Meet the Staff | University of Miami


Nikki Abramson - Assistant to the Dean/Case Manager Claudia Arias-Cirinna - Assistant Dean of Students/ Director of the William W. Sandler Jr. Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Education Erica Blunt - Graduate Assistant Beth Bostrom - Chaplain Nancy Del Pozzo - Administrative Assistant, Office Manager Christine Ferras - Administrative Assistant Jian Gou - Practicum Student Tashika Griffith - Assistant Dean of Students Dr. Ricardo Hall - Dean of Students Nate Johnson - Assistant Director of Residence Life/Area Director Dr. Tony Lake - Associate Dean of Students/Director of Judicial Affairs Steve Priepke - Assistant Dean of Students, Coordinator for Fraternity and Sorority Life Jenesis Ramirez - Practicum Student Mike Stokes - Graduate Assistant Karen Taylor - Administrative Assistant Dayle Wilson - Assistant Dean of Students

Nikki Abramson
Nikki Abramson, LCSW joined the University of Miami's Dean of Student's Office in September 2006 as the Assistant to the Dean/Case Manager. Nikki addresses the needs of students who may be experiencing mental health, health, economic, housing, family, academic, and/or social issues by providing a variety of intervention, referral, and case management services. Nikki is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Florida (http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/491/index.html) and has extensive clinical experience working with students in educational settings and providing crisis intervention services. Nikki has presented at workshops and trainings at both national and local levels and is trained and certified in implementing various evidenced-based and best-practice programs. She has received numerous awards for her outstanding contributions to promoting student mental health. Nikki grew up in New York and earned her bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Albany and her master's degree in Social Work from New York University. Nikki enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, reading, and working out.

Claudia Arias-Cirinna
Dean Arias-Cirinna joined the Dean of Student Office in November 2008. She currently serves as Assistant Dean of Students and the Director of the William W. Sandler Jr. Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Education. She is responsible for coordinating a comprehensive Prevention, Intervention, Education, and Referral program focusing on alcohol and other drug use, misuse, and dependency. Dean Arias-Cirinna is originally from Chile, South America but grew up in Connecticut most of her life. She received both her BA in Spanish and Psychology from Central Connecticut State University and her MS in Counseling in Higher Education and Student Affairs. She has worked at several universities and has expertise in areas such as counseling, alcohol education, prevention, wellness, crisis response, staff selection and training, advising student organizations, leadership, teambuilding, and diversity. Her two greatest passions are working with students and education through prevention. Dean Arias-Cirinna is a member of CALAHE, CT Association of Latinos in Higher Education and has worked extensively with Latino Youth and Prevention efforts. When she is not working, Dean Arias-Cirinna spends all her time with her family and her 2 children.

Erica Blunt
Erica Blunt joined the University of Miami family in August 2011. Erica is the Graduate Assistant for the Undergraduate Honor Council. She graduated from Hampton University with a degree in Sport Management. Upon graduation Erica joined Teach For America and taught Middle and High School math in New Orleans. She is now pursuing a Masters in Higher Education Administration with a concentration in Student Life and Development. Erica and serves as the Dean of Student's liaison to the Honor Council, which is comprised of 29 undergraduate students.

Beth Bostrom
Rev. Beth Bostrom became the Chair of the University Chaplains Association in the summer of 2011, and thus joined the staff of the Dean of Students Office. She moved to Miami to become the Chaplain at the Wesley Foundation at the University of Miami in the summer of 2009. After graduating from Greensboro College in North Carolina with an English degree, she entered the US-2 young adult mission program through the United Methodist Church. As a US-2, Beth worked and lived in a shelter for homeless families in Tallahassee for two years. After working another year with folks who were homeless and had disabilities, Beth started seminary at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta. During seminary, she worked with the Wesley Fellowship at Emory, first as an intern and then as the Interim Campus Minister. After graduating from Candler, Beth spent two years as a Chaplain Resident at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, working mainly with the ICUs and the Child Protection Center. When Beth moved to Miami, she had only visited the city twice. She has lived in five states, and is a big fan of road trips and adventure. Beth loves baseball, live music and Miami's food trucks. She digs this sub-tropical wonderland, especially the abundance of tropical fruit trees.

Nancy Del Pozzo
Nancy Del Pozzo joined the University of Miami in May 2006. Nancy is the Senior Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Students and is responsible in the overall daily administration and management of the office, preparation of budget/financial reports, maintenance the Dean's calendar and correspondence, and provides assistance to student and parents in need of help. Nancy grew up in Lima, Peru and earned her Bachelor's Degree in Languages from Sacred Heart University in Lima. Prior to working for the Dean of Students, Nancy worked in the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs. She is fluent in Spanish and French. Nancy loves to spend time with her son and husband and enjoys traveling.

Christine Ferras
Christine A. Ferras, Administrative Assistant, joined the University of Miami's Dean of Students Office in April 1998. As part of the support staff, Mrs. Ferras works to help the office run smoothly. As well as assisting Dean Dayle W. Wilson; Dean Nanette Vega and Dean Claudia Arias-Cirinna, she also works along side the Associate Dean and Director of Judicial Affairs to administer the discipline database system. Christine has lived in the Miami area since 1962, is married and has two grown children. Christine won The Laurel Award in 2002 for Outstanding Job Performance. She was the recipient of the Ronald Hammond Humanitarian Award in 2000 and 2001 presented by the National Panhellenic Council and is a member of Rho Lambda.

Jian Gou
Jian Gou is an international graduate student majoring in higher education administration. She is proud to be the first Chinese graduate student in this program at the University of Miami. During her practicum experience, she will work with Dr. Ricardo Hall - Dean of Students and Dr. Tony Lake - Associate Dean of Students/ Director of Judicial Affairs focusing on Judicial Affairs and Honor Council. She is interested in studying the differences in higher education administrative systems between China and the United States. She started her life-changing journey in Miami by herself in the spring of 2011, after finishing her undergraduate study at Beijing Science and Technology University with a bachelor's degree in Business English. She enjoys reading popular fictions, traveling across all over the world, baking cakes and cooking Chinese dumplings. She can be frequently found on campus wearing a colorful dress and her awesome Hello Kitty backpack.

Tashika Griffith
Dean Griffith has recently joined the Dean of Students Office in March 2012 and currently serves as the Assistant Dean of Students and liaison to the Athletics department. Her additional responsibilities include the general oversight of DOSO assessment and grant writing initiatives, advisement of the Multi-Ethnic Greek Council and the day to day management of the Student Affairs Crisis Coordinators (SACC) program. She is a native of the Bahamas but has lived in Florida for over a decade. Dean Griffith has experience in both secondary and post-secondary education, serving as a teacher in Broward County and working in various Student Affairs units such as Multicultural Affairs, Career Services, University Police and Student Activities. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English with a certification in Ethnic Studies from Florida Atlantic University and her Masters in Higher Education & Leadership Policies from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). Dean Griffith is a devoted football fan and also enjoys cooking, shopping and traveling.

Dr. Ricardo Hall
Throughout his career, Dean Hall has realized the importance of understanding differences and varying points of view. In his professional and educational work, community involvement, and speaking engagements, he has been able to incorporate and share his knowledge of and appreciation for a broad range of current topics within higher education and beyond. This has included discussions on the impact, real and perceived, of race and culture on various individuals, groups, and college campuses. Dean Hall encourages comfortable, thoughtful, and civil discourse within the UM community and enjoys interacting with students on topics related to life at UM, and life in general. Dean Hall has presented locally, regionally, and nationally on subjects ranging from mentoring to student discipline to diversity to leadership skills development and Greek Life. He is a proud former RA and is happy to participate in programming in the residential colleges, as well as for student organizations. Dean Hall can frequently be found in the Wellness Center playing basketball or racquetball (and invites students to take Dean Hall's Racquetball Challenge!), has an impressive PEZ collection in his office, is an aficionado (and frequent wearer) of bowties, and encourages students to fully embrace the opportunities – both in and out of the classroom – presented to them at the University of Miami. Dean Hall has been a Hurricane since 2006 and, in addition to overall management of the Dean of Students Office, he is an Adjunct Faculty member in the School of Education, teaching Higher Ed Law and Supervision in Higher Ed courses. He has prior university student affairs experience from Wake Forest University, Clemson University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He earned his doctorate (Educational Leadership) from Clemson University and his master's (Higher Education Administration) and bachelor's (Business Management) degrees from Ohio University.

Nate Johnson
Nate Johnson is the Assistant Director of Residence Life as well as the Area Director for Eaton Residential College. He graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Psychology. He completed his Masters degree in Educational Leadership at Eastern Michigan University. This is his fifth year at the University of Miami. Nate serves as a support role to the Dean of students working on a variety of projects with his primary responsibility being a liaison between the Dean of Students Office and the Department of Housing and Residence Life. Nate enjoys spending time with his family and friends as well as working with the excellent student leaders on the University of Miami campus.

Dr. Tony Lake
Dean Lake started working at the University of Miami in June of 2008 as the Associate Dean of Students and Director of Judicial Affairs and works with student disciplinary issues and sorority and fraternity life on campus. In addition to roles at the University of Miami, Dr. Lake also serves as an executive member on the national board of directors for Gamma Sigma Alpha, the National Greek Academic Honorary, and has done research for that organization for several years. He has worked as leadership education curriculum development consultant for several different organizations. He has been involved with Leadership Miami, a program of the Greater Miami Area Chamber of Commerce since the fall of 2009 and is a co-founder of a young professional's society for the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts that will serve as fundraisers and advocates for the City of Miami's historic Olympia Theatre and the Gusman Center. Prior to working at the U, Dean Lake worked in several different roles throughout his career. He has worked in housing and residence life at three different institutions, has done research on the academic achievements of sorority and fraternity members, has been an instructor on several different campuses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and has also previously worked in fraternity and sorority life and leadership development. Along his career path Dr. Lake has also earned three degrees: a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Graphic Design and Photography in 1995 (Central Michigan University), a Master of Science in College Student Personnel Administration in 1997 (University of Central Missouri), and later a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration in 2005 (Bowling Green State University). Tony's wife and partner, Kate Lake, also works for the University of Miami (in Alumni Relations) and they are both enjoying working in the wonderfully diverse Miami community.

Steve Priepke
Steve Priepke is a two time graduate of the University of Miami holding a B.B.A and a J.D. During college he was a founding father of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity chapter. Dean Priepke also worked in Student Affairs as a Student Assistant and Graduate Assistant. After finishing college he worked for his national fraternity serving as the Executive Director for the last 4 years. Dean Priepke is a practicing attorney and specializes in not for profit and higher education law – including employment, tax, tort liability, risk management and insurance issues. He is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa International Honor Society, Mortar Board Honor Society, Order of Omega, and Iron Arrow and is listed in Who's Who in American Universities and Colleges. He has also received the William R. Butler Award for Administrative Excellence. Dean Priepke is an avid sportsman and his other hobbies include traveling, shopping, cooking and reading.

Jenesis Ramirez
Jenesis Ramirez joined the Dean of Students Office in the fall of 2011 as a Graduate Practicum Student from the School of Education. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Miami and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and English Literature in the spring of 2010. In the fall of 2010, Jenesis continued her studies at the University of Miami as a graduate student in the Higher Education Master of Science program with a concentration in Student Life and Development. Jenesis has previous experience working as a teaching assistant in the School of Education and in research laboratories in the Department of Psychology at the University of Miami. Currently, Jenesis works specifically with the Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Education. She works with Pier 21 Peer Educators to plan and implement preventative programs and events that focus on educating undergraduate students about alcohol and other drug use, misuse, and dependency. In addition, Jenesis is also involved with the Undergraduate Honor Council at the Dean of Students Office.

Mike Stokes
Michael Stokes joined the Dean of Students Office in August 2011. Michael is the Graduate Assistant for PIER21, the William W. Sandler, Jr. Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Education and assists the Assistant Dean of Students in initiatives that support the overall goals and objectives of the center including prevention, intervention, education, and referral focusing on alcohol and other drug use, misuse and dependency. In order to accomplish the goals of the Center, Michael works closely with the peer educators and peer education groups in the Dean of Students Office and other leaders in campus community. Michael is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, and graduated from the University of Miami with his Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Geography in May 2011. Prior to joining the Dean of Students Office, he served as an Academic Fellow in Hecht Residential College for three years. Michael is currently pursuing his Master's degree in Geography and Regional Studies at UM.

Karen Taylor
Karen recently joined the Deans Office as Administrative Assistant in the summer of 2008. She was born and raised in Opa-Locka, FL and graduated from Miami Carol City Sr. High School in 1971. She served in the U.S Army from 1973-1976 as a Medic and Drill Sergeant. Later, she graduated from Miami Dade Community College in 1980 with an A.S. Degree in Court Reporting. Karen worked at the U.S.P.S. from 1981-1995 ending that career as the Supervisor of Training. She then worked at Dade County Public Schools from 1995-2001 as a Counseling Specialist. She finally came to UM in 2002 starting her career in the Athletic Department as a Staff Associate and then transferring to the Deans Office. Her mother is a 1964 UM Alumni and her daughter, Jessica is a recent graduate of UM. She enjoys ceramic/glass tile pottery but her biggest joy is spending time with her husband Robert L. Taylor.

Dayle Wilson
A graduate of the University of Miami, Dean Wilson serves as a judicial officer for the Office of the Dean of Students. Additional responsibilities include serving as the advisor to the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the umbrella organization for the historically Black Greek Letter organizations represented on campus. She also serves as the advisor to the Undergraduate and Graduate Honor Councils, and the Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society. Dean Wilson is also a member of the WVUM Advisory Board. She has been inducted as an honorary member in the Order of Omega and as a member of Omicron Delta Kappa. She served as President of the University's Women's Commission from 2007 - 2009. She is also a former member of the Miami Dade County Library Advisory Board. Dean Wilson was also recognized by the Yellow Rose Society as Legend of the Year during the 2008 Women's History Month celebration.