on family-of-origin issues, relationship concerns, mood disorders and life cycle challenges. She founded and runs Tribeca Downtown Associates, a suite of offices that houses three other therapists, each practicing independently. Additionally, Nancy sees international Fellows from the nonprofit apex art program for four sessions of psychotherapy during their one-month stay in NYC. To date, Nancy has seen 62 artist Fellows. Nancy’s post-master training includes Ackerman Institute for the Family and the NYU Psychodynamic Psychotherapy program under the auspices of the NYU Medical Center. Upon graduation from NYU Silver, Nancy worked in outpatient drug and alcohol treatment and fee-for-service work at an East Village outpatient mental health facility. Previous work experience includes advertising account management, two nonprofits and her own consulting company.

Members Not Pictured:

Robert V. Schwalbe, PhD

Silkaly Moskowitz Wolchok, PhD