About

Tardis Johnson is the associate dean for student academic support. He has over ten years of experience in the field of student services working on SUNY campuses. Prior to joining the FIT community, Dean Johnson was dean of academic support services/associate dean of students at SUNY Maritime College, where he worked extensively with first-year students, helping to enhance the curriculum and advisement process, raise retention rates, and recruit and train academic and personal advisers. He earned a BA in mathematics from the University at Albany SUNY and an MS in higher education from Baruch College, and a Doctor of Education degree from Northeastern University.

Nedean Wilson is the Acting Director; she was a counselor associate in the Academic Advisement Center for 8 years prior to assuming leadership. Before FIT, Nedean worked at SUNY Maritime College, where she served as the graduate and international admissions counselor and the Educational Opportunity Program coordinator for the office of admissions. She also served as a first-year adviser for the LEAD program. Nedean holds a BA in communication with a minor in film studies from Boston College and an MS in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania. She is an avid reader who someday hopes to visit the many countries she reads about.

Jared Ciborowski is a counselor associate who comes to FIT from Stony Brook University, where he worked two years as a Residence Hall Director. He earned his BS in Early Childhood Education from Long Island University and MS in Higher Education Administration from Stony Brook University. Jared has a passion for student development and truly enjoys having conversations with students to help them achieve their goals. He loves to explore all the different food options available in NYC and cheer on his favorite team, the NY Mets.

Aisha Cornelius is a counselor associate with over twelve years of experience at FIT. She most recently served as office associate in the office of the vice presidents for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and Student Success, where she resolved concerns for the division.  Aisha has a BA in broadcasting, telecommunications, and mass media from Temple University and an MA in public communications from Fordham University.  Aisha loves spending time with her family and collecting vintage toys from her childhood.

Elizabeth Fucci is a counselor associate whose student service experience includes working as a financial aid counselor at both New York University and Touro College, where she worked closely with students to ensure that their satisfactory academic progress standards were met in order to maintain aid eligibility. She earned a BS in Business Management at SUNY Farmingdale. Elizabeth is from Long Island and loves going to the beach, shopping, and trying new restaurants.

Tracy Gamble is a counselor associate with fourteen years of academic advising experience. She most recently served as an academic adviser at Berkeley College and at Pace University prior to that. Tracy has a BS in Professional and Technical Communication from Rochester Institute of Technology and an MA in Sociology of Education from New York University. She enjoys reading, solving word puzzles and taking in the city’s rich cultural offerings with her family.

William Hanauer is a counselor associate who has previously worked in several departments at FIT, including the Financial Aid Services and Health Services offices. Most recently, he served as the Admissions office coordinator, where he helped incoming students navigate the admissions process and advised them on residency issues. William received a BA in history from St. Francis College and an MA in international affairs from CUNY Brooklyn College. A native Queens resident, William is an avid NY sports fan, and he enjoys photography and playing guitar.

Percess Jonas-Atteloney is a Counselor with years of experience in Higher Education. She recently joined the AAC team having previously served as one of the College's Registrars with responsibility for programming courses, processing transfer credits and advising students. Prior to FIT, Percess worked at both private and public institutions in a variety of roles; as an Admissions Counselor, a TAP certifying Officer and a Registrar, at institutions such as NYIT, BMCC, and Polytechnic University. She holds a BS degree in Community Health from York College (CUNY) and a MS in Higher Education Administration from Baruch College (CUNY). She loves to shop and spend time with her family, especially her grandkids. She enjoys working with students to guide them in achieving their goal of obtaining a degree.

Benita Jones is a counselor with over ten years of experience in higher education in admissions, career services, and student activities. She received a BA in American studies and media and communications from SUNY Old Westbury and an MPA from Metropolitan College of New York. As the Military and Veteran Coordinator at Monroe College, she developed policies and procedures that helped student veterans navigate through college from admissions to graduation. She enjoys spending time with her family and is active in her community through her membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Marcia Lezama is a counselor associate who worked for ten years in FIT's Financial Aid Office, where she specialized in analyzing student data, processing loans, and determining eligibility for grants. She earned a BS in legal studies from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Marcia is a proud Brooklynite who loves shopping and spending time with her family. She is very active in supporting a number of causes in her community.

Nicky Mar is a counselor associate who has a long history at FIT. An FIT graduate, he earned his AAS and BS degrees in Production Management. Nicky began his higher education career in the Admissions Office at FIT. He is excited about continuing to encourage the academic growth of the many talented students at FIT. As a native New Yorker, he enjoys international cuisine, getting lost in museums, and traveling.

Lisa Mulligan is a counselor associate with over eight years of experience in Student Services. She previously served as the Coordinator of Student Life at Metropolitan College of New York and the Associate Director of Military and Veterans Affairs at Berkeley College. With a BA in English from St. John’s University and an MSEd from Metropolitan College of New York, Lisa is passionate about student advocacy and helping others reach their educational goals. She enjoys reading, watching movies, and exploring NYC with her husband, son, and two rescue dogs.

Giselle Puello is a counselor associate and graduate of FIT who earned an AAS in Patternmaking and a BS in Production Management as an EOP/CAP student. She previously worked for over 10 years in the Office of Educational Opportunity Programs and has freelanced in the fashion industry. Giselle looks forward to continuing to help students succeed in the competitive environment at FIT. In her spare time, Giselle enjoys spending time with her family and taking vacations to the Caribbean.

Scott Schwartz is a counselor associate with twelve years experience working in enrollment and student support services offices at CUNY Kingsborough Community College. Prior he worked at Brooklyn College in the student center. Scott received his BS degree in Business Management and Finance from CUNY Brooklyn College and AA degree in Liberal Arts from CUNY Kingsborough Community College. He is very dedicated to advising and supporting students with detailed advice and information. His favorite pastimes are cooking, shopping and following his favorite sports teams the Phoenix Suns, New York Yankees and Kansas City Chiefs.

Israel Taveras is a Counselor Associate who previously worked at Monroe College, where he served as an undergraduate Admissions Counselor and student organization adviser. There he utilized his expertise to help students navigate through their college experience from admissions to graduation. Israel holds a BS in childhood education with a minor in mathematics from SUNY College at Buffalo and an MA in higher and post-secondary education from Teachers College Columbia University. Izzy is a proud brother of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. He is also a voracious reader and movie buff, with a great sense of humor, who enjoys traveling and experiencing different parts of the world. His favorite time of the year is the summer and he enjoys providing students with a beneficial and supportive experience.

Penny Tomasello is the executive coordinator. She has over twelve years of experience in student affairs at FIT. Penny received an AAS in business administration from Elizabeth Seton College, a BA in business administration from Bernard Baruch College, and an MS in human resources relations from the New School. She loves spending time with her family, traveling, solving puzzles, and gardening.

Jennifer Turner is an administrative assistant in the Academic Advisement Center. Prior to her current role, Jennifer worked as the administrative coordinator in the Starr Career Development Center at Baruch College. She has also worked part-time in FIT’s Health Services office since 2008. She is a graduate of St. Michael’s College with a BS in Business Administration. Jennifer loves the beach, reading, spending time with her family and is an avid skier.