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Vol. XXII No. 2 October 2006 |
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26 New Employees Join the Juilliard Staff 26 New Employees Join the Juilliard Staff Courtney Blackwell, performance coordinator for jazz studies, is excited to return to Juilliard and to America after four years of expatriate life in Europe. A 2002 graduate of the Dance Division, Courtney has worked professionally as a soloist with Ballet Theater Munich, touring Europe and South America. She took on the roles of workshop teacher and moderator for one of southern Germany's first programs developed to expose schoolchildren to the performing arts and theater professionals. A certified Pilates instructor, Courtney also enjoys teaching others about physical health, as well as playing the flute and learning foreign languages. ·
Victoria Bradbury joins the props department as the stock manager/artisan. She comes to Juilliard from Center Stage in Baltimore, where she was a props artisan. Victoria received her B.F.A. in fine art from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2003. She initially turned to props and costumes as a way to apply her sculptural fabrication skills professionally, but ended up loving the collaborative process of performance production. She is looking forward to continuing her career in New York City. ·
Allison Rubino Brighten, first hand in the costume shop, graduated from Villanova University with a major in art history. She last worked at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, where she was resident costume designer and assistant costume shop manager. She is pleased to be back in New York and to join the Juilliard team. ·
Robert Rankin Brooks, assistant director of educational outreach, is a graduate of Baylor University in Waco, Tex. He holds a B.M. in vocal pedagogy and a B.M.E. in choral music education. Bob completed his graduate studies at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, receiving an M.M. and D.M.A. in church music studies. His vocational experience includes the arenas of higher education, church music, and musical theater. He is glad to be returning to Juilliard, where he began as an intern in arts administra-tion/orchestral activities for the 1995-96 school year before serving in the Office of Educational Outreach. ·
Accounts payable assistant Gisela Crespo lives in the Bronx with her son Justin. During her free time, Gisela attends salsa class twice a week and is an avid salsa dancer. ·
Takeem L. Dean, director of residence life, is a graduate of Montclair State University. He received his degree in business education in 2003. While in college and after graduation, Takeem worked for the Passaic Public Schools. He begin his professional career in student affairs as a residence coordinator at Seton Hall University before relocating to North Carolina, where he accepted a position as a resident director at North Carolina Central University, a historically black university. Takeem is also working on an advanced degree in education, which he started at N.C.C.U. ·
Staff carpenter Zachary S. Dean has worked as a carpenter, welder, prop builder, and licensed home builder for more than 10 years. He has worked in shops in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City. He earned his B.A. in filmmaking from Columbia College Chicago and his M.F.A. in writing from N.Y.U.'s Tisch School of the Arts. In addition to his scenic work, Zach is a screenwriter, playwright, and teacher. His writing awards include first place in Script magazine's Open Door Screenwriting Contest, the 2005 Ian McLellan Hunter Screenwriting Award, and the 2003 Written Image Award for a feature screenplay. His stage plays have been produced at the Goldberg Theater in New York City and his short fiction has appeared in several literary magazines and journals. In 2005, he was honored as a Wasserman Foundation Fellow. Zach also teaches undergraduate writing at the College of New Rochelle. He lives in Manhattan with his wife, Nikki. ·
Facilities and renovation assistant Ricky Eng attended Stony Brook University. He graduated this past May with a B.A. in psychology. After graduation, Ricky wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his new degree, but he knew he had a special interest in the arts—and what better way to explore that interest than to work in one of the world's most renowned institutions for the arts? In his spare time, he enjoys watching movies and working out. ·
Jennifer Fuschetti, who earned her B.A. in history and philosophy from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., joins the Juilliard Journal team as the new assistant editor in the Office of Publications. She comes to Juilliard from the communications department at Spence-Chapin Services, where she enjoyed throwing parties for adoptive families with young children and redesigning the agency Web site. After hours, Jen continues to develop sites for the Web and sings with the Oratorio Society of New York. While those activities keep her fairly busy, she still rarely misses a Yankees game. ·
Shop carpenter Mark Gill earned his B.F.A. from the North Carolina School of the Arts (School of Design and Production). Mark has worked for many companies including Showman Fabricators, Williamstown Theater Festival, Hofstra University, Baystreet Theater, and Pro Image Studios. He is excited to be working for Juilliard and hopes he can find time to explore his other passions, fine furniture design/construction and bowl turning. ·
Ensemble librarian Russ Girsberger comes from Boston, where he was performance librarian at the New England Conservatory. Before that, he worked for the Percussive Arts Society in Oklahoma and the U.S. Marine Band in Washington, D.C. He lives in Warwick, N.Y., with his wife and cocker spaniel. ·
Yisset Gomez is the new assistant to the vice president of student and legal affairs/executive director of jazz studies, Laurie Carter. Yisset has a B.A. in computer information systems with a background in theater arts. She has worked for a diverse group of well-known companies including the New York City Ballet and Discovery Communications, among others. She has a great appreciation for the performing arts and looks forward to being exposed to amazing talent on a regular basis here at Juilliard. ·
Matt Herbek, development associate for annual giving, hails from Charlottesville, Va., where he graduated this past spring from the University of Virginia with a degree in music. There he studied vocal performance and was involved in the men's Glee Club, the University Singers, and numerous other student-run theater and opera productions. His time on the executive board for the Virginia Glee Club revealed a profound passion for arts administration and helped him learn to appreciate the value of contributions to the arts. This is Matt's first job after life as a full-time student, and he is extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Juilliard family. He especially enjoys listening to all of the beautiful music that finds its way into his office from just down the hall. ·
Draper Sarah Hilliard worked with the Juilliard Costume Shop last year as an overhire in the positions of draper and first hand, and now joins the staff as a permanent employee. Sarah works in the summer as a draper and costume designer at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Mass. She has worked as a draper at many theaters throughout the United States. Her major costume design achievement is for the long running off-Broadway show In the Continuum, which is currently touring the U.S. after a successful international tour. ·
Julianne Just, assistant office manager in the Drama Division, was born in Seattle and graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a B.A. in theater and literature. She spent the past year here at Juilliard as an administrative intern. Julianne enjoys reading, visiting museums, directing, and spending time with those she cares about. She is excited to continue exploring the city and looks forward to the coming year. ·
Bill LaRock is the new nurse practitioner in Student Health Services. As a doctoral student at Columbia University, he worked part-time as a consultant for International AIDS Care and Treatment Program (ICAP) helping to scale up resource-limited countries in Africa for the delivery of anti-retrovirals to AIDS patients. Most recently, he was working in Rwanda and South Africa. ·
Ebony Madison, the new administrative assistant for the human resources department, graduated from the University of Chicago in the social sciences and shortly thereafter became involved in the administrative side of the arts and nonprofit education. Ebony trained with a performing arts dance group and has a love for theater and live performance. In her spare time she enjoys reading, listening to music, and attending concerts. ·
Lauren Moore, development officer for the Juilliard Second Century Fund, comes to Juilliard from Hudson Guild, a settlement house in Chelsea, where she worked as a development associate coordinating events, publications, and communications with donors. Lauren graduated with a B.A. in public policy studies from Duke University in 2002 and a master's degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania in 2005. During the year between her degrees, she worked for Musicians On Call, a nonprofit organization bringing music to the bedsides of hospital patients throughout New York City. An avid performing arts fan, Lauren is thrilled to be using her development skills to contribute to Juilliard. ·
Audio technician Shinichi Morisawa came to the U.S. in 1988 after earning a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Tokyo. He studied audio engineering at the Institute of Audio Research in New York City, and did post-production work at Time Warner for several years. On the side, he has been involved in many independent films including a feature-length movie, as well as directing and translating. Cooking and sewing are just a few of his interests, and when he unwinds, there's always a bit of Aikido. ·
Medical assistant Kathleen Roman recently moved to the Bronx from Bloomfield, N.J. She graduated as a medical assistant from Delaware Valley Academy in Philadelphia in 1998 and has been working ever since. On her days off, she likes spending time with her children, especially watching a movie and relaxing with a bowl of popcorn. She is working with a wonderful staff in Health Services, and looking forward to meeting everyone as the year progresses. ·
Library circulation assistant Dave Ruder resides in Brooklyn and is an active composer, guitarist, and clarinetist. He holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University, where he studied music with Anthony Braxton, Alvin Lucier, and Mark Nelson, among others. Dave has previously worked for the Young People's Chorus of New York City and the Brooklyn arts space Issue Project Room, and has performed around the Northeast in a variety of contexts (even once as a dancer). ·
Mecca Scott, associate director of student affairs for residence life, is a graduate of Ramapo College of New Jersey, where she received her bachelor's degree in psychology, and Montclair State University, where she received her master's degree in counseling. Upon graduation from M.S.U., Mecca began working as a residence hall manager at N.Y.U. and then moved on to Boston College, where she held the position of assistant director of residential life. Mecca's last position was at Drew University in Madison, N.J., where she served as director of residence life. ·
M'arion Talan was born in Mexico City and raised in South Texas. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology and recently completed an internship in Juilliard's Costume Shop, where she is excited about joining the staff full-time as assistant wardrobe supervisor. Design experiences include A Bright Room Called Day (The Mint Theater), Slipped Disc (HERE Art Center), DZUL Dance (Merce Cunningham Studio), and The New Bohemia (Fringe Festival), among others. ·
Liz Thaler, administrative assistant in the Dean's Office, is a native New Yorker who graduated from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in psychology. While there, she ran Wesleyan's Second Stage student theater company, and was theater critic for the Wesleyan Argus. She has just returned from a year in Texas, where she was directing and literary management intern at Dallas Theater Center. In her alleged spare time, she enjoys crosswords and going to roller derby bouts. ·
Heidi Torvik, who returns to her alma mater this fall as the development associate for the Office of National Advancement and Alumni Relations, holds bachelor's and master's degrees and an Artist Diploma from Juilliard in flute performance. Heidi is from Montevideo, a small town of 5,500 people in western Minnesota better known as Lake Wobegon, but now resides on West 69th Street with her constant furry feline companion, Bruiser. She is often performing, but in her spare time enjoys playing tennis, going to concerts, seeing movies, and pursuing her constant quest of finding New York's best cosmopolitan. ·
Research associate Wendy Weisman has a background in journalism, public relations, dramaturgy, and neuroscience research. Wendy received her B.S. in symbolic systems (cognitive science) from Stanford University, while pursuing her artistic interests though a senior thesis on American opera. She has served as dramaturg at the Minneapolis-based Theatre de la Jeune Lune and 2000-03 affiliated writer for American Theatre magazine. Prior to coming to Juilliard, she assisted with marketing and public relations at the Center for Arts Education, a nonprofit that promotes arts education in New York City's public schools. | |||
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