On Campus Coaches
Ryan Kasmier
Director, Student Academic Support
Ryan Kasmier received his B.S. in Political Science and Organizational Communication and did his M.A. work at the University of San Francisco in Organization and Leadership.
Ryan has been working in various higher education environments for over 5 years. In that time he has worked in several different areas including housing, academic advising,
and multicultural student services. Ryan has served a two-year appointment to a national committee that works to bring greater awareness and examination of Native American
issues to higher education. In his spare time, Ryan can be found working in various Bay Area performance venues.
Naomi Elvove
Associate Director, Student Academic Support
Naomi grew up in New Jersey and moved to the Bay Area eight years ago. She has worked at the Academy for numerous years in varying roles. She taught ESL previous to coming to Student Academic Support. She is currently working at the ARC in many capacities. She has taught students from all over the world in nonprofit organizations, high schools, a library, a preschool and in a private school in Florence, Italy. She has a BA in English from the University
of New Hampshire and an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Teachers College, Columbia University. Naomi loves to travel and has spent a great deal of time wandering around Italy. She also enjoys biking and is working towards a black belt in tae kwon do. She is married to an Italian man that she met in her travels and they have a son.
Dan Wolf
ARC Administrator
Dan has been with the Academy of Art University since May 2003. He worked assignments in International and Undergraduate Admissions before becoming a full time employee as Classroom Services Administrator and now ARC Administrator. He has a B.S. degree from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Dan enjoys interacting with and assisting students along with the vibrancy of a campus environment.
Tessa Steffens
ARC Receptionist
Tessa grew up in San Diego and moved to San Francisco to attend San Francisco State University. She received her B.A. in History, with an emphasis in African history. Tessa loves the atmosphere of the Academy and enjoys meeting students. She believes that a college education encompasses more than classroom instruction and she enjoys connecting students to resources in the academy and the San Francisco community. Outside the Academy, Tessa enjoys exploring San Francisco, catching live music shows, and poking around bookstores.
STUDENT ACADEMIC COACHES
Bill Bankhead
Academic Coach
Bill hails from Portland, Oregon and is a strong supporter of students’ academic and career success. He received his B.A. from the University of Oregon’s honors college, where he earned Phi Beta Kappa distinction. For over 10 years, Bill has been providing training and advising in the areas of leadership, personal and academic success, and career planning. Outside of work, he is an amateur masseur, sushi chef, and, recently, sketch artist. His other interests include volunteering and traveling internationally.
Lynda España
Academic Coach
Lynda was born in California and grew up on the East Coast on a small island in Maine. Having been lucky enough to have lived on both coasts, (and a few years in the Midwest), she is happy to call San Francisco her home for the last 4 years. Lynda received her B.A. in Marketing from Marietta College in Ohio. She has a diverse vocational background including coaching a college basketball team, a short stint as a paramedic, and several years as a sign language interpreter. She is excited to be part of the Academy and is inspired by her coworkers and Academy students. Lynda enjoys learning foreign languages, camping, sailing, and discovering new places to eat and shop in beautiful San Francisco!
Lisa Fox
Academic Coach
Lisa was born in Boston, Massachusetts and a received her B.A. in Psychology and Communications from The University of Massachusetts and her M.A in Education with a concentration in Counseling, from San Jose State University. In between degrees, Lisa attended art school and went on to a career in computer graphics, both as a professional artist and as an instructor (in the U.S. and overseas). She has also worked in film/video editing, event/activities programming, study abroad programs and as an archaeological tour guide. Lisa's passions include inspiring life-long learning, international education, and a sincere desire to help students obtain their goals by seeing and working beyond their real and perceived obstacles. Currently, Lisa is pursuing her Doctorate in Education Counseling.
Bob Goldie
Academic Coach
Bob is new to the Bay Area after making a recent move from Boulder, Colorado, where he worked as a teacher (for middle school!) and in medical office support. After growing up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Bob moved to Colorado and eventually earned an M.A. in Education as well as a license to teach Secondary Level Social Studies. He believes every individual has unique talents and is capable of making a mark in society. Bob’s endeavor is to help students realize their potentials and to achieve their dreams without compromising their ideals and values. Outside of work, Bob spins records at some local bars, enjoys drawing, skateboarding, and an occasional baseball game.
Mike Sciarappa
Academic Coach
From the woods of New Hampshire, to the hills of San Francisco, Mike obtained a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from the University of San Francisco, where he studied human behavior and therapy models. Throughout college, he discovered that individuals overcome obstacles when they utilize their strengths as tools for success. After graduation, Mike academically coached and tutored Division I athletes at Boston College. After earning a Masters Degree in School Counseling, Mike has pursued a career at the Academy of Art University, where he encourages students to reach for their dreams and become prepared for the world of work and beyond. Mike enjoys a competitive game of badminton and viewing well-preserved Caravaggio paintings in Europe.
Matthew Sweeney
Academic Coach
Matthew grew up in Burlington Vermont, where he earned a Bachelors degree in Studio Art, German Language and Political Science, and went on to complete an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction. Prior to working at the University, he taught middle school and high school art to at risk youth and students with emotional and behavioral disabilities in Vermont and San Francisco. His interests include the culinary arts, designing furniture, exploring San Francisco and international travel.
Online Academic Coaches
Sharlene Asuncion
Online Academic Coach
Sharlene became an educator to inspire students to achieve. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. Sharlene has
participated in Teach for America, a National Teacher Corps Program. Her background includes classroom experience, educational non-profits, and Corporate
America. Sharlene is currently an Instructor and Online Academic Support Coordinator for the Academy Resource Center. Her favorite quote is “Knowledge
comes, but wisdom lingers.” – Tennyson.
Aaron Field
Online Academic Coach
Aaron is a born and bred San Francisco native happily stuck in the cool, gray, city of love. His love of writing led him to pursue a degree in English
with the University of California, Davis. After graduating with a BA, he worked as a manager at a used bookstore and then turned to non-profit work with
the American Heart Association. He has been married since December 2001 to his high school sweetheart and they have four feline companions with no more on the way.
Eric Gerrick
Online Academic Coach
Eric has been a San Francisco performer for 30 years. After majoring in Theatre and Puppetry at Goddard College in Vermont, he continued his education at Sonia Moore Studio of the Theatre in NYC. His experiences as a director, technical director, writer, actor, puppeteer, performance artist, set designer and business manager have inspired others to call him a “born academic coach”. He thrives on assisting others in their pursuit of success and looks forward to teaching Seminar for Success in College with the Academy Resource Center.
Shayla Griffin
Online Academic Coach
Shayla received her BA in English from CSU San Bernardino and has been a bay area resident for 6 years. While at the Academy, Shayla has filled the roles of Administrative Assistant in the Graduate School and ARC. Now, as an Online Academic Support Advisor, Shayla enjoys serving the student population in an exciting new way. She loves good music, food, literature, and almost everything that came out of the 80s.
Kimberly Grogran
Online Academic Coach
Kimberly holds a B.A. and M.A. in English, and she is currently pursuing a second Master’s degree specifically in Online Education. Kimberly has an extensive background in graphic and web design programs and is Expert certified in MOUS (Microsoft Office User Specialist). Her teaching career has included being a Computer Application Instructor, a Computer Assisted Language Learning instructor to migrant women, and teaching English to international students. During Kimberly's free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, son and two dogs. You can often find them at Baker Beach.
Uttara Patel
Online Academic Coach
Uttara was born and raised in Bombay, India and came to the United States in 1996 to pursue a BA in Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She recently received an MA in Ed & HD in Community Counseling from George Washington University in Washington, DC. Uttara's interests include travel, foreign languages, martial arts, dogs and food.
Andrea Rocha
Online Academic Coach
Andrea is currently an Instructor and Online Academic Support Advisor. She comes to the Academy by way of the East Coast having gotten her undergraduate
degree in Communications from Bowling Green State University and her Master's degree in Education from the University of South Carolina. Andrea has worked
in Higher Education for over six years and loves being in such a dynamic and inspiring profession. In addition to this experience Andrea has spent close
to two years studying, traveling and teaching English throughout Central America and Mexico. In her spare time Andrea loves meeting up with friends,
enjoying the City and looking for exciting places to travel.
Howard "Lee" Swain
Online Academic Coach
Lee grew up on a farm in Maryland and received his degree in animal science and biology education at the University of Delaware. Although his love of animals continues, he decided he would rather work with students and went to NYU to get an MA in Higher Education Administration. Since then, he has worked in various capacities with college students for the last 5 years. Lee is also a practicing massage therapist, and in his free time enjoys exploring the city with friends looking for great restaurants and new experiences.
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