Adjunct Bios S-U
Panthea Saidipour, MSW, LCSW-R (NY)
Adjunct Assistant Professor
phs282@nyu.edu
Panthea Saidipour is an LCSW-R and psychoanalyst in private practice near Union Square, where she works with young adults in their 20s and 30s as well as adolescents using a relational and attachment-focused lens. She is on the Steering Committee for the Psychoanalytic Coalition for Social Justice and a member of the Diversity Equity & Inclusion Committee at the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Study Center (PPSC). She is an instructor at PPSC, as well as the internship coordinator and group supervisor for MSW interns.
She has published and presented on the topic of mental health, psychotherapy, and shared trauma between clients and therapists in the context of the pandemic.
Publication:
Saidipour, P. (2020). The precedent of good enough therapy during unprecedented times. Clinical Social Work Journal.
Dr. Jack Salzman, PhD
Adjunct Lecturer
js5176@nyu.edu
I received my Ph.D from NYU in 1965. I have served as Director of Columbia University's Center for American Culture Studies, Distinguished Professor of History at Hunter College, and Fulbright Professor in Japan and Finland. My areas of professional interest include the Holocaust and issues of civil rights in the U.S. For thirty years I was the editor of PROPSECTS; an annual of American Culture Studies.
Milagros Sanchez-Nester, LCSW
Adjunct Assistant Professor
msk2@nyu.edu
Milagros Sanchez-Nester has a private practice; Per Diem NYU Counseling and Wellness Services - SHC
Her area of interest is in College Mental; Acculturation/Immigration/Diversity Issues; Trauma; working with borderline clients
She has published the following- Responding to Immigrant Children's Mental Health Needs in the Schools: Project Mi Tierra/My Country, Children and Schools, Vol.23(I), 49-62 and The Effect of Stimulant Medication on Academic performance, in the Context of Multimodal Treatment of Attention Deficit Disorders with Hyperactivity: Two Case Reports, Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 4(2).
She earned her MSSW at Columbia University School of Social Work 1976 and received NIMH scholarship BA Lehaman College 1971. She has Training/certification in Advanced Hypnotherapy Training, NYSEPH, 40 hours 2014 NLP Center Hypnotherapy Training 80 hours 2011 Behavioral Tech, LLC DBT Intensive 2007.
Jerry Sander, MSW, LCSW (NY, PA, MA, NM)
Adjunct Lecturer
js2075@nyu.edu
Jerry Sander is a graduate of NYU's Silver School of Social Work and has served as an adjunct instructor teaching at the downtown and Westchester campuses since 2007. His private practice is specializes in couples' therapy and he is certified as a Relational Life Therapist through Terry Real's institute. He facilitates Essential Relational Skills Boot Camps on a regular basis.
Nicholas Santo, DSW, LCSW (NY)
Adjunct Lecturer
nps320@nyu.edu
Dr. Nicholas Santo, LCSW earned his MSW at Fordham University in 2008 and his DSW at NYU in 2021. He also earned his certificate from the Advanced Clinical Practice program at NYU in 2018 and completed the Psychodynamic Psychotherapy one-year program at the Training Institute for Mental Health in 2011. He currently maintains a private practice in Manhattan. Dr. Santo's interests include treatment with sexual and gender minority adults with histories of relational trauma.
Dr. Santo recently published a chapter in the book Shared Trauma, Shared Resilience During a Pandemic. Essential Clinical Social Work Series. He has another article in press to be published in June 2022 in the Psychoanalytic Social Work Journal.
Select Publications:
Santo, N. (In Press) Transcending pathological accommodation: An intersubjective self psychology approach to affirmative therapy. Psychoanalytic Social Work Journal.
Santo, N. (2021) Reflections on the HIV/AIDS Crisis, COVID-19, and Resilience in Gay Men: Ghosts of Our Past, Demons of Our Present. In: Tosone C. (eds) Shared Trauma, Shared Resilience During a Pandemic. Essential Clinical Social Work Series. Springer, Cham.
Dr. Stephanie Elias Sarabia, MSW, PhD, LCSW, LCADC (NJ)
Adjunct Assistant Professor
ss4915@nyu.edu
Stephanie Elias Sarabia, PhD, LCSW, LCADC is a license clinical social worker and a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor with over 20 years experience working in agency and community settings with people in recovery from mental health and substance use disorders. She received her PhD from New York University and is currently an Assistant Professor of Social Work and Convener of the Substance Abuse minor and BSW program at Ramapo College of New Jersey. Dr. Sarabia’s scholarship interests include risk and protective factors of substance use among adolescents, the role of parents in marijuana prevention, research informed interventions, and substance use among midlife women. She has also presented nationally and published on the topics of creative and innovative teaching approaches that engage students to becoming lifelong learners. Dr. Sarabia is also trained in Motivational Interviewing (MI), Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT), and Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT).
Ava Schlesinger, MSW, MPA, LCSW (NY) & (NJ)
Adjunct Assistant Professor
as4749@nyu.edu
Ava Schlesinger is an LCSW in NY and NJ. She received her BFA from Parsons and her MSW and MPA from NYU; she was ordained as an interfaith/interspiritual minister in 2012. Over the last 25 years, Ava has focused on holistically addressing the short- and long-term symptomatology and human and community cost associated with interpersonal, gender-based violence and trauma. This work informs her depth of commitment to social movement and change. It has been her privilege to work both locally and nationally in the arenas of human trafficking, domestic violence, sex assault/abuse, child protection & gun violence; she has traveled on working tours to Thailand, Cambodia, Liberia, and India in pursuit of how to best serve those most marginalized and compromised. Through her travels, Ava recognized that she need not look further than her own backyard to work toward change, which is where her energies are currently focused.
Andrew Schmidt, PhD, MSW, LCSW-R (NY)
Adjunct Assistant Professor
abs222@nyu.edu
Dr. Andrew Schmidt specializes in the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Anxiety, Trauma, and Depression. He is a highly skilled Cognitive Behavior Therapist (CBT) and has extensive training with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and other exposure-based approaches. He directs the Post-Master’s Certificate Program in Advanced CBT at NYU Silver and also teaches in the Advanced Clinical Practice Certificate Program and the DSW Program. Dr. Schmidt also trains and supervises other therapists in CBT-based approaches. He brings this and more than 15 years of experience to best help the patients with whom he works at City Center Psychotherapy, the private practice specializing in CBT, ERP, and ACT therapies that he founded and directs. He completed his BSW and MSW at NYU Silver and received his PhD from Hunter College of Social Work.
Michael Schmidt, MSW, LCSW, ACSW, CSWM
Adjunct Associate Professor
ms112@nyu.edu
Michael Schmidt is the Executive Director and CEO of The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey (HFNJ), an independent, endowed grant-making organization dedicated to reducing disparities in the delivery of healthcare and improving access to quality healthcare for vulnerable populations in the greater Newark, NJ area and the Jewish community of Greater MetroWest NJ.
Prior to joining HFNJ, Schmidt served as Director of American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) New York Regional Office. AJC is the leading global advocacy organization with unparalleled access to world diplomats, government officials, and religious and ethnic leaders. AJC undertakes its work by reaching across divides and building bridges with community and global leaders and engaging influential and opinion makers from across different sectors.
Schmidt previously served as the Chief Operating Office at the Council on Accreditation (COA). There, he oversaw COA’s accreditation process, including the development of best practices for non-profit administration and delivery of services, for the over 1,800 organizations and U.S. military bases abroad.
Before joining COA, Schmidt served as the Vice President of New York Foundation for Senior Citizens (NYFSC) and oversaw the service delivery to over 5,000 older and incapacitated adults throughout the five boroughs of New York City. He also was the founding director of NYFSC’s award winning 88-bed transitional homeless shelter, George Daly House.
Schmidt holds a Master of Social Work from Fordham University Graduate School of Social Services, a Master of Arts (MA) in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW).
Dr. Maryanne Schretzman, DSW, R-LCSW (NY)
Adjunct Professor
ms6407@nyu.edu
Dr. Maryanne Schretzman leads the New York City Center for Innovation through Data Intelligence (CIDI), a unit of the Mayor’s Office reporting to the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. Dr. Schretzman founded CIDI with the goal of harnessing the power of New York City’s Health and Human Service agencies to provide cross-agency data analysis in order to strategically inform policy decisions and foster interagency collaboration in addressing complex social problems. CIDI has undertaken research and policy challenges across various content areas such as: child welfare, juvenile justice, homelessness, poverty, health and aging. Dr. Schretzman holds a Bachelors of Arts from the University of Montana; Master of Social Work from Hunter College; and a Doctorate in Social Welfare from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
Benjamin Seaman, BFA, LCSW-R
Adjunct Lecturer
bs123@nyu.edu
Benjamin Seaman is the founder of Relational Minds, a group psychotherapy practice, and co-founder and Director of Communications of the New York Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy. He is a former director of the Rowe Labor Day Retreat for Gay Men and continues to present workshops and retreats on a wide range of topics.
Mr. Seaman's psychotherapy practice covers a wide range of populations from sexual minorities to "third culture" persons living in NYC, to couples and men's mentorship clients. He also provides individual and group supervision in Emotionally Focused Therapy. He is trained in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, Accelerated Dynamic Experiential Psychotherapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy and regardless of population organizes his practice through the lens of Emotional Literacy.
Approved Supervisor and Certified Emotionally Focused Therapist, International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy, Ottawa, Canada
Level III Training in Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy, New York
Certificate in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Study Center, New York
Certificate in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy, New York
Dayna Sedillo-Hamann, DSW, MSW, LMSW (NY)
Adjunct Lecturer
dch323@nyu.edu
Dayna Sedillo-Hamann, LMSW, DSW, is a Brooklyn native and a licensed social worker. Dayna works as the Social Emotional Learning Manager for the New Visions for Public Schools. Dayna is responsible for supporting counselors, social workers and other staff across the NV network of 70+ schools, helping them align and expand their SEL practices through coaching, professional learning and resource development.
Before joining New Visions, Dayna served as a Community School Director for the Henry Street Settlement, leading a team of social workers and counselors to provide support and resources to middle and high school students at schools in the Lower East Side. Previously, Dayna worked as a social worker in schools, at a family shelter and at a community health center. Prior to pursuing social work, Dayna was a high school Special Education teacher in Oakland, CA. Dayna also is a therapist in private practice and has been published in professional journals. She received her MSW from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College in New York, NY in 2014 and her DSW from NYU’s Silver School of Social Work in 2021.
Merav Segal, MSW, LLB, LCSW (NY)
Adjunct Lecturer
ms5959@nyu.edu
Merav Segal, LCSW received her MSW degree from New York University. She has a full time psychotherapy practice in Manhattan, working with adults and couples.
Dr. Evan Senreich, MSW, PhD, LCSW, CASAC (NY)
Adjunct Assistant Professor
es24@nyu.edu
Evan Senreich has been a faculty member in the Lehman College Department of Social Work, City University of New York, since 2008. He obtained his doctorate in social work from NYU Silver School of Social Work in 2007. He previously worked in New York in the fields of mental health and substance misuse programs for over two decades.
Dr. Senreich has had numerous research articles published regarding the experiences of LGBT clients in substance misuse treatment, the education of social work students to work with substance using clients, the difficulties of adults living with sickle cell disease, and the attitudes of West African immigrants towards substance misuse in the United States. Furthermore, he has had articles published regarding using a Gestalt therapy approach to social work practice and teaching social work students an inclusive definition of spirituality for use in practice. He was the Project Director of a three-year federal SAMHSA grant training social work students and medical residents in the use of SBIRT, a protocol for screening and providing brief interventions to substance using clients according to an integrated health care model.
Rei Shimizu, MSW, LMSW (NY)
Adjunct Lecturer
rs3432@nyu.edu
Rei Shimizu, LMSW, is a PhD candidate at NYU Silver School of Social Work. She has clinical experience providing trauma-focused therapy for survivors of domestic violence and intimate partner violence at non-profit organizations and private practice in the US and Japan. Her research examines social determinants of health and food behaviors and their effects on dietary disparities by socioeconomic status in young adults. Currently, Rei is a research assistant for the Youth and Young Adult Mental Health Group led by Dr. Michelle Munson. She is also a research assistant for the Center on Violence and Recovery led by Dr. Linda Mills and Dr. Briana Barocas. She holds a BA in Philosophy from Bryn Mawr College and an MSW from Columbia University.
Select Publication:
Shimizu, R. (2020) Who deserves to eat well? An analysis of equality and efficiency in US food assistance policy. Journal of Poverty, DOI:10.1080/10875549.2020.1731046
Kazeem Shinaba, MSW, LCSW (NY)
Adjunct Lecturer
ks7054@nyu.edu
Kazeem Shinaba (he/him/his) is a Nigerian American practitioner that has experience with school social work (primarily in NYC's Community School initiative), youth development (Department of Youth and Community Development) and prevention work (Administration for Child Services) and DBIE (diversity, belonging, inclusion and equity) Outside of being an adjunct lecturer at NYU Silver, Kazeem serves as the Senior People Experience Director at City Year New York. Kazeem has a Bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Services from St. John’s University and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Lehman College.
Fran Silverman, MSW, NYS LCSW-R
Adjunct Associate Professor
fs14@nyu.edu
Fran Silverman, ACSW, LCSW-R, retired in 2019 after 31 years at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. She served as Director of the Department of Social Work and Home Services having previously served as both Assistant and Associate Director of the Department.
Since joining Beth Israel in 1987, Ms. Silverman has She had responsibity for managing and supervising clinical programs, overseeing a professional and paraprofessional staff of varying disciplines, and developing and directing graduate education programs for hospital interns across all campuses. She is also a member of the National Association of Social Workers – Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW). She is a member of the Louis Armstrong Music and Medicine Center Steering Committee, bridging social work with other clinical disciplines and approaches.
Further, Ms. Silverman is professor at the Touro College School of Social Work and the NYU Silver Graduate School of Social Work. In addition, Ms. Silverman is an accomplished public speaker, having presented at conferences at the local, national and international level.
After receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the City College of the City University of New York, Ms. Silverman earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Adelphi University School of Social Work. She has spent time as a social worker and team leader at Kingsboro Psychiatric Center, the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Assistant Chief Psychiatric Social Work at Bronx Lebanon Hospital. Her work has been published in books such as Questions Patients Need to Ask; Summary of Conference Proceedings: Children and Families in an Era of Rapid Change; and Clinical Social Work with Substance Abusing Clients, among others.
She has received the Care and Compassion Award, co-sponsored by the Health Care Chaplaincy and the Wonderful World Award presented by the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine.
Tanya Simon Negron, MSW, LCSW (NY)
Adjunct Lecturer
tns238@nyu.edu
Tanya is currently the Executive Director of Lifeline Center for Child Development, in Queens Village, NY, which serves children diagnosed with Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED), and their families. Tanya has worked in non-profit management for the majority of her career, with a focus on serving communities experiencing poverty and compounded marginalization. Tanya holds an MSW Degree from New York University's Silver School of Social Work, and two BS Degrees, in Criminal Justice and Human Services, from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. She is a NYS Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Carly Siuta, MSW, LMSW (NY)
Adjunct Lecturer
cs5069@nyu.edu
Carly Siuta (she/her/她) is the Senior Specialist for Health Promotion and Student Well-being at the NYU Shanghai campus, where she also teaches in NYU Silver School of Social Work’s Shanghai-New York MSW program. Her professional background spans education, non-profit, and community-based work. She specializes in international and cross-cultural practice with nearly a decade of experience in the Asia/Pacific region. Carly completed a BA in Urban and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Social Work from NYU Silver’s Shanghai-New York program. She is a licensed social worker (LMSW) in New York state.
Aaron Skinner-Spain, LCSW-R
Adjunct Instructor; Co-Director, Trauma-Informed Clinical Practice Post-Master's Certificate Program
as4045@nyu.edu
Aaron Skinner-Spain is the Co-Director of the Trauma Informed Clinical Practice Certificate program. He has extensive experience in the treatment of trauma and was part of the Trauma Team at NYU Counseling and Wellness Services. His training includes a certificate from the Trauma Research Foundation in Traumatic Stress Studies, a certificate from the University of Pennsylvania, Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety in Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD, and both a four-year certificate in Psychoanalysis and a one-year certificate in Psychoanalytic Supervision from the Training Institute for Mental Health. He is a graduate of Cornell University and an alumni of the Silver School. Aaron is the Founder and Executive Director at NYC Affirmative Psychotherapy, a community-focused, sliding-scale, group psychotherapy practice with a special commitment to serving queer communities of color.
Leah Slivko, MSW, LICSW (MA), LCSW-N, PsychA (NY)
Adjunct Assistant Professor
lgs4@nyu.edu
In Private practice in NYC and Amherst, MA with teens, adults, couples and groups. On the faculty at the NJ Institute for Psychoanalysis, Massachusetts Institute for Psychoanalysis, and Eastern Group Psychotherapy Training Program. Adjunct faculty at Smith College School of Social Work. Interests included how to use dreams in treatment to tap into creative ways of dealing with their struggles, how to incorporate SKYPE into connecting with clients who are unable to come physically into an office setting, and the impact of culture on human development.
Vanessa Smith, MSW, LCSW (NY)
Graduate Student Adjunct
vps4031@nyu.edu
Vanessa Smith is a New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker. In 2015, she received her MSW at Long Island University. Currently, Vanessa serves as an Elementary School Social Worker at the New York City Department of Education. In 2023, she will be apart of New York University’s DSW graduating class. Vanessa has research interests in postpartum psychosis/depression and autism spectrum disorders.
Dr. Jennifer Spitz, DSW, LCSW
Adjunct Lecturer
jsg2012@nyu.edu
Jennifer has LOVED being a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for almost 30 years and brings her experience to teaching and direct practice. Jennifer approaches her work, whether as a teacher or clinician, with three assumptions: people do what works, people do the best they can, and, small change leads to big change. These beliefs enable Jennifer to start where her students and clients are and collaborate on the development of meaningful and realistic goals. In addition to Silver, Jennifer is a Human Services Faculty Mentor at Empire State College, State University of New York. Jennifer and her husband are the proud parents of three awesome kids! Time with family, the beach, and books are Jennifer’s greatest joys.
Susan Dowd Stone, MSW, LCSW (NJ), LISCW (MA)
Adjunct Professor
sed207@nyu.edu
Susan Dowd Stone is an author, advocate, educator, and therapist best known for her work in the cognitive therapies, the human animal bond and women's reproductive mental health. She was instrumental in the inclusion of legislation protective to women and infants in the Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act and has led nonprofit organizations associated with this cause. She has also studied the human animal bond, including advocacy and animal welfare and has facilitated animal assisted interventions in clinical work. She is a public reviewer for the National Institute of Mental Health and a recipient of numerous awards for clinical work and mental health advocacy. She maintains a private practice in Closter, NJ.
Her areas of interest/research include advocating for the use of evidence-based practices in clinical treatment, women's reproductive mental health and the human animal bond.
Susan earned her MSW from New York University where she was the recipient of a President's Service Award for Community Service for psychiatric work with animals.
Select Publications:
- Stone, S. & Menken, A. E. (Eds.). (2008). Perinatal and Postpartum Mood Disorders: Perspective and Treatment Guide for the Healthcare Professional. New York, NY: Springer.
- Stone, S. (2006). Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Clinical Practice. In Ronen, T. & Freeman, A. (Eds.), Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Clinical Social Work Practice (147-167). New York, NY: Springer.
- Stone, S. (2024). Mourning Companion Animals; from Loss to Legacy. New York: Routledge Press.
Sue Sugarman, LCSW-R, BCD
Adjunct Lecturer
ss15918@nyu.edu
Sue Sugarman, LCSW-R, BCD, is a licensed clinical social worker with over 25 years of experience in child, adolescent and family therapy with a sub-specialty in youth sports. Professor Sugarman received her Master’s in Social Work from New York University Silver School of Social Work and postgraduate training certificate in child/adolescent and family program at the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health. She is an adjunct professor at NYU Silver School of Social Work and Columbia University School of Social Work where she also works as a practicum advisor.
Professor Sugarman has extensive experience as a public speaker on raising resilient children, mental health during a pandemic, and the emerging practice of clinical social work with youth athletes, parents and coaches. She co-developed the first course on Mental Health in Athletes and Clinical Social Course for NYU Silver School of Social Work. Professor Sugarman’s interest in the mental health of youth athletes focuses on clinical needs of this population. She is passionate about raising awareness of mental health challenges and unique issues that the athletes experience.
Christine Tabone, MA
Adjunct Lecturer
ct90@nyu.edu
Christine Tabone is currently an Academic Advisor and Program Administrator in the Undergraduate program at NYU Silver. Ms. Tabone was the Director of Hotlines at Safe Horizon from 2013-2017, where she oversaw all clinical, operational and training aspects of the program. Prior to Safe Horizon, Christine was the Deputy Director at LifeNet (now NYCWell), a multi-lingual crisis intervention hotline offering information, support and referrals to treatment for mental health and substance abuse issues. Ms. Tabone also worked on behalf of LifeNet at 211 call centers in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and again in 2008 after Hurricane Ike in Texas. Christine has extensive experience in program development/management and training. Areas of interest include domestic and sexual violence, suicide assessment/intervention, trauma recovery, and disaster relief.
Dr. Gitanjali R. Thadhani, DSW, LMSW (NY), MEd, MA
Adjunct Assistant Professor
grt201@nyu.edu
Dr. Thadhani received her DSW and MSW degrees at New York University Silver School of Social Work. She also has an MA and MEd in Psychological Counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Dr. Thadhani is an Asian-Indian licensed social worker who has lived in New York City for over three decades. She has worked in non-profit organizations including community-based mental health clinics, on-site school and after-school programs, and city government for 29 years. Dr. Thadhani has clinical and administrative experience in mental health and public child welfare and has presented at international conferences. She is a director at the New York City Administration for Children’s Services. In 2018, Dr. Thadhani received both a Professional Excellence Award and a Commissioner’s Collaboration award.
Pa Thor
Graduate Student Adjunct
pt1192@nyu.edu
Pa Thor is a Ph.D. student at Silver School of Social Work. Her research interests include gender-based violence, family violence and relationships, community-based interventions, gun violence, and forensic social work. Pa’s current research project seeks to understand Hmong murder-suicides by examining any individual and structural factors associated with these acts of violence. Pa received her bachelor’s in psychology from the University of California, Merced and her master’s in social work from California State University, Stanislaus.
Eric Thurnauer, DSW, LCSW (NY)
Adjunct Lecturer
et267@nyu.edu
Eric Thurnauer received his BA from Cambridge University, his MSW and DSW from New York University, and completed training in psychoanalysis at the Training Institute for Mental Health, New York. His clinical interests include clinical theory, mindfulness-based interventions, and college mental health. He works at New York University’s Counseling and Wellness Services as a clinician and supervisor, and leads a clinical team focused on mindfulness-based interventions. He maintains a private practice specializing in emerging and early adulthood, and teaches clinical theory in the DSW program at New York University’s Silver School of Social Work.
Rebekah Tokatlilar, PhD
Adjunct Lecturer
ret247@nyu.edu
Dr. Rebekah Tokatlilar is the Managing Director of the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at New York University and the co-founder of Chutzpanit Consulting. Originally from Austin, Texas, she received her BA in History and Jewish Studies from NYU in 2011 and her MA in Jewish Education in 2016. She earned a PhD in Jewish Education from NYU’s Steinhardt School in 2022 where she studied the professional preparation of rabbis in the United States. Rebekah has participated in several fellowships for Jewish leaders including at the Shalom Hartman Institute, the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, and UJA-Federation of New York. She is a recipient of the NYU Student Affairs Hallmark Award and the Give-A-Violet Award. In 2018, she was named a Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence by Hillel International. Rebekah lives in Chelsea with her husband, Max, and children, Sami and Zelda.
Saumya Tripathi, MSW, Mphil, MSW (NY)
Adjunct Lecturer
saumya.tripathi@nyu.edu
Saumya Tripathi is a research assistant at Center on Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC), School of Social Work, Rutgers University. Her current research focuses on study to assess the economic empowerment among the south asian immigrant women in New York and New Jersey.
With several years of diverse experience in social work, she worked with United Nations and Women's World Banking in New York City. Her previous experiences include working in corporate social responsibility and with multiple NGOs, government institutions, marginalized communities, informal economy and cancer patients in India.
Saumya’s areas of interest and expertise include women and gender related issues, research methodologies, social policy & planning, informal economy, international development and human rights. She is involved in a number of advocacy and leadership initiatives. She has been panelist and speaker to various events including United nations. She directed a short film on gender issues in India, acclaiming an award and wide media coverage.
A national beauty pageant finalist and model turned social worker, Ms Saumya completed her MSW at College of Social Work Nirmala Niketan Mumbai and received her M.Phil. from Madras school of social work in Chennai where her research focused on Gender sensitivity issue.
Jillian Tucker, DSW, MSW, LCSW (NY, NJ, CT, DC), SIFI
Adjunct Assistant Professor
jt1875@nyu.edu
Dr. Tucker completed her doctorate and masters degrees in clinical social work from New York University and her bachelors degree from Brown University with a major in philosophy. She is in private practice in New York City and works with combat veterans through Headstrong Project. She is an EMDR therapist and trained in family and couples therapy at the Ackerman Institute. Dr. Tucker also teaches at Columbia University where the students voted to give her their annual Teaching Excellence award.
Dr. Tucker previously worked at Weill Cornell Medicine Midtown Center for Treatment and Research, an outpatient substance misuse program, and was an MSW field supervisor. Her academic publications and clinical presentations focus on understanding and resolving trauma, addiction, EMDR, working with groups and ways to nurture strengths and resilience.
Patricia Tucker, LCSW, MSSW
Adjunct Assistant Professor
pjt216@nyu.edu
Patricia Tucker has taught a mini-course and a summer course on Gestalt psychotherapy as applied to social work practice at NYU since 2007. She has also been teaching the Integrative Practice Seminar since 2007.
Patricia is the former director of training and a current faculty member at Gestalt Associates for Psychotherapy,(www.gestaltassociates.org) a four-year postgraduate therapy training program. She is also a former President of The Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy (www.aagt.org). She is a consultant to the Streetwork Project, a drop-in center for homeless teens in upper Manhattan. She also maintains a private practice in Manhattan with individuals, couples, and groups. She has worked extensively in mental health settings since that time, especially in homeless housing and day treatment programs.
Patricia brings to NYU her enthusiasm for Gestalt therapy combined with her love of social work and her commitment to bringing a social justice/anti-oppression focus to her work in every arena.
Patrcia earned her MSSW from Columbia University in 1981, a certificate from Gestalt Associates for Psychotherapy in 1985, and a certificate from New York Society for Eriksonian Hypnotherapy and Pscyhotherapy in 1995.
Dr. Greg Tully, PhD, MSW
Adjunct Lecturer
gjt2018@nyu.edu
Dr. Tully has taught NYU graduate social work courses for 20 years in individual, group, and social policy practice, including post-graduate courses addressing children/adolescent groups. Dr. Tully has presented lectures internationally in South Africa, Germany, Lithuania, Australia, and Canada. He has published books, journal articles, and content in an international encyclopedia. Clinical expertise is in family/child victimization, women abuse survivors, HIV-AIDS, juvenile probation, and organizational leadership. He has practiced in the Bronx in the VSA Counseling Office, in Manhattan in the HIV-AIDS Center at St. Vincent’s Hospital, and in Queens in Juvenile Probation. He has an NYU PhD, a Hunter MSW, and an NYU B.S. degree (NYU Founders Day Scholar honors graduate; NYU Varsity Captain of Tennis and Platform Tennis teams – U. S. National Platform Tennis Champion.) A tenured Full Professor, he has taught at many universities, and is recent President of a global non-profit promoting group work in 20 countries across 5 continents. Advocacy work focuses on diversity and social justice.
Nelson Tung, DSW, LCSW-R, MSW
Adjunct Lecturer
nat388@nyu.edu
Dr. Nelson Tung is the Chief of Clinical Operations at The Martin de Porres School for Exceptional Children. His focus of practice is on organizational change to combat the possible effects of staff burnout, especially in programs that work with populations who have experienced high incidences of complex trauma. Dr. Tung has earned a DSW from NYU and a MSW from Adelphi University.