Meet the Team

Laurie Sullivan, PhD
Senior Associate Dean of Student Affairs & Wellbeing
(862) 660-5019
laurie.sullivan@hmhn.org

• Provides leadership and strategic direction for the Office of Student Affairs and Wellbeing
• Contact Dr. Sullivan with questions about accommodations, student well-being, and support.

Naomi Ambalu, DO
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Wellbeing
naomi.ambalu@hmhn.org

• Provides strategy, structure, and guidance for programming, policy, and procedural development that supports student academic success and well-being.

Staci T. White, MPA, CLC
Director, Student Affairs and Wellbeing
(862) 660-5121
staci.white@hmhn.org

• Provides oversight for planning, staffing, and day-to-day operations.

Lisa Marie Bronson
Wellness Coordinator
(862) 660-5038
lisa.bronson@hmhn.org

• Coordinates wellness workshops, services, and programming for the Office of Student Affairs and Wellbeing.
• Advisor to the Wellness Committee.

Pankti Rana, MBA
Administrative Assistant
(862) 660-5141
pankti.rana@hmhn.org

• Provides primary administrative support to the Associate Dean, Assistant Dean, and the Director of Student Affairs and Wellbeing.
• Handles all room reservations for classes, events, and meetings for the School of Medicine.

Heather Mills, MSW
Support Services Coordinator
heather.mills@hmhn.org

• Responsible for outreach and response to students with needs that may present barriers to their retention and/or graduation and connecting students with appropriate resources.

Susan Reilly
Student Life Coordinator
susan.reilly@hmhn.org

• Responsible for the daily management of student compliance for the School of Medicine.

Jennifer Tunnicliffe
Manager, Special Events Coordinator
862-880-3468
jennifer.tunnicliffe@hmhn.org

• Responsible for coordinating all aspects of student-facing events for the Office of Student Affairs and Wellbeing.

Marie Thompson
Special Events Coordinator
862-660-5166
marie.thompson@hmhn.org

• Responsible for coordinating all aspects of student-facing events for the Office of Student Affairs and Wellbeing.

Alexandria O’Brien
Student Life coordinator
(862) 660-5113
alexandria.obrien@hmhn.org

• Supports the Student Government Association, all student organizations, and special interest groups.
• Editor for the Office of Student Affairs and Wellbeing Newsletter.

Deborah Ebbert, MA, MS
Registrar
(862) 660-5110
deborah.ebbert@hmhn.org

Jaimie Dubicki, MBA
Transitions Coordinator
jaimie.dubicki@hmhn.org

Rachel Roth, MBA
Assistant Registrar
rachel.roth@hmhn.org

• Transcripts, letters of enrollment, and other verifications that require the official school seal.
• SOMA Portal administration, training, and assistance.
• Guide publication as well as other student information materials for Step Exams, ERAS, and Away Electives, to name a few.
• Online forms for official reporting of student requests such as course changes and grade appeals.
• Degree conferral, mailing of diplomas, and graduation verification.

Lindsey Dedow, PsyD
Assistant Dean
(862) 660-5106
lindsey.dedow@hmhn.org

• Oversees operations and programs of the Office of Advising and Career Development, with a particular focus on specialty mentoring and the residency application process.
• HMSOM Liaison to ERAS and NRMP.
• Provides individual advising and career development services including: medical specialty exploration, residency application, goal setting, course selection, clerkship scheduling, academic support, career planning, personal advising, and locating resources.

Hobbies: Outdoor activities (hiking, biking, camping, skiing, etc), knitting, mindfulness and holistic health, watching the BBC on PBS.

Rachel Cirelli, MA
Director
(862) 660-5106
rachel.cirelli@hmhn.org

• Oversees operations, programs, and staff of the Office of Advising and Career Development, including the ILP process, mentoring assignment and platform, and Careers in Medicine workshops and career development programming.
• Coordinates advising integration with P3R and all aspects of Phase 3 Planning.
• Coordinates student support integration with Academic Support, Wellness, and Office of Medical Education.
• Provides individual advising and career development services including: medical specialty exploration, goal setting, course selection, clerkship scheduling, academic support, career planning, personal advising, and locating resources.

Tyler Sampson, MSW
Assistant Director
(862) 660-5014
Tyler.Sampson@hmhn.org

• Supports programs of the Advising and Career Development unit, and provides leadership in support of the Director and Assistant Dean.
• Provides individual advising and career development services including: medical specialty exploration, goal setting, course selection, clerkship scheduling, academic support, career planning, personal advising, and locating resources.
• Serves as the Advising Liaison to the Specialty Interest Group (SIG) student leaders and faculty advisors, designing and overseeing additional support for career exploration activities and student leadership development; serves on the HMSOM Phase 2 subcommittee.

Hobbies: Gaming, writing, foodie and exploring new places.

Natalie Aloyets Artel, MSW
Senior Advisor
(862) 660-5012
natalie.aloyetsartel@hmhn.org

• Provides individual and group advising and career development services to medical students including medical specialty exploration, goal setting, phase 3 planning, career planning, developing the Individualized Learning Plan and Phase 3 plans; and referrals to additional career and personal support resources from the School of Medicine, the Hackensack Meridian Health Network, and community as needed.
• Manages the Advising and Career Development Newsletter and serves on the Complex Learning Committee.

Hobbies: Reading, exercise, traveling, and spending time with family and friends

YoungJae Lee, MBA, LCSW
Senior Advisor
(862) 660-5158
youngjae.lee@hmhn.org

• Provides individual and group advising services to medical students in support of the residency application process. 
• Oversees the Roadmap to Residency Program; Designs programming, services, and workshops around residency application support. 

Dwayne Kelly, MPA
Senior Advisor
862 660 5015
Dwayne.Kelly@hmhn.org

• Provides individual and group advising and career development services to medical students including medical specialty exploration, residency application, goal setting, phase 3 planning, career planning, developing the Individualized Learning Plan and Phase 3 plans; and referrals to additional career and personal support resources from the School of Medicine, the Hackensack Meridian Health Network, and community as needed.
• Oversees the online Specialty Mentoring platform and serves on the HMSOM Phase 1 Subcommittee.

Hobbies: Gaming, Travel, foodie, exploring new places and cultures, working with cars, mentoring,self-mastery enthusiast.

Sara Herman, MSW, LSW
Senior Advisor
(862) 660-5164
sara.herman@hmhn.org

• Provides individual and group advising and career development services to medical students including medical specialty exploration, goal setting, phase 3 planning, career planning, developing the Individualized Learning Plan and Phase 3 plans; and makes referrals to additional career and personal support resources from the School of Medicine, the Hackensack Meridian Health Network, and community as needed.

Yaa (Nana) Opoku-Mensah, MPH
Advisor
862-660-5100
yaa.opoku-mensah@hmhn.org

• Provides individual and group advising and career development services to medical students including medical specialty exploration, goal setting, phase 3 planning, career planning, developing the Individualized Learning Plan and Phase 3 plans; and makes referrals to additional career and personal support resources from the School of Medicine, the Hackensack Meridian Health Network, and community as needed.
• Oversees the Careers in Medicine workshop program, working collaboratively with the Advising Team in developing, planning, and leading workshops and seminars on relevant career advising topics.

Priyadarshini Dattathreya, MBBS, MD, MMed
Manager, Academic Support
(862) 660-5134
priyadarshini.dattathreya@hmhn.org

• Provides overall leadership for the effective development, planning, implementation, and functioning of the program and service offerings for all academic support activities and initiatives that impact student success.
• Provides academic support to students through individual, small group and large group sessions.

Brian Gorman, MD
Medical Education Learning Specialist
(862) 660-5086
brian.gorman@hmhn.org

• Develops individualized collaborative study plans for medical students to address learning skills, time and study management, knowledge organization, testing skills/preparation, and other areas of academic concern.
• Organizes comprehensive NBME shelf, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK preparation plans and workshops for medical students.

Jasmine Mathew, MPH, MCHES
Medical Education Learning Specialist
(862) 660-5163
jasmine.mathew@hmhn.org

• Develops individualized collaborative study plans for medical students to address learning skills, time and study management, knowledge organization, testing skills/preparation, and other areas of academic concern.
• Organizes educational programming, resources, and workshops centered on knowledge acquisition, effective approaches for different courses, and self-efficacy in independent, life-long professional learning.

Grace Bandoh, PhD
Director of Student Accessibility Services
(970) 402-8710
grace.bandoh@hmhn.org

Responsibilities

• Conducts intake interviews with prospective, new, and currently enrolled students who are interested in obtaining accommodations for a disability.
• Ensures HMSOM’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Dana Cureton, BA
Access Assistant
dana.cureton@hmhn.org

Responsibilities

• Provides access to clinical settings/medical facilities and assists with set-up of assistive technology as needed for medical students.
• Provides primary administrative support to the Associate Assistant Dean and/or Directors of the Office of Student Affairs.
  
   

Shania Hemphill, BA
Access Assistant
shania.hemphill@hmhn.org

Responsibilities

• Chief Proctor for students with academic accommodations (e.g., Subject/Shelf exams, and CBSE).
• Provides primary administrative support to the Associate Assistant Dean and/or Directors of the Office of Student Affairs.
  
   

Diane Russo
Manager, Title IX Coordinator
(862) 660-5124
Diane.Russo@hmhn.org

• Oversees the processes that address reported concerns or claims of sex-based or gender-based harassment, discrimination, misconduct, or violence.
• Ensures appropriate responsive action and discipline are implemented as may be prescribed by policy and/or law and that there is no retaliation nor recurrence.

Hobbies: Barre, Yoga, LISS exercise classes; hiking; reading; shopping; spending time with family and friends; walks with my favorite Morkie, Penny.