Academic Advisement Center
- Staff
-
Elizabeth HoldenDirector
After graduating from SUNY New Paltz with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Liz Holden worked her way through corporate jobs in the entertainment field (including The Late Show with David Letterman and US Weekly Magazine) until she arrived at LIU’s Brooklyn Campus in December of 2000. Liz began her LIU career as an Administrative Assistant in the Library, but her desire to help students brought her to the Academic Advisement Center, where she began working as an Academic Advisor in September of 2003. Liz received her M.S.Ed in School Psychology from LIU’s Brooklyn Campus in 2005 and is a New York State Certified School Psychologist. She completed over 1,000 internship hours performing cognitive and personality testing, report writing, counseling and consultation in a public school system under the supervision of a School Psychologist and in a private practice setting with a neuropsychologist. Currently, Liz is the Associate Director of the Academic Advisement Center, where she also directs the Guided Studies Program.
Telephone number:718-488-1042
Email: Elizabeth.Holden@liu.eduDominick Usher Assistant Director
My name is Dominick Usher, and I am the Assistant Director of the Academic Advisement Center. I received my BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where I was a Resident Assistant for five semesters, and where my interest in student affairs began. After college I explored several career options in social services, early childhood education, and landscaping, but eventually returned to student affairs at Amherst College where I was an Area Coordinator and an Internship Coordinator. After realizing that I wanted to pursue a long-term career in student affairs I attended graduate school at New York University (NYU) where I received an MA in Higher Education Administration. While at NYU I held a graduate assistantship as a Residence Hall Coordinator at Pace University. After finishing graduate school I accepted a full-time, Academic Advisor position at the Stern School of Business at NYU. After several years of working at Stern I decided that it was time for new and challenging experience. As a native of Brooklyn, and Brooklyn Tech graduate, I am extremely happy to be working at the Brooklyn Campus of Long Island University. My interests include film, music, poetry, and sports (Mets, Red Sox, Jets, and the Knicks unfortunately.)
Telephone number: 718-488-1042
Email: dominick.usher@liu.eduCarlett ThomasSenior Academic Advisor
Carlett Thomas is a Brooklyn-born native; however, she later moved to Florida where she graduated from Indian River Community College and later Florida Atlantic University. Carlett has been in higher education for the past 16 years beginning in Florida and now in New York. During her tenure in Florida, Carlett advised an array of students ranging from high school dual enrollment to adults returning back to school. Carlett's advising encompassed traditional degree-related programs as well as an array of certificate programs. Ms. Thomas also communicated to her students the articulation agreements which governed transference from the community college to the four-year institution. Finally, she worked closely with the 2 + 2 program between Indian River Community College and Florida Atlantic University, which was designed to make the transition from the community college to the four-year university a smooth process.
Ms. Thomas continued her contribution of assisting students in higher education when she accepted a position in February, 2005 at Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus as the Evening Academic Advisor and, shortly thereafter, was promoted to the Senior Academic Advisor. In addition to advising at Long Island University, Carlett Thomas works as an Adjunct Instructor with the Freshman Year Program. Carlett echoes the words of Olaf, who said: “Tell me what I should know about you so I can be a resource to you” and also Eleanor Roosevelt who uttered this: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Carlett Thomas is a well-informed, patient and courteous professional who welcomes the opportunity to assist you with your academic goals and endeavors.
Telephone number: 718-488-1042
Email: carlett.thomas@liu.eduJoseph Reister Senior Academic Advisor
Joe started at Long Island University’s Academic Advisement Center in August 2005 with the huge desire to work directly with students again. He has several years experience in higher education prior to coming to LIU, working in Admission and First Year Advising at Pace University, and more recently recruiting and advising international students interested in studying in the US with the London based company, Study Group. Joe has a wetitleh of professional experience in private and public industry, has studied in Mexico and Costa Rica and lived in Chicago, California and Washington, DC. He moved to Brooklyn with his wife in 2000 and they recently had their first child in February 2006.
Telephone number: 718-488-1042
Email: joseph.reister@liu.eduStef DaleyAcademic Advisor
After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from the University of Delaware, Stef Daley worked in the field of arts education. She held various positions at the Newport Art Museum (Newport, RI), the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts (Wilmington, DE). In 2001, Stef began work as an academic advisor at Rosemont College (Rosemont, PA). She earned an M.S.Ed. in Higher Education Management at the University of Pennsylvania in 2005 and currently works as an advisor at Long Island University (Brooklyn, NY).
Telephone number: 718-488-1042
Email: stefany.daley@liu.eduVanessa Gonzalez Academic Advisor
Vanessa started at Long Island University’s Academic Advisement Center in October 2005. A Latina native from the Bronx, she received a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a minor in Spanish and Master of Science in Student Personnel Administration from Buffalo State College, SUNY. Her desire to work with students and assist them in achieving a well rounded collegiate experience stems from her previous employment in the Student Activities Office at Lehman College, Residence Life Department, Upward Bound program and Division of Undergraduate Studies at The Pennsylvania State University – University Park campus. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, reading books and watching law enforcement television shows. If she could pass along one message to everyone it would be, "Unless you try to do things beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow" by, Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Telephone number: 718-488-1042
Email: vanessa.gonzalez@liu.eduKatie Countryman Academic Advisor
Katie joined the Academic Advisement team in January 2007. She began her career at LIU in the fall of 2005, working for the Freshman Year Programs as Coordinator of the Student Mentor Program and an Instructor of Orientation Seminar. She finds great satisfaction in helping students realize their educational goals.
A native of Iowa, Katie also lived in Texas, Ohio, and Illinois as a child. She earned a B.F.A. in Studio Art from the University of Iowa in 2005, and shortly thereafter moved to Brooklyn with her husband. Her hobbies and interests include designing and creating functional art, reading (mostly historical fiction), exploring New York City, learning to cook, and traveling.
Telephone number: 718-488-1573
Email: katie.countryman@liu.eduMalongze FomaAcademic Advisor/Special Projects Coordinator
Malongze joined the Academic Advisement Center in September 2007. Prior to joining the AAC team, she worked as a Proctor and a Senior Payroll Coordinator for the Tutorial Services. Malongze finds great joy working with students and she is eager to see where this new adventure takes her. She looks forward to meeting all the incoming and continuing students.
Telephone number: 718-488-1042
Email: malongze.foma@liu.eduJelissa CariasAcademic Advisor
A native New Yorker from Brooklyn, she received a B.S. in Secondary Education from New York University. Jelissa began teaching history and Spanish in a public school in East Harlem. Moving from teaching to explore her interest in counseling, she became a case manager. Her desire to work with students once again has brought her to the Academic Advisement Center at Long Island University-Brooklyn Campus. Her personal interests include: travel, foreign languages, reading, music, and movies. One of her favorite quotes by James Dean is “Dream as if you will live forever, live as if you’ll die today.”
Telephone number: 718-488-1042
Email: jelissa.carias@liu.eduManfredy JerezAcademic Advisor
My name is Manfredy Jerez, and I am an academic advisor. I joined the Academic Advisement team on Dec 3rd, 2007. I earned my B.A in Psychology from Molloy College. After receiving my B.A, I worked as a case manager in a mental health agency. A year later I went back to school to get my masters in School counseling, which has always been my passion and dedication, to be able to work with students from all walks of life. I received my masters in School Counseling from New York Institute of Technology, (NYIT) in May 2007. As I was working towards my master, I held a job as a Youth worker, working with at risk students in a preventive program. I also completed a year internship in a high needs school district on Long Island, where I worked with students on developing their academic and career goals. As an academic advisor, I feel that, it is my duty to help students in developing the tools necessary in making their own decisions and choices for all aspects of life. I am looking forward on meeting with each and every one of you to do just that.
Telephone number: 718-488-1042
Email: malfredy.jerez@liu.eduNikki AlimondaAAC Secretary
Nikki Alimonda joined our team in October 2004. Before arriving to LIU she studied English Literature at Hunter College. She is currently continuing her undergraduate degree at LIU with a minor in psychology. She would like to continue her education in romantic languages and the classics. Her favorite quote is "so many worlds, so much to do, to little done, such things to be " - Alfred Lord Tennyson
Telephone number: 718-488-1042
Email: nikki.alimonda@liu.edu