General Studies (GS) Undergraduates

Dean Karahalios joined GS in 2002. She collaborates with senior staff at GS and other University offices on matters related to student academic records and standards such as degree certification, major declaration, academic review, academic planning sessions and core requirements for matriculating students with review of the relevant policies and procedures. Prior to GS, Dean Karahalios held positions as faculty advisor and assistant dean at the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia. An award-winning teacher in classics, she has taught courses on strategies for academic success, Latin, and ancient and modern Greek. She holds a BA from Cornell University and an MA from the University of Virginia.

Dean Remedios Bloom joined Columbia GS in 2014 as part of a team tasked with expanding academic support programming for GS students.  She now directs the Academic Resource Center in addition to overseeing the Dean of Students Office's student success initiatives. Her teaching experience includes college writing, literature, and (at Columbia) Contemporary Civilization.  She holds a B.A. in English literature and political science from Washington University in St. Louis and a Ph.D. in English literature from the City University of New York, with research interests including cultural memory, British modernism, and literature for children and young adults.

Dean Dave is part of the dual degree advising team, currently working with students from the Sciences Po’s Reims campus. Previously, she worked with undergraduate students at Boston University’s Pardee School of Global studies and with international students at American University. Dean Dave worked in publishing before pursuing a career in higher education and loves reading, hiking, ice cream, traveling, and tennis in no particular order. She earned her B.S. in media, culture, and communication and her M.A. in international education, both from New York University.

Dean of Students, School of General Studies
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Sociomedical Sciences

Dean Carrasquillo advises Postbac Premed and undergraduate premedical, preveterinary, and predental students. Prior to joining the Postbac Premed Program, she served as an academic advisor for undergraduate and graduate students at the New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies. She earned a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.A. in student personnel administration in higher education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Dean Manzino joined GS in 2023 with a strong background in advising and student support. Before coming to GS, she was an academic counselor at the undergraduate college of arts and sciences at Fordham University, and worked with diverse learners to develop meaningful and individualized educational goals consistent with their personal interests, talents, and abilities. In addition, she has designed and facilitated student success workshops that address several key topics important for achieving and maintaining academic and personal wellness. Dean Manzino holds a B.A. in English and an M.S. in education with a concentration in school counseling, both from Fordham University, and is a current doctoral candidate studying educational leadership at Fordham’s Graduate School of Education.

Dean Barbacane joined GS in 2019 with a wealth of experience in academic advising and a long history with Columbia. Before coming to GS, she was an assistant dean of graduate student affairs at Columbia Engineering, where she was responsible for the planning, implementation, and management of programs and services to support graduate students. Before that, she held roles as Director of Advising at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University and as a senior advising dean in the Berick Center for Student Advising at Columbia College and Columbia Engineering. Her teaching experience includes teaching music history courses at Barnard, Fordham, and Columbia. Dean Barbacane completed her Ph.D. in historical musicology from Columbia University and her research interests include nineteenth-century French music and the relationship between colonialism and music.

Dean Windsor joined the GS Dean of Students Office in 2021. He previously held a position at Barnard College where he served as Associate Director of Opportunity Programs, a role that combined academic advising, workshops for students, collaboration with faculty, and much more. Dean Windsor has also worked at Marymount Manhattan College and has extensive experience advising international students, FLI students, and students focused on STEM. Keith holds B.A. and M.S.Ed. degrees from St. Bonaventure University.

Dean “Straz” Strzalkowski is our longest running academic advisor working with dual degree students having joined the School of General Studies in 2016. She primarily advises students in the Sciences Po, Tel Aviv, and City University of Hong Kong Dual BA programs. Dean Strzalkowski completed her B.A. in history at the University of Michigan, where she was a member of the varsity rowing team. She also holds an MSt in modern British and European history from Oxford University and an M.Ed. in college student affairs from Rutgers University.

Dean Edwin joined the GS Dean of Students Office in 2014 as an academic advisor and now leads the undergraduate academic advising team. His teaching experience at Columbia includes creative writing workshops for veterans and GS sections of University Writing, as well as consulting in the Writing Center. He has published widely as a poet, translator, and reviewer. Dean Edwin holds a BA in English and creative writing from Emory University and an MFA in poetry and literary translation from Columbia University School of the Arts.

Dean Rodriguez joined GS in 2022 with a strong background in education, instructional coaching, and student support. Before joining GS’s Student Support Operations team, she was a Program Manager and Operations Coordinator in NYC’s charter school system, working with various stakeholders to streamline the academic and admissions process for families from diverse backgrounds. She now joins the GS DOS Advising Team, eager to support our students with the same compassion and individualized attention they deserve.

Dean Rodriguez holds a B.A. in Journalism from NYU, an M.S. in Education, and an M.S. in School Building Leadership from Mercy College. She has a passion for educational equality and has worked in New York City public schools, YM & YWHA, the Children’s Aid Society, and various educational organizations and institutions. In her spare time, Dean Rodriguez enjoys DIY crafts, reading, and all things health and wellness.

Dean Peiffer joined GS in 2022, having previously served as a Student Affairs Officer and fellowships advisor at Columbia's Weatherhead East Asian Institute. Before joining Columbia, she worked as an advisor for international undergraduate students at Adelphi University. Dean Peiffer has studied, worked, and lived abroad in India, South Korea, and Japan. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, she enjoys cooking, studying languages, and learning about the history and internationalization of New York City. Dean Peiffer holds a B.A. in film and video from Georgia State University and an M.A. in international education from New York University.

Dean Allen advises Postbac Premed and undergraduate premedical, preveterinary, and predental students. Prior to joining the Postbac Premed Program, he served as an advisor for students who were interested in careers in science. He earned a B.S. in computer science and an M.S. in college student personnel and administration from the University of Central Arkansas.

Dean Sunshine advises Postbac and undergraduate premedical, preveterinary, and predental students. In addition to his advising responsibilities, he is the Postbac Premed Program liaison for veterinary medicine, MD/ Ph.D. programs, and international students, and coordinates the linkage programs. Prior to joining the Postbac Premed Program, he was an assistant dean of students at Columbia College and the Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science. Dean Sunshine earned his A.B. from Columbia College and his Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at Columbia University.

Dean Griffiths joined GS in 2016 and has a strong history with Columbia and GS. From 2009-2010, she worked as a financial aid counselor with Student Financial Services, providing counseling and guidance to new and continuing students on federal financial aid programs. She was named Columbia's first Manager of Military and Veterans Affairs in 2010, a position she held until 2014, and later served as Director of the Veteran Crisis and Suicide Prevention Program with Services for the Underserved.

In 2016, she returned to Columbia as an advising dean at GS, providing academic advisement to students and coordinating academic and learning initiatives for the Academic Resource Center. In 2019, she became the School's first Associate Dean of Student Wellness. In this role, she serves as the primary supervisor for all student wellness initiatives and the point person for emergency response, in coordination with campus and community partners. Dean Griffiths completed her B.A. at California State University Northridge, and her L-MSW at Columbia's School of Social Work in May 2015.