Graduate Alumni > Alumni > People

With a wide breadth of interests and talents, graduates of Gallatin’s Master of Arts program go on to dynamic creative and entrepreneurial endeavors. Some further their education by enrolling in PhD programs while others embark on academic research projects as Fulbright scholars. The roster of Gallatin MA graduates includes non-profit and corporate leaders, Emmy award-winning producers, notable filmmakers, actors, dancers, and writers—all of whom bring their academic training at Gallatin to bear on their professional pursuits.

Kafia Ahmed

MA - Social Innovation and Creative Activism

After graduating magna cum laude from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, with a BA in international studies, Kafia . . .

Philippe Asseily

MA – Near East History: Beirut Circa 1760

Born and raised in Beirut, Philippe left Lebanon—and the civil war there—when he was a teenager. After graduating from . . .

Michael T. Astolfi

MA '12 - Gaming Design and Psychology

Michael earned a BA in evolutionary psychology from Boston University before enrolling in Gallatin's graduate program. “Gallatin seemed like . . .

Sheila Bandyopadhyay

MA '11 - Theater and Movement

When Sheila entered Gallatin after earning her BA from Brandeis University, she was an actor and movement specialist with . . .

Mitch Bloom

MA '13 - Nonprofit Management

Mitch graduated from NYU’s College of Arts and Sciences in 2008 with a BA in philosophy, French, and nutrition.At . . .

Shalena Broadnax

MA - The History of the City of New York

A Brooklyn native,Shalena was looking for a graduate program that had an interdisciplinary approach to exploring big ideas. At . . .

Kareem Collie

MA Candidate - Narrative Theory and Visual Culture

Kareem graduated with honors from Pratt Institute and went on to a career in brand development, strategy, and marketing . . .

Earlene Cruz

MA – Social Entrepreneurship and Food Studies

Earlene is currently pursuing her Master's degree at Gallatin while she works to bring her startup, an online foodie social network, KitchenConnection.org, to life. . . .

Nico Daswani

MA '09 - Artistic Collaboration and Intercultural Heritage

A graduate of the University of Westminster-London, Nico was the director of programs at the 2005 World Festival of . . .

Yadira De La Riva

MA '10 - Performance, Psychology, and International Relations

Yadira is a poet, playwright, performer, and educator from the US-Mexico borderland of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, . . .

Benjamin Decker

MA - Interactive Media Studies

With a BA from Harvard in new media, computer science, economics, and psychology, Benjamin worked in corporate strategy at NBC before coming to Gallatin to pursue an interdisciplinary degree in interactive media studies. . . .

Anna Fahr

MA '10 - Film and Middle Eastern Studies

Anna is a New York-based independent film producer and director. She received her MA from Gallatin, with a focus . . .

Bryan Farrell

MA '13 - Environmental Thought and Action

After earning his BA in journalism from Penn State in 2004, Bryan worked as a researcher for The Village . . .

James Gain

MA '12 - Young Adult Literature

James earned his BA in Film/TV from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. With a background in screenwriting, his . . .

Steven Galeazzi

MA - Innovation in Public and Nonprofit Organizations

Originally from Glastonbury, Connecticut, Steve served as an Army officer in both Latin America and Afghanistan from 2004 to . . .

Victoria Geduld

MA '06 - Collaborative Dance Performance

When Victoria entered Gallatin, she was an experienced performer of contemporary and Baroque dance. A student of Martha Graham, . . .

Dina Gold

BA '09, MA '14 - Creative Consulting

Dina is an artist and scholar who studies creativity across disciplines, including design, education, psychology, art, and business. “I . . .

Morgan Grain

MA - Race and Media Studies

Morgan was raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and graduated cum laude from Florida AM University before moving to New York . . .

Flavia Grilli

MA Candidate - Contemporary Art and the Global Cultural Economy

After studying International Relations and Economics in São Paulo, Brazil, Flavia came to Gallatin to study value in globalized . . .

Sarah J. Halford

MA Candidate - Artistic Activism

Sarah graduated with honors from the New School University, where she earned a BA in theater and politics. At . . .

Claire Horn

MA '15 - Legal Studies and Gender Studies

In Gallatin, Claire found an interdisciplinary program that has allowed her to construct an academic path that combines her interests in gender and legal studies, and specifically rape culture and reproductive rights in the U.S. . . .

Erin Johnson

MA – Urban Agriculture and Community Development

Through Gallatin’s Urban Democracy Lab, Erin spent a summer in Madrid as a Global Fellow in Urban Practice researching the recent development of urban agriculture and the urban social movement there. . . .

Cornelius Jones

MA '10 - Dramatic Writing and Activism

Cornelius studied dramatic writing and activism at Gallatin, focusing on the use of writing and performance as a means . . .

Joseph Lamar Lewis

MA '07

Born and raised in Saginaw, Michigan, Joseph entered Gallatin after earning a BA in English from Hampton University. While . . .

Magogodi Makhene

MA '10 - Social Entrepreneurship in Africa

Magogodi is originally from Soweto, South Africa, and her studies at Gallatin focused on African social entrepreneurship and business . . .

Hudson McFann

MA '13 - Political Ecology

After earning a BA in geography from Ohio State University, Hudson was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to conduct independent research at the University of Toronto, where he studied the inequity of Toronto’s waste exports to Michigan and southwest Ontario. . . .

James Middleton

MA '12 - Art History and Culture

Prior to coming to Gallatin, James earned a BFA at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and worked . . .

Lillien Nathan

MA Candidate - History and Museum Studies

Brooklyn native Lillien earned her BA at Georgetown University before coming to Gallatin for graduate school to study history . . .

Madeline Sayet

MA '12 - Art, Politics, and Post-colonial Theory

Madeline earned her BFA in theater at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts before enrolling Gallatin, where she studied . . .

Diane Selditch

MA '10 - Urban Studies

Before attending Gallatin, Dianne was a social worker, writer, reporter, editor and director of the SoundWaters Coastal Center in . . .

Harmeet Neetu Sidhu

MA '13 - Social Entrepreneurship and Fashion

Harmeet earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary in . . .

Matt Sisul

MA '11 - Economics, Public Health, and Public Administration

An engineer who attended Columbia University as an undergraduate, Matt was engaged in large-scale public infrastructure projects such as . . .

Rowan Spencer

MA Candidate - Sound, Music, and Mixed Media

Rowan Spencer is a musician, writer, and mixed media artist who holds a BA in English from McGill University. . . .

Jessica Stambaugh

BA '08, MA '13

Jessica received her undergraduate degree from Gallatin in 2008 and returned for her MA. “There is no other institution . . .

John Sumpter

MA Candidate – Media, Communications, and Social Development

After completing his undergraduate degree at Syracuse University in political science with a focus on Middle East development, John . . .

Kevin Vavasseur

MA – Theater and Media Studies

In choosing the Gallatin MA program, Kevin found a way to coalesce all of his disparate professional . . .

Alicia Waller

MA Candidate - International Relations and Music Diplomacy

A classically trained soprano from Northern Virginia, Alicia's research is centered upon the analysis of cultural diplomacy and its . . .

Nicole Watson

MA '08 - History and Theater

After earning a BA from Yale in history with a focus on African-American and Caribbean history, Nicole, who is . . .

Adam Weinert

MA '15 - Performance, Digital Technology, and Arts Activism

Adam is a New York City native as well as a dancer, choreographer, and media artist. He has danced . . .

Jeremy Wineberg

MA '11 - Entertainment Business

Los Angeles native Jeremy studied business in the entertainment industry. His independent study focused on business models that merge . . .