Faculty and Staff
Meet everyone in Career and Internship Services, read our bios, and learn more about
how we support our students and alumni.
Frantz L. Alcindor, Director, previously served as the Program Manager of the Entrepreneurial Technology Apprenticeship
program at Wheeling Jesuit University’s National Technology Transfer Center in West
Virginia, where he directed the career and internship placement program for science
and business students. Frantz has also served in two key student services roles at
the City University of New York (CUNY) as the Director of New Student Advisement at
Hostos Community College, and most recently as the Director of Academic Advisement
at Queensborough Community College. Frantz holds a Master of Science in Human Resources
Development from the University of Scranton, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political and
Economic Philosophy from Wheeling Jesuit University.
Adrian Jones, Assistant Professor/Career and Internship Counselor, joined FIT in 2006. He worked as a Technologist C in the Photo Department for two
years before assuming his current role in 2009. Adrian holds the following degrees:
C.A.S., Studies in Arts & Humanities, New York University
MA, Creative Related Arts, International Centre of Photography / New York University
BAS., Information System and Business Applications, Boston University
AAS, Communication Electronics, Graham Junior College, Boston, Mass
Additional classes in Multimedia Design and Production, New York University.
Adrian is an Educator and Artist with experience that includes academic advising and
student workshop development for higher education, serving as Faculty Advisor for
student organizations, lecturer at high schools and universities and has over twenty
years’ experience in Fashion / Fine Art photography with numerous magazines and gallery
shows. His work can be viewed at "www.adrian-jones.com" and on Instagram "adrianjones_ny" and "adrianjones_nyc".
Amy Mato, Assistant Professor/Counselor, has been with FIT since 2001 and has previous industry experience in fashion design
(Men’s and Women’s), product development, merchandising, buying, and retail. Amy is
a FIT grad with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Fashion and Related Industries
and an Associate in Applied Science in Fashion Buying and Merchandising. My favorite
things: When not at FIT, spending time with my rescue dogs, husband, and friends
Anthony Hicks, Counselor Associate, joined FIT in 2018. He previously worked in the Center for Continuing and Professional
Studies as a Student Services Representative. Anthony holds a BA in English and a
Master’s degree in English Literature specializing in postmodern theory from York
University in Toronto, Canada. Anthony joined the CIS team in 2022 and works with
employers to help them register to provide opportunities to FIT’s students and alumni.
Bonnie Recca, Assistant Professor/Career and Internship Counselor, works mainly with the AMC students since 2009. Previous to her work at FIT, Bonnie
had a long career in the media planning and buying side of advertising, agency management
and as a marketing/strategic planning consultant. She incorporates that industry experience
to help guide students in their future career decisions. In addition to counseling,
Bonnie has taught in the AMC and ITM departments at FIT, as well as NYU
She holds the following:
Master of Arts, Stony Brook University in Higher Education Administration
Bachelor of Arts, Stony Brook University with a dual major of economics and political
science
Certificate of Landscape Design, New York Botanical Gardens
Chenise Marine Rice, Administrative Associate, has been at FIT for decades starting in the Registrar’s Office then moving on to
the Department of Student Life and now in the Career and Internship Services Office.
Chenise is an original member of the EAP committee at FIT as well as a member of
the Board of Directors for UCE of FIT’S Welfare Trust Fund. Chenise has a Bachelor's
Degree in Business Administration and an MBA with a concentration in Management. She
is also an FIT certified Image Consultant. Outside of FIT, she is an Adjunct Professor
at Metropolitan College of New York, MCNY, teaching for over 18 years as well as a
Coordinator for the NYC Board of Elections. In CIS, she manages the department often
referring to herself at the Olivia Pope of CIS. There is no task too hard for the
Opts Team, CIS’s white hats. Chenise loves a good book and TV series. She is always
on the look out for a challenging work out class too. Look for her outside at lunch
time and accompany her on one of her brisk lunchtime walks.
Debbie Diaz, Resource/Counselor Associate, started working at FIT over 25 years ago, at Health Services for the first few, then
in Career Services. She also serves as Advisor to FIT's Christian Fellowship Club.
Debbie is a grad of FIT completing AAS and BFA degrees in Illustration with minors
in Fashion Design and Fine Arts, Masters in Gallery Retail Administration course work
and additional courses in Business, Photography, Graphics, Marketing and Web applications
at FIT and elsewhere. Personal work successes: She has enjoyed advising and encouraging
freelancers and those employing them, producing sold-out Job Fairs, creative problem-solving,
and creating our department’s first webpage on FIT’s first website as well as planning,
customizing, implementing and managing our former and current Career Services Job
Bank Symplicity database. Debbie's favorite things: faith, family, friends and food,
18th-19th century classical art and fashion, museums, antique and artist dolls, naturopathic
and nutritional medicine.
Felix Rivera-Perez, Resource Associate, has worked with interns at FIT for 13 years. At FIT, he has held various positions:
February - August 2009: Temp. Secretary I, Internship Center, September 2009 - August
2012: Secretary III, Career and Internship Center, September 2012 - Present: Resource
Associate, CIS
Felix’s education includes:
Institute for Integrative Nutrition: Certified Holistic Health Counselor
Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts, Borough of Manhattan Community College, City University
of New York:
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Baruch College, City University of New York
Master of Science in Education (concentration: Higher Education Administration)
Currently working on his Doctor of Education in E-Learning, Northcentral University
Personal successes: Adjunct Lecturer, Psychology Department and College Now Program,
Baruch College, City University of New York; Member of FIT’s Diversity Collective
for Academic Affairs; former bass/baritone in Synagogue choir; mentor, Baruch College
Alumni Association
Likes/Hobbies: Cooking; tie-dye and hand sewing silk fabric to create "flow" instruments
used in dance; Reiki Practitioner; holistic health
Jeanne Golly, Associate Professor/Career and Internship Counselor, was recruited to FIT in August 2003 to direct the stand-alone Internship Center,
which she did for eight years before the merger of the Internship Center with Career
Services. She now counsels students interested in interning in FIT’s college-credit-earning
internship program and students and alumni interested in career-services support.
She has also done some teaching, including an Internship Studies course and a Global
Marketing course for FIT’s International Trade and Marketing for the Fashion Industries
major. Jeanne spent more than three decades as a corporate marketing, advertising,
and communications executive with multinational companies including Toyoto (Japan),
ING (The Netherlands), Bertelsmann (Germany), NICE (Israel), and USA-based Kmart,
American Standard, JC Penney, and Price Waterhouse. A native of San Antonio,Texas,
Jeanne holds MA (Michigan State University) and BS (The University of Texas at Austin)
degrees in Textiles, Apparel, Home Furnishings, and Retail. She is co-authoring a
book on Southeast Asian textile artisans and collaborating with two friends in readying
for the luxury global interiors market “Sfumatura”, a textile and wall covering that
replicates the remarkably beautiful aesthetics of the ancient walls of Venice, Rome,
Pompeii, and other Mediterranean settings.
Josephine Jee, Assistant Professor/Career and Internship Counselor, started as a product/shoe designer and musician, launching her patented footwear
label in New York City. She served as an Association of Independent Colleges of Art
and Design (AICAD) diversity, equity, and inclusion fellow at the Milwaukee Institute
of Art and Design. She teaches courses on footwear design at the Fashion Institute
of Technology and product design at Pratt Institute. Josephine holds a Master of Design
Management, a Bachelor of Industrial Design from Pratt Institute, and a Footwear Design
diploma from Arsutoria School in Milan.
Myrna Weiss, Career and Internship Counselor, has more than 25 years of experience in international marketing and strategic partnerships
which included companies in the fashion industry. She commenced her professional career
in the field of education at the secondary and university levels. Myrna received her
undergraduate degree from Barnard College, graduate degrees from Hunter College, New
York University and post-graduate certification from the Wharton School. She presently
counsels students in the Exhibition Design and Global Fashion Marketing graduate programs
as well as undergraduate seniors in Photography and Visual Arts Management.
Nadia Peters-Marulaz, Associate Coordinator of Employer and Sponsor Relations, previously worked at Manhattan College as the Assistant Director of Employer and
Alumni Relations. She has 10 years of experience bridging the gap between employers,
mentors, and students. Nadia has her Master of Arts in Counseling and Bachelor of
Arts in Psychology from Manhattan College. She loves spending time with her husband,
daughter, dog, extended family, and close friends. Nadia enjoys LIFE, especially helping
others, playing basketball, nature walks, and traveling!
Nancy Ross, Associate Professor/Career and Internship Counselor, has over thirty years of experience in education, PR and marketing communications.
She joined FIT as an Adjunct Professor and currently counsels primarily advertising
marketing communications and jewelry design students. She finds fulfillment in helping
individuals hone their natural talents as they transition from academia to the workplace.
Her degrees include a BA in Arts & Humanities from Kirkland (Hamilton College), a
MEd from Goucher College and a Certification in Gemology from FIT. She has won awards
for advertising from BBDO and Marsteller. As Director of Marketing for Amanda Fielding
of JC Penney, she helped launch 13 specialty stores. At FIT, she has served on the
Faculty Senate and the Executive Committee of the UCE. She has created and conducted
educational programs for LIM, Chautauqua Institution and FIT with courses that have
included Professional Panache and the Business of Jewelry. As a jewelry historian,
she has presented at the Annual National Antique Jewelry and Art Conference among
others and is a member of numerous professional organizations. She's had the privilege
of being quoted in Thursday's Style Section of The New York Times. Both at FIT and
in industry, she utilizes her skills as a marketer, consultant and stylist, combining
the aesthetic with the strategic to help people enhance their personal and professional
presentation. She enjoys exploring the arts, traveling, cooking, natural health and
the outdoors.
Stratton Bouloukos, Career and Internship Counselor, is an upmarket womenswear designer who’s worked in the fashion industry for more
than three decades. Stratton’s designs demonstrate how forward, yet timeless creations
of graceful, structured pieces can become progressive, modern classics. His collections
have been sold at Barneys New York, Henri Bendel, and many specialty boutiques. Early
in his career, Stratton worked as a design assistant at Carolina Herrera, Albert Nipon,
as well as serving as the head designer for Mary McFadden Suits. Stratton's work has
been favorably reviewed in W, WWD, Paper, and the New York Times. He has contributed
clothing to several charity events including Sotheby’s, the Boston Ballet, the Junior
League of New York, Boys’ Town of Italy, and the Loisaida Project.
Since March 2008, Stratton has served as a non-classroom faculty member at FIT, providing
counseling to students interested in interning through FIT’s college-credit-earning
internship program in the Career & Internship Services department. He studied fashion
design in Paris through Parsons School of Design and is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence
College.
Suzanne Steffe, Career Counselor Associate III, has worked in CIS for over 25+ years which includes but is not limited to servicing
all paid jobs, credited internships, student and alumni requests and running student
centered programs. Suzanne has held various titles and worked for multiple departments
at F.I.T. both full time and part time, including the Registrar Department , managed
the Student Services Dept. under the former Ms. Edithe Sancroft, managed the Tutoring
Department and worked in the Museum. In industry: Suzanne had embarked upon a 5
year career as Merchandiser for a luxurious brand bedding manufacturer for Macy's
and Bloomingdales. Suzanne had a part time job after work, selling real-estate apartments
in NYC for nine months. Suzanne is a graduate of the F.I.T. Buying and Merchandising
program. On the Job: With extensive background working for F.I.T. and in the industry,
she is able to bring her expertise in helping employers hire our extraordinary students
and help bring them much success in their fields.