Dean's Advisory Council (TEST)

Danielle Bechta (SAS’11) is the director of development at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. A devoted Scarlet volunteer, Danielle serves on the Rutgers Board of Trustees and is a past president of the Rutgers Alumni Association, where she continues to serve as a board member. Danielle majored in political science at SAS and earned a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Saint Joseph’s University. Danielle joined the Dean’s Advisory Council in 2021.

Tahlia Bliss (DC’00) served a six-year board term at the Brandeis School of San Francisco, where she chaired the development department. She is launching the San Francisco location of a boutique for girls and women called Frankie’s On The Park. Tahlia majored in Jewish studies at Rutgers and is a graduate of the dual-degree program at the Columbia University School of Social Work and the Jewish Theological Seminary. She joined the Dean’s Advisory Council in 2024.

Rodolphe N. Brioché (RC’92) served as vice president for global public policy and policy counsel at Comcast Corporation. He has advised the FCC, worked as legislative counsel to U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, and served as counsel to the Washington bureau of the NAACP. Rodolphe majored in history at Rutgers, received his law degree from the University of Maryland, and earned a master’s in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School. He joined the Dean’s Advisory Council in 2020.

Robert Coppola (RC'92) is a financial services executive who serves as chief technology officer at Sanctuary Wealth. He previously held positions at Envestnet and Cision, where he developed solutions and strategies in wealth management, public relations, and marketing. Before Cision, Robert worked in the financial services media, serving in leadership roles at Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, and S&P Global. He majored in economics at Rutgers. Robert joined the Dean’s Advisory Council in 2022.

Dagon L. Garris, Jr. (RBS'76) is a financial planner and investment advisor at Eagle Strategies LLC. He previously held sales executive positions at Pitney Bowes, IBM, and GTE. Dagon also served on the board of directors for the Santa Maria Hostel, an addiction and recovery center for women. He received his bachelor's degree from Upsala College in 1972 and his MBA from Rutgers in 1976. He joined the Dean’s Advisory Council in 2021.

Kara Turner (RC’92) is a history scholar and a higher education leader. She serves as the senior vice president for enrollment management and student success at Morgan State University and was previously the associate dean of the university's College of Liberal Arts and an assistant professor of History at Virginia State University. Kara majored in political science and Africana studies at Rutgers and earned her master's degree and PhD in American history from Duke University. She joined the Dean’s Advisory Council in 2025.

Allen M. Khademi (RC'88) is a physician and healthcare organization leader. He serves as vice president of medical affairs at Christian Health, which provides senior living, short-term rehabilitation and mental health services. Previously, Allen served as the medical director of rehabilitative services, post-acute care services, and care transitions for Summit Medical Group. Allen majored in biology at Rutgers and received his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. He joined the Dean’s Advisory Council in 2022.

John Mathai (LC'88) is a vice chairman and senior investor at J.P. Morgan Private Bank where he has dedicated his 30-year career. He is responsible for advising a range of clients — including hedge fund principals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and families— on their wealth. John previously led the investment desk, working with a team managing assets over $10 billion. He majored in economics at Rutgers. He joined the Dean’s Advisory Council in 2021.

David Pappalardo (RC’85) is a retired financial services executive with nearly four decades of experience, including, most recently, as a director in Bank of America’s Home Loans Division. Committed to community service, he volunteers as a leadership coach for Rutgers–Newark students and at the Aldersgate Food Pantry in East Brunswick. He coached in Rutgers’ New Start Program, helping adults over 45 re-enter the workforce. He majored in economics at Rutgers. He joined the Dean’s Advisory Council in 2025.

Theresa Ragozine (RC’80) retired from Johnson & Johnson in 2017 after 36 years of service, most recently as vice president of procurement citizenship. Theresa also served as J&J's national program director for a widely recognized blood drive campaign and serves on the Board of Trustees of the New York Blood Center. She majored in English at Rutgers and received an MBA in international business from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She joined the Dean’s Advisory Council in 2015.

Steven Stylianos (RC'78) serves as system director for pediatric surgery and surgeon-in-chief at Bristol Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and professor of surgery and chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Steven led the medical teams that separated five sets of conjoined twins. He majored in biological sciences at Rutgers and received his medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine. He joined the Dean’s Advisory Council in 2022.

Brian N. Tobin (RC'96 GSN'17) is the executive director of Keep Middlesex Moving, one of New Jersey's eight transportation management associations. Brian has been working in the transportation industry for nearly 30 years, starting out as a staffer with NJ legislators and later managing and performing research at the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation at Rutgers. He majored in political science at Rutgers. Brian joined the Dean's Advisory Council in 2024.

Donna Usiskin (RC’91) has over 25 years of experience in sales, marketing, and strategy across various industries, with a focus on healthcare and pharma IT. She is the chief strategy officer at New Enterprise Ventures and has worked in numerous roles to drive growth and raise capital in early-stage companies. Additionally, she has twelve years of venture capital experience. Donna majored in psychology at Rutgers. She joined the Dean’s Advisory Council in 2020.

Gary D. Way (RC’80) is a retired attorney who served for 24 years at Nike Inc., where he was the vice president and global counsel for its worldwide sports marketing organization. He is a member of the board of trustees of the New York University School of Law. Gary majored in English at Rutgers and was a Distinguished Military Graduate with an ROTC commission in the U.S. Army Reserve. He received his law degree from NYU. Gary joined the Dean’s Advisory Council in 2021.

Alan Wink (RC'79) served as managing director at Capital Markets at EisnerAmper LLP, where he assisted clients with capital budgeting, structuring, and sourcing. He also held the position of director of the Interfunctional Management Consulting Program at Rutgers and helped build the program into one of the largest business school-based management consulting practices in the nation. Alan majored in business administration at Rutgers and received his MBA from Rutgers Business School–Newark. He joined the Dean’s Advisory Council in 2018.