Staff

I am originally from Ghana, West Africa, and a member of the Ashanti tribe. I came to Syracuse in 1982 to pursue my PhD in Mathematics Education. I am currently serving as director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs in the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience. My interest in the student affairs profession is advancing student retention through mentoring, leadership development, civic engagement, and academic achievement. I am committed to educating the whole person to become a global citizen. For my own professional development, I have been trained in couple diversity education models and continue to take certification courses on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Among such courses is “Designing and Building Institutional Antiracist Spaces (D-BIAS) through Coursera, and Cornell’s Certification Program on Diversity and Inclusion. I believe in community engagement through programming and serving on boards of community-based organizations. On campus, I have served on various search committees for administrative positions and am currently serving as chair of the Senate Committee on Race, Equity, Ethnicity, and Inclusion as well as the Associate University Marshall for commencements and convocations. I am a Lead Instructor for the First Year Seminar (FYS 101) and CARE facilitator. I enjoy discussions around all aspects of diversity advancing the notion that “diversity is the differences that make us unique.” And unless we talk to each other, we will never come to know and appreciate the differences that make each of us unique.

Breana Nieves Vergara joined Syracuse University in July 2021 as Coordinator of Mentoring Programs in Multicultural Affairs. In September 2023, she was promoted to Assistant Director of Multicultural Affairs. In this role, Breana oversees the WellsLink Leadership Program and spearheads programming for Latine Heritage Month.

Breana earned her Bachelor's degree in Sociology with minors in Latinx Studies and Education Studies from Ithaca College. As an undergraduate, she participated in the BOLD Women's Leadership Network and pursued a year-long Helen Gurley Brown fellowship after graduation. A native of Syracuse, Breana previously worked for On Point for College, where she created and led their mentorship program.

With a passion for guiding students' academic and personal growth, Breana is committed to fostering inclusive spaces that encourage identity development and community building. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her wife and cats, exploring local waterfalls and parks, trying new recipes, and reading ethnographies.

Bailey Tlachac is a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Bear Clan. She graduated from the School of Education in May 2023 with an M.S. in Higher Postsecondary Education. She is from Forestville, Wisconsin and an alum of the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in First Nations Studies with a Psychology minor. During her time there, she was the Cultural Resource Specialist in the Education Center for First Nations Studies. She also held multiple leadership positions in Intertribal Student Council where she helped raise awareness about indigenous communities and issues on campus. She was one of the organizers for the installation of Wisconsin’s 12 tribal nations’ flags. Bailey is honored to be working with the Native Student Program in the Office of Multicultural Affairs. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, photography, learning languages and listening to music!

Native to Brooklyn, Dashawn has always had an appreciation for their borough’s culture and people, which serves as the fuel for their own ambitions and work.They are a recent graduate of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School/Whitman Dual Program, where they earned degrees in Advertising and Entrepreneurship & Emerging Enterprises.

Dashawn has grown as a creative and innovator through various experiences. From being a part of the Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP), where they worked with designing and crafting campaigns for pharmaceutical and entertainment clients, to consulting and innovating independent businesses that prioritize community, women empowerment and social growth. Not only have they gained corporate experience but have been able to explore the world of public programming and philanthropy through various programs like the Morgan Stanley Teaching Fellows and organizations like Educational Alliance, Henry Street Settlement and Syracuse University's Higher Education Opportunity Program.

As the Coordinator of Multicultural Initiatives, Dashawn looks forward to amplifying programming and events that bridge cultural gaps and address the lived experiences of marginalized groups across campus.

Maximiliano Jimenez received his Bachelors of Arts in Political Science at UCSB, and is currently pursuing his Masters of Science in Higher Education here at SU! Through his experiences as an RA, being in RHA and NRHH, alongside their Poli-Sci degree, Max has always had a passion to uncover social and institutional inequities. As of right now, he's come to some type of conclusion that inclusive education is what can solve a lot of the issues I've studied. Therefore, Max  is here, ready to learn and grow, ready to innovate and ready to make change in the WellsLink Leadership program, on campus, and wherever he goes!

Nicole Smoke, (Mohawk, Wolf Clan of Akwesasne) is an enrolled member of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. She is a first-generation college student who graduated from Syracuse University in 2017 with her B.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences and a minor in Native American Studies. After graduating, Nicole spent a few years working in fields of prevention, community health and wellness, and education. Nicole is now a graduate student in the Higher Education M.S. Program and has recently taken on the role as Graduate Assistant for the Native Student Program here at Syracuse University.

During Nicole's time as an undergrad at SU, she was involved in the Native Student Program and Indigenous Students at Syracuse. She interned at NSP during her senior year and left her mark at SU by creating NSP’s Ionkerihonnien:ni Mentor Program for Indigenous freshman and transfer students.

“I am thrilled to be back on campus working with our Indigenous Students. NSP was my home away from home when I was an undergraduate student here at SU. Being a part of this community had such a positive impact on my time here. I am hoping I can give back to the Indigenous students here by providing a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment using the knowledge that I will gain through the Higher Education M.S. Program.”

Sydney Jackson is a first year graduate student in the Higher Education Program here at Syracuse. She is also a first-generation graduate with a B.S in Communication Studies from Radford University. Sydney chose Higher Education because she believes that she can impact people's lives outside of the classroom is just as important as what is being done inside the classroom. She's ecstatic to be apart of the OMA Staff this year and particularly working with Dimensions Mentoring Program. Working with communities that not only she can resonate with, but that also hold great importance, is something she highly looks forward to. Sydney cannot to see what this school year brings and everything SU has to offer.

Abiodun Adeoye is from Hyattsville, Maryland. He is serving as an Academic Consultant for the WellsLink Leadership Program and is currently pursuing dual master's degrees in Public Administration and International Relations (MPA/MAIR) at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He is a 2022 U.S. Department of State Charles B. Rangel Fellow. Upon graduating, he will join the U.S. Foreign Service as a Foreign Service Officer.

He is a 2020 graduate of Salisbury University in Maryland, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and with university honors and received bachelors degrees in History and Political Science. As an undergraduate student, Abiodun worked with his university's Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement, where he planned and hosted events on the topics of race and politics. He also worked with his university's Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity to establish Salisbury University's very first undergraduate research journal, LARIDAE, and with the Office of Nationally Competitive Fellowships to recruit students to apply for fellowships such as the Fulbright, Boren, Critical Language Scholarship, and more. In 2019, he received the Boren Scholarship to study Swahili in Tanzania, and the Public Policy and International Affairs program's Junior Summer Institute Fellowship to study at the Humphrey School at the University of Minnesota. In the summers of 2020 and 2021, he studied Swahili through the U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship, and from 2021-2022, he served as an English Teaching Assistant in Kyrgyzstan through the U.S. Fulbright Student Program. Abiodun's additional languages include Yoruba, and Swahili, Russian, and Kyrgyz. In his free time, he likes to read about race, politics, international affairs, and medieval and Early Modern European History.

Alonzo D. Turner is currently a doctoral candidate pursuing a PhD in Counseling and Counselor Education at Syracuse University. He is a National Certified Counselor (NCC), and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and a Qualified Supervisor in North Carolina Counselor with several years of providing counseling services for clients of multicultural backgrounds. His research agenda focuses on include intersectional feminism, Womanist theology, multiculturalism and examining how the experiences of Black millennials in Black church culture impact their religiosity and spirituality. He is committed to addressing cultural attitudes that perpetuated stigmas regarding mental health services in the Black community. His aim is to use his research to bridge the gap between counselor educators and the Black community. Through his research, he aims to enhance current pedagogic, clinical, and supervisory practices and literature regarding spirituality and religiosity for clients of historically marginalized backgrounds.

Iyanu Adeoba is a former Dimensions Peer Mentor and recent May 2023 David B. Falk Sports and Human Dynamics graduate with a Bachelors Degree in Public Health. She is currently a Graduate Student, pursuing a Masters Degree in Public Health with a concentration on Global Health. In her free tine, she enjoys reading books, planning activities, and meeting new people.

Olivia Henderson is originally from Atlanta, GA, and is a recent graduate of Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Policy Studies. Olivia originally started off in the WellsLink Leadership Program as a Peer in the first-year program and served as Peer Leader while completing the second-year program.

Currently, Olivia is a graduate student in the public administration Master’s program at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Olivia is passionate about working with and advocating for those who are younger than her, especially in educational spaces. Serving as an undergraduate TA, camp counselor, peer mentor, and classroom facilitator informed her passion and provided her with the opportunity to serve and learn from different communities. Olivia is excited to return to the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the WellsLink Leadership Program as an academic consultant. In her free time, Olivia enjoys catching up on the latest politics and pop culture, traveling, spending time with friends, and practicing self-care.

"Rhiannon Abrams is a member of the Citizen Band Potawatomi Nation and Six Nations Mohawk, Bear Clan. She graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor’s degree in Health and Exercise Science, and a minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies. She is now a graduate student in Whitman’s School of Management pursuing her Master’s in Business Analytics.

During Rhiannon’s time in her undergrad, she was a member of the Native Student Program, the Indigenous Students at Syracuse organization, and the Ionkerionniéni:ni Guide Program. Eventually, she became a council member for the Indigenous Students at Syracuse org. She worked and collaborated with the other titleholders and members on projects, events, meetings, and ideas for the future of the organization. When she began working with the Ionkerionniéni:ni Guide Program, she was a Freshman and had a mentor that had a positive impact on her transition into university. Later, she became a mentor herself and wanted to also provide support for incoming and first-year students by making Syracuse University feel like home-away-from-home.

It has been a journey for Rhiannon in her undergrad, but the Indigenous student community truly helped her feel at home, welcomed, and made her feel like she could make a difference. She wants other Indigenous students who come to Syracuse to feel the same.

Rhiannon is deeply honored and happy to work as an Academic Consultant for the Native Student Program and to work with the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

In her free time, she likes to read, bead, spend time with friends, and travel."

Semaj Campbell, originally from Syracuse, New York, joined Multicultural Affairs (OMA) as the Academic Consultant for undergraduate students of color with the WellsLink Leadership Program in May 2023, however had previously served as the Academic Consultant for fullCIRCLE Mentoring Program for two years. Semaj is currently a Ph.D. student of History at Syracuse University, serving as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. She has a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry and has various levels of experience mentoring and advising students.

Semaj obtained her Master of Arts in Africana Studies from the University at Albany SUNY and, prior to that, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from SUNY Buffalo State College. Her research is mainly concerned with 20th Century Black Girlhood and uncovering their voices in the archive. Semaj has various years of experience in community organizing, mainly through her work with The Image Initiative, Inc., where she mentors girls of color in the Syracuse City School District. In her free time, Semaj enjoys interior decorating projects, reading, and enjoying time with loved ones.