What was your path/journey after you graduated from Cornell?
It has been a journey - from Ithaca to NYC, to Boulder, CO, to Berkeley, CA, and finally landing in Boston, my last 30 years have been filled with ups, downs, moves and memories.
I started my career with a position at McKinsey Consulting, but quickly I realized my passion lies with helping others. I have pursued a career in the academy, using social work as my discipline to effect positive change. I attended Columbia University for my MSW and UC Berkeley for my Ph.D. For 12 years, I was a professor at Boston College, teaching in the School of Social Work, leading the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, and running the Center for Social Innovation, a research center focused on building nonprofit capacity for innovation.
After becoming an Assistant Dean at BC, I pursued my passion for higher education administration and moved to Simmons University to serve as Dean of the College of Social Sciences, Policy, and Practice, a college of more than 2,000 students. Expanding my work across the University, I became the Vice Provost, managing multiple cross-university initiatives and our online programs. I was promoted to Provost, the position responsible for managing the University’s academic portfolio. Working with more than 200 faculty, we have the privilege of providing 60+ academic programs to more than 5,000 students. When I think of my career, mainly I am struck by the incredible, transformative power of education. I pursued social work to work towards a more just world, but more than ever, I am convinced that education is our most powerful vehicle towards that aim.
While my career has been an absolute joy, my true joy comes from my family and friends! I have three incredible children, Levi (14), Ruby (17), and Pearl (20), and an amazing husband - Todd Kamens. My stepchildren, Adin (20), Sophie (23), and Noah (24), round out our real-life Brady Bunch! Pearl is a sophomore at Cornell, creating her own experiences as a student in ILR.
I am one lucky graduate, creating a life of meaning, sharing the power of education with so many, and having a wonderful community to enjoy it with. I look forward to the next 30 years being even better!
Which Cornell classmates do you keep in contact with?
My Cornell classmates have been an incredible source of inspiration, care, friendship, advice, and fun for the last 30 years. Cornell grads - Jennifer Stevens Dickson, Elizabeth Leff, Stacy (Lalin) Poritzky, Lauren (Blick) Rotko, Jennifer (Damashek) Strassler, and Alyse (Kramarow) Saed - have been through it all with me, and I am so lucky to have them as my forever friends!
When I first got to Cornell, I was lucky enough to meet my friend Stacy (Lalin) Poritzky while getting our student ID cards. Later that day, as we sat in the dining hall, I said something to her that would later define so much of my life: “I love it here. I love being in a university. I think I want to be a professor.”
While I may not remember the words exactly, I knew from that moment how transformative Cornell would be for me, and how I wanted to dedicate my life to creating that experience for others.
What is your favorite memory from your time at Cornell?
What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell in Fall 2025?
Remember that success is defined broadly. People will try to create a single definition of what it means to be successful: certain grades, entry to specific clubs, or landing the right internships. But in reality, success is about a set of skills you develop - it is about learning to live with disappointment, persevering through difficult circumstances, persistence and commitment, hard work and failure. Remember that you get to decide your value and you get to define your success. And once you do that - anything is possible!