Meet The Staff

Dr. Rivera-Velázquez is the Director of the NYU LGBTQ Student Center. She is a dynamic Latina educator, queer scholar, feminist filmmaker, bilingual social justice activist, diversity trainer, civic engagement expert and globally-minded Student Affairs practitioner. She holds a doctorate from the Institute of Communications Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has been working at the LGBTQ Student Center since 2009, when she founded the Reel Queer Film Series and the Storytelling and Performance Series. Originally from Puerto Rico, she has explored a broad range of LGBT/queer aesthetics and politics across the Spanish-speaking Caribbean and the United States. Throughout her career Rivera-Velázquez has combined written and visual knowledge production by publishing and screening her films in national and international symposia.

Andrew González is from the suburbs in Clackamas, Oregon and moved to New York in 2008 to attend New York University as an undergraduate, studying Anthropology with minors in Gender & Sexuality Studies and Music. He is now pursuing a Master's in American Studies where he delves deeper into queer theory, neoliberalizing processes and relationalities between the United States and Panamá. At the NYU LGBTQ Student Center, Andrew serves as one of the Graduate Assistants where he facilitates Q-Chat and serves as one of the site leaders for the Center's Alternative Breaks trip to Buenos Aires. In his spare time, Andrew fancies Korean pop music, card games, and late Victorian literature.

Christopher Griffin is a full time student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program at New York University. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2012 with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies. His interest in higher education began at Penn where Christopher was involved with Penn’s Provost Summer Mentorship Program, a pre-college pipeline program focused on increasing college equity, access and success amongst historically underrepresented minority students. Collaborating with Penn student services, university faculty and undergraduates, Christopher helped to structure a two-year educational pipeline to guide 10th grade West Philadelphia public and charter high school students into institutions of higher education. During his tenure as the program’s senior program assistant, Christopher developed and implemented programming to increase college exposure; improve parental involvement and college awareness; promote rigorous course taking; raise awareness about college scholarships; and provide guidance through the application process. With a passion for higher education, Christopher enrolled at NYU in the fall of 2012 where he is now the graduate assistant for the NYU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Student Center. After graduating from NYU, Christopher hopes to continue to work in LGBTQ student affairs with a focus on ways to promote educational attainment and understand the forces that limit equity, access and success for LGBTQ identified students in higher education.

Gina is a current senior at Gallatin studying Alternative Considerations in Political Economy. She's passionate about intersectionality, bargain shopping, and Marxist thought. At the LGBTQ Student Center she functions as the Outspoken Coordinator, an OA, and the student leader for Shades.

Hayley is a sophomore in the College of Nursing, studying nursing. After growing up in Florida, she came to New York for colder weather and better bagels. She is currently an Office Assistant at the LGBTQ Student Center, as well as an OUTSpoken Peer Educator. Hayley loves chocolate, classic movies, and baking, and is a complete sucker for a good book and a quiet coffee shop.

Abby is a senior in Gallatin, where she is studying nonfiction media, queer culture, and the Kardashians. She is from Queens, New York, and loves weird movies, fitted hats, and horrible reality television. She is an Office Assistant and the Co-QUENCH Coordinator at the NYU LGBTQ Student Center!

Cole is an Orange County, California native, a senior at Tisch for Photography and Imaging, and works as an Office Assistant and Graphic Designer for the LGBTQ Student Center. When he's not creating wildly queer designs, you can find him running at Hudson River Park, hiking uncharted lands upstate, or playing Kingdom Hearts quietly in his room. Cole is also a freshman RA at Rubin Residence hall, thus he lives and breathes NYU!

Francesca is the Senior Office Assistant for the LGBTQ Student Center. Some of her responsibilities include staff scheduling, calendar maintenance, and assisting with programming for the Center. Francesca is passionate about discussing issues of access in marginalized communities, Gothic literature, and, oatmeal.

Bryan is a senior economics major and Arabic minor in CAS from Sugar Land, Texas. He loves Pedro Almodovar movies, Joanna Newsom, and Google Reader. Bryan compiles and edits the weekly newsletter, OUTPost, is an Outspoken Peer Educator, and facilitates BodyQueer.