Meet the CFA

As Program Director for the Center for Faculty Advancement, Usheevii oversees the implementation of all CFA objectives, with specific responsibilities for managing the Faculty Resource Network; coordinating the continued expansion of Faculty First Look within and beyond NYU; implementing the Center’s department chair training initiatives; continuing to expand and develop university-wide new faculty orientation, and working with university and other partners to develop a broader array of faculty professional development activities.

Melissa Lucas-Ludwig is the Business and Operations Administrator for the Faculty Resource Network (FRN), within the Center for Faculty Advancement.  She is responsible for the organizational, administrative services, and daily operations. In this capacity, she creates and maintains infrastructures to manage FRN operations, projects, and events.

Melissa earned a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration degree from NYU Steinhardt, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from The New School.

Autumn Bush is Program Associate with the Center for Faculty Advancement at New York University (NYU). She is charged with planning and implementing faculty development and enrichment programs for the NYU community and for faculty who teach at one of the nearly 50 Faculty Resource Network (FRN) partner institutions.  She oversees the FRN Student Exchange Program, a partnership between NYU, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).

Prior to joining NYU in 2014, Autumn worked in the nonprofit sector, specifically in fundraising; program development and execution; and major events. Her tenure includes work with first-generation, low-income students improving student outcomes and college access from high school to college. Autumn helped build community support for quality education in New York City and nationwide through her work with organizations like the Student Leadership Network (The Young Women’s Leadership Schools and CollegeBound Initiative) and The Harlem School of the Arts.

Autumn earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from NYU Silver School of Social Work, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Women’s Studies from Skidmore College. In addition to her work in diversity, inclusion, and belonging; pedagogy; and research and program evaluation, her passion for mental health and extensive training in evidence-based treatments led to her licensure to practice psychotherapy in New York State.

Matthew is the Administrative Assistant for the Center for Faculty Development. He earned his B.A. in Forensic Psychology at John Jay College. Since 2015, he has worked in numerous roles supporting senior leadership, department chairs, and faculty at NYU. He served as the Executive Assistant for the Vice Dean at  the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, and as an administrative aide for Steinhardt’s department of Nutrition and Food Studies and for the Faculty of Arts and Science’s department of Politics.

César Rodríguez is an experienced Emerging Technologist for educational projects and initiatives as well as a teaching and learning professional. He has distinguished himself as an educator for several New York City under-resourced neighborhoods and minoritized public schools. While pursuing graduate studies at Teachers College, Mr. Rodríguez was a faculty member of the Creative Arts Laboratory where he taught digital media and video production as a tool for capturing, enhancing, and documenting learning experiences, and as a catalyst for meaningful collaboration.

As a multimedia producer, Mr. Rodríguez creates content to support teaching and learning, professional development programs, and educational institutional events. He supports the pre-production, production, post-production, and delivery process in its entirety. Mr. Rodríguez has successfully collaborated with Cornell University, CUNY Graduate Center, Columbia University, New York State Department of Education, PBS, NPR, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Adobe Systems, among others. He is an active member of the computing/digital maker movement and the raspberry pi community in particular.

Maria is a project consultant for the Faculty Resource Network, assisting with event planning and financial management. A three time NYU alumna, Maria earned her B.A. from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, M.A. from the Graduate School of Arts and Science in Humanities and Social Thought, and M.S. in Global Affairs from the School of Professional Studies.

Trace Jordan is a Clinical Professor in the Foundations of Scientific Inquiry and of Chemistry and Director of the Foundations of Scientific Inquiry at NYU Arts & Science.