New Staff: Welcome to Oberlin

Oberlin OnCampus is featuring brief bios of faculty and staff members new to the campus community. New employees who have not completed the New Employee Information form that was included in their human resources packet can still submit information by sending an email to communications@oberlin.edu. Others who want to supplement the information they have already provided may do so by e-mail.

Isabel Alexander

Assistant Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Isabel Alexander will develop training programs for distance runners, and organize travel. Alexander will also work as Resident Liaison for Athletics and Residential Life, where she'll assist residential staff with seeing to the health and safety of Oberlin students. Prior to Oberlin, she worked as the assistant cross country coach at Rhodes College in Memphis, Indiana and studied at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, from which she received her Masters of Public Health in June of 2013.

Kimberly Barry

Assistant Athletic Trainer Kimberly Barry joins Oberlin's athletic department. She will provide athletic training services to women's field hockey, volleyball, men's basketball, women's lacrosse, and women's tennis. She graduated from Ohio University with a Masters of Science in athletic training.

Sarah Biasello

Assistant Swim Coach Sarah Biasello joins Oberlin’s Athletics Department from Austin, Texas. She swam at Michigan State for four years, and graduated in 2011 with a degree in sociology.

Rosalind Black

Editorial Fellow in the Office of Communications Rosalind Black ’14 will cover campus news events for Oberlin's News Center page. She will also function as the liaison between the office and Oberlin's student publications, and work with students writing for the office. As a student, Black studied comparative literature and played for the women's ultimate frisbee team.

Anna Sersig Brandt

Learning Strategies Instructor and Coordinator for Student Academic Services Anna Brandt will be teaching courses on study strategies, time management, and reading strategies Prior to arriving at Oberlin, she lived in New York City, working at the Harlem Children's Zone, an educational program and Uncommon Schools, a charter school; and served as a Teach for America Corps member. Originally from Cleveland Heights, she attended Denison University.

Heather Leigh Brown

Heather Brown joins Oberlin's theatre and dance departments as costumer and costume shop manager.

Veronica Colegrove

Oberlin Shansi Returned Fellow Veronica Colegrove will answer questions about and publicize the Shansi Fellowship programs, and train the 2015 Fellows. A former Shansi fellow, she taught English at Shanxi Agricultural University in Taigu, Shanxi, China. Colegrove graduated from Oberlin in 2012 with a degree in computer science.

Ty Rader Diringer

Program Associate of the Creativity and Leadership project Ty Diringer, a 2014 graduate, will help run Oberlin's entrepreneurial ventures, including the Creativity and Leadership program, its LaunchU accelerator, the Obiewear apparel line, and interface with students. "I am looking forward to propelling Oberlin's ethos of innovation into the 21st century," he says.

Christine Knific

Operations Manager of the Creativity and Leadership project Christine Knific will help organize and operate the LaunchU pitch competition and organize alumni relations. She is currently the director of customer success for Movable, an exercise promotion company. Knific grew up in nearby North Olmsted.

Taylor Houk

Assistant Women's Soccer Coach Taylor Houk graduated from Villanova in 2013. There she was a member of the women's soccer team. Houk has also played soccer professionally in Finland.

Christopher Jenkins

Assistant Dean for Academic Support in the Conservatory Dean’s Office Christopher Jenkins will assist Associate Dean Mary Gray with academic advising. Prior to joining Oberlin, Jenkins served as Deputy Director of the Barenheim-Said Foundation in the West Bank, Dean of the Sphinx Performance Academy, and a violist in the Catalyst Quartet. Originally from New York City, Jenkins practices taekwondo in his spare time.

Hayley Larson

Assistant Curator of Academic Programs at the Allen Memorial Art Museum Hayley Larson ’14 will spend the next year assisting Curator of Academic Programs Liliana Milkova in running the print study room. She will also conduct faculty outreach.

Adam Lowther

Running Backs Position Coach Adam Lowther joins Oberlin's football team this year. He will work to develop the team's running backs, and work closely with the offensive coordinator to develop a game plan. Lowther graduated from Oberlin in 2012 with a degree in biology.

Phillip Lundquist

Intern for Service Learning and Engagement for the Bonner Center Phillip Lundquist comes to Oberlin from Grand Junction, Colorado, where he worked for Colorado Mesa University in their Residence Life department. Originally from Saint Paul, Minnesota, he attended Whitman College in Washington state. Currently, he attends Bowling Green State University, where he studies in the college student personnel program. In his free time, he enjoys baking, canning, and cycling.

Kendra Mathys

Postdoctoral Resident at the Counseling Center Kendra Mathys will provide individual and group counseling to Oberlin Students. Prior to working with Oberlin, she was a doctoral intern for Ohio University's Counseling and Psychological Services. In her spare time, she enjoys cycling and cooking.

Yvona Pabian

Post-doctoral Resident for the Counseling Center Yvona Pabian will provide individual and group mental health counseling and crisis intervention assessment and conduct psychoeducational programming. Originally from Poland, Pabian is a graduate of Cleveland State University and has worked for Cleveland State University.

Julio Cesar Reyes

Latino/a Community Coordinator at Oberlin's Multicultural Resource Center Julio Reyes will provide support to Latino/a students and other students from historically underrepresented communities, help them find community at Oberlin, and advise student organizations. "I am excited to begin working at an institution where students are driven by their interest in social justice," says Reyes.

Rhett Rybarczyk Assistant Director of Admissions Rhett Rybarczyk will be recruiting students from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, and the Dakotas, as well as Dayton and Cincinnati. Born and raised in Oberlin, Rybarczyk says he's "thrilled" to be back. Prior to returning to Oberlin, he worked in the admissions office at Ohio Wesleyan University, which he also attended.

Aisha Samuel Assistant Coach of Cross Country and Track and Field Aisha Samuel joins Oberlin's Athletics Department from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri. She will be working with the track team's sprinters. Originally from san Juan, Trinidad, Samuel attended Northwest Missouri State University.

Jimmy Taylor

Student Engagement Fellow Jimmy Taylor ’14 will help students interact with the Career Center, coordinating Career Center campaigns and working with student peer career advisors. In his spare time, Taylor enjoys running, as well as playing and recording music.

DJ Zissen

Area Coordinator for the Senior Year Experience DJ Zissen joins Oberlin's residential education staff this year. Previously, he worked as a graduate teaching assistant for Oregon State University, from which he graduated in 2010 with a bachelor’s in human development and family science, and in 2014 with a master’s in college student services administration. He moves to Oberlin with his partner, Sam, and their two calico cats, Topsy and Turvy.