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. 

Nadja is a dedicated and hard working business professional with a degree in finance and administration. She very much enjoys working in the non-profit educational sector and has experience working within both the US and German business environments.

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.

Susan is currently coordinating the language program as well as extra-curricular activities for students. She received her degree in German as a Foreign Language from the Philipps-Universität Marburg in 2007. After teaching German at the Tongji-University of Shanghai, China, she came to Berlin in 2009. She joined the NYU program in 2010 and is teaching German elementary classes. Among her many interests are travelling and biking, as well as discovering hidden places in Berlin.

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 Program Assistant. 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.

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.

Lisa recently finished her B.A. at Knox College, Illinois, and since then has been one of NYU Berlin’s RAs. She majored in Psychology and double-minored in Gender & Women Studies and Business Management. Before she studied in the States she lived in Germany and finished her Abitur. Lisa loves travelling and has visited many countries and cities. One of her favorite cities is Berlin: it’s clean, ever-changing and full of history and interesting developments/movements. Plus, there are coffee shops everywhere, so if you are a caffeine and/or choco-holic like her, you will always find a nice place to sit and chat with friends and/or study.

Lucian joined the RA team in 2011. He is interested in things that build cohesive groups on a foundation of trust. He believes in priorities, documentation, and feedback loops, but most of all he believes people are at the center of any endeavor. Lucian often asks "why", "what does this mean", "do we really want this", “can we do this better” and "how do we know". At his ideal party, people would split up in groups and work on identifying the nuances involved in understanding a problem, with a view to facilitating behavioral change. If you want to easily get his attention a TED Talks conversation would always prick up his ears.