Staff

As Director of NYU Berlin since 2010, Gabriella oversees its academic and administrative activities and develops relationships with local and international Universities and research institutions.  Before joining NYU she taught subjects in Modern European History in universities in the U.S., Europe, and in Australia. She is a founding member of the National Peace Academy and committed to reshaping higher education, especially Global education, so that it becomes a central driver in creating a more humane and sustainable world.  She is also continuing her research and writing on the Holocaust in Greece and on narratives of self-victimization in present-day Germany. 

Loren has a degree in Business Administration and a great deal of finance, operations, and administration experience. He is also holds certifications in project and IT management. Once a NYC resident, Loren has lived in southern Germany and recently moved to the Berlin area with his family. He is also a self-proclaimed expert in NYC punk rock history.

As Academic Coordinator Roland assists the Director in the delivery of the academic programs and is responsible for managing the provisions of student and faculty services. Before joining NYU in 2011, he taught modern history at the University of London (Queen Mary) and worked as a historian for television documentaries. He has published widely on maritime and youth history; his current research project investigates the connection of masculinity and mental health among sailors in the 18th/19th-century navy, which is supported by a fellowship of the British National Maritime Museum. Roland is a born Berliner and good local history source for NYU students. All academic pursuits aside, he still counts as his most memorable achievement having once been the manager of a music venue.

Dr. Janice Abarbanel is NYU Berlin's Wellness Counselor, providing counseling and wellness programming for NYU Berlin students. Janice is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in Washington DC where she worked for many years with international families and students and with US Peace Corps Volunteers.  She has lived and worked abroad and brings to Berlin her expertise with the emotional challenges that often accompany intercultural exchanges.  She welcomes "wellness" as a guide for engaging with change.

Denise is responsible for the German language program at NYU Berlin. She coordinates the language courses and implements a variety of extra- and co-curricular activities like tutorials and language-based field trips.  Denise has a degree in German Studies from the Free University of Berlin. She has been working with international students since 2006 and has worked at NYU Berlin since September 2009.

Linn is responsible for all student life-related issues, including housing, student welfare, cultural events, and other activities. She fell in love with Berlin in 2004 and with New York City in 2008, appreciating both cities for their unforgiving, yet engaging vibrancy, its people, and art and music scene. Linn has studied in Berlin and New York City and holds an M.A. in American Studies, Modern History, and Political Science. As her academic interest largely revolves around the politics and poetics of urban space, her MA thesis looked at New York City’s High Line through the lens of Henri Lefebvre’s theory of the production of space, touching on aspects of 21st century urban space, community revitalization, and the urban power struggle.

John is NYU Berlin’s Student Life Administrator. A South Carolina native, John moved to Berlin in 2007 with academic tenures as a Fulbright recipient in 2008 and an M.A. student at Berlin’s Freie Universität from 2009-2010. His M.A. thesis dealt with German travel literature sent to German newspapers during the late 19th century from America, with particular focus on the change of tone and content of such literature surrounding the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. John is an enthusiastic amateur chef, loves Berlin’s bike lanes and likes to play tennis. His favorite Berlin borough for food and a night out is “Kreuzkölln” near Maybachufer.

Lygia is NYU Berlin’s Program Assistant. Though born in Berlin, she has already lived in three other German Bundesländern, in Paris, in Nice, in Kalamazoo (MI) and in Las Vegas (NV). Before joining NYU, Lygia received a M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Western Michigan University and gained four years of work experience in International Student Services. She is passionate about traveling, trying out foreign restaurants and exploring neighborhood shops and bakeries. What fascinates her most about Berlin is the change of paces from one borough to another.

Ryan is the Program Coordinator for the Global Research Institute at NYU Berlin. Ryan moved from his hometown, Los Angeles, to Berlin in August 2008 on a Fulbright Scholarship and is currently writing his thesis for his Master’s degree in German as a Foreign Language at the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. Ryan has lived and studied in Vienna, London, Paris and occasionally visits his relatives in Taipei and Tokyo. In his spare time he takes full advantage of the vast cultural opportunities in Berlin. Ryan is a classically trained flautist, loves to go to different classical music venues and enjoys a night in cooking with his friends.

Veronika is NYU Berlin’s Residential Life Coordinator.
A Bavarian native, Veronika has lived on both sides of the Atlantic and is excited to call Berlin her city of residence since 2013. She is an alumna of Wesleyan University, CT, and the University of Regensburg, where she also worked as a lecturer. Veronika holds an M.A. in
American Studies and Comparative European Ethnology and is a certified teacher of German as a Foreign Language. Besides being a passionate hiker, Veronika is interested in contemporary US-American fiction and cooking cultures. Her master's thesis dealt with the construction of family through the lens of hunger and eating in Siri Hustvedt’s and Jonathan Franzen’s writings. Wherever she lived, people have furthered her immersion in new cultural contexts and she looks forward to offering the same to NYU students during their Berlin experience. Veronika thoroughly loves to travel and enjoys exploring Berlin’s diverse cultural landscapes.

Max has been one of NYU Berlin’s RAs since January 2011. He recently finished his B.A. in Economics and wants to continue his studies in the field of environmental and international economics, as well as Finance. Having had the possibility to live in both the United States and Mexico for each one year, Max has gained many experiences with different cultures, people, lifestyles and languages. Max loves to travel and getting to know foreign places and cultures. As a native Berliner, Max is keen to show students his favorite locations of this multicultural, historic and exciting city.

Susann is currently working toward her Master’s degree in Information and Operations Management. Throughout her studies, she has always been involved in international student activities as a student services volunteer. This will be her first year as an RA for NYU Berlin, and she is looking forward to meeting all of you! Susann loves Berlin for its cultural diversity and its dynamics between the old and the new. She enjoys discovering the city over and over again, equipped with her camera, an appetite for new culinary adventures, some money to spend at a flea market, or tickets to a concert. She also likes staying in for movie nights with friends.

Jonathan is the site representative for NYU Berlin and NYU Florence.  He is a graduate of NYU and has been working in Global Programs at NYU New York for over 5 years.  He is excited to work with students as they prepare to study at NYU Berlin!