Meet the Team

Kelly Ahn was appointed Executive Director in March 2020 and later as Associate Dean of the Career Design Lab in July 2021. Ahn brings more than 10 years of achievement in career services and organizational leadership. She recently served as the Associate Dean of Graduate Student Career Development at the Columbia University Center for Career Education (CCE) as well as Director of Center for Student Success at The New School, and the Director of Center for Career Development at Manhattan College in restructure of career services and student & alumni success programs including Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility initiatives. Prior to her work in higher education, Kelly served as a mental health counselor for LGBT Asian-Pacific Islander youth in New York City and co-founded the Crimson Language Institute, a higher education learning and consulting firm in Seoul, Korea.

Ahn earned a B.A. in Psychology from Hamilton College and an Ed.M. in Educational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is currently pursuing her Ed.D. in Adult Learning and Leadership from Columbia as well. Outside of higher education, Ahn was selected by the Fulbright Scholar Program and Institute of International Education (IIE) to participate in International Education Administrators seminars in Germany and Australia, respectively.

Diane Spizzirro is the Director of Career Education and Development and a Lecturer at Columbia University, School of Professional Studies. She is a seasoned Career Development professional with experience in higher education, corporate training and development as well as private practice. She has a strong business background having been in the Insurance and Risk Management fields and successfully transitioned her career into counseling. She holds a M.S. in Career Development and a B.A. in Business. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor, a New York State Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and Executive Career Development Coach and certified in distance counselling. She is a certified trainer of the DiSC, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator MBTI and Strengthsquest. Diane formerly served as the Director of Career Development at the College of New Rochelle and taught graduate classes in counseling and career development. Diane is the pasted President of the New York Mental Health Counseling Association (NYMHCA) and an active member of the National Career Development Association (NCDA) and National Association of College and Employers (NACE). Diane was recognized for her innovative ideas and received first place for the NACE 2016 Innovation challenge. She has also presented at both the NACE and NCDA conferences in 2019. Diane is most in her element when she is facilitating a dynamic and engaging career development program, which helps participants to gain insight on how to move forward! She has developed and facilitated numerous career training programs for individuals and diverse groups.

David is an admitted “higher-ed lifer”. He began his career at New York University’s School of Professional Studies in an office responsible for public affairs, marketing, and communications. David’s very first role was in website content management before given the opportunity to shift his focus to larger issues of overall interactive communications and marketing strategy. From there, it was an easy transition into a new role in an information technology office, where he was able to manage projects and operations for the enterprise-level applications upon which the day to day and cyclical work for the administrators, faculty, and students depended.

Many years and a large degree of personal and professional growth later, David left NYU, bound for Columbia’s Center for Career Education. While at CCE, he set strategies and goals for the use of technology and data in the career services space. He managed the institutional reporting required at all levels to inform members of the Columbia community and the CCE team about constituent engagement, post-graduation outcomes, survey results, and other data points.

Now at the Career Design Lab, he gets to combine his professional studies and career services experience in the service of the students and alumni of SPS. In his new role, he stays in constant contact with all of our staff members and teams, acting consultatively to improve operations, logistics, technology, and access to data that help make us better career advising, event management, and employer relations experts.

Outside of work, David can often be found wandering around his neighborhood in the Bronx, out too late seeing live music, or somewhere upstate getting away from it all.

Nicole is a Career Coach with a passion for education and empowering individuals in their careers. With a Master’s in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, she has over 10 years of experience teaching and coaching adult learners in dynamic education settings. As a former Recruiter for Platinion of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), as well as a former Recruiter for Premier Staffing, Inc., her experience working in education is supplemented with her role in the recruitment of digital, risk, and IT professionals and in creating hiring partnerships with both startups and Fortune 500 companies. In her current role as Associate Director of Industry Relations, Nicole is energized by innovative employer partnerships that offer students and alumni opportunities to create impact, an individualized approach to career coaching, executive development, and initiatives that promote personal growth, wellbeing, and fun! Outside of work, Nicole enjoys creative writing, live music, and supporting STEAM initiatives in underrepresented communities.

Kat Castro serves as Associate Director at the CDL, specifically working students from the programs: Political Analytics, Sports Management and Strategic Communication. Before Columbia, Kat worked in Career Services at her Alma Mater, Hofstra University, and Marymount Manhattan College.  Before her career in higher education, Kat worked in the busy life of television. She scouted locations for the long-run show Law and Order, worked as a Production Manager for NBC Sport’s Football Night in America, and managed the NBC Universal Page Program. She started her TV life as an NBC Page, just like Kenneth from 30 Rock! Kat holds a BA in Television/Video Production and recently completed her MS in Strategic Communication. She is a born-and-raised Queens, New Yorker, residing in Forest Hills with her husband, two daughters, and a pup named Bo.

Tiya McIver, Associate Director joined the School of Professional Studies Career Design Lab team in February 2018. She has over 15 years of employer relations experience working in career development and advising, providing students with the support and tools necessary to achieve their goals in the classroom and beyond. Committed to building relationships, staying connected and on the pulse of industry trends, ensures career readiness and employment success. Prior to joining the Career Design Lab team, she spent many years as the On-Campus Recruiting Manager on the Career Management team at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. There she developed strategic processes and organized events that helped students acquire skill-sets and knowledge on industry-specific trends that aligned with their employment goals.

Taylor Wordsman is currently serving as Assistant Director at the Career Design Lab, where she supports Sustainability Management and Sustainability Science students. She has a background in career services and international student services, and is passionate about serving students and guiding them as they navigate their careers in a global workforce. Before joining the CDL in 2021, Taylor worked for global non-profit organizations with a mission to support students and help them acquire skills necessary to thrive in a culturally diverse world. Taylor earned her B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature at SUNY Geneseo, and her Masters degree in Higher Education Administration from CUNY Baruch.  Taylor lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and enjoys drinking coffee and taking long walks through Central Park in her free time.

Jia Wei is an Assistant Director and a career coach for students within the Applied Analytics program. Prior to Columbia, Jia Wei worked in career services, particularly focusing on students from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds at his alma meter, Stony Brook University. Jia Wei’s favorite part about working in career services is being able to guide students in their job search, explore different career opportunities, assist students in recognizing and developing their brand, and see it all come together. Prior to working in career services, Jia Wei worked in a number of various roles in higher education, such as academic affairs, academic advising, student orientation, and residential life.

Jia Wei was born in Shanghai, China, and is a first generation immigrant and a first generation college student. He holds a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Stony Brook. Although he has been living on Long Island for almost a decade now, rumor has it that Jia Wei still claims to be from Brooklyn and NYC raised.

Caroline serves as the Assistant Director and Career Coach for the Applied Analytics program at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies. With a background in career development from her previous role at Harvard Business School’s Career and Professional Studies office, Caroline brings a wealth of experience to her role. She is dedicated to guiding SPS students towards lifelong career success and fulfillment.

In her coaching role, Caroline emphasizes the importance of aligning career paths with personal values and meaningful life goals. She collaborates with students to craft a compelling career vision and strategy, offering support in areas such as resume writing, networking, behavioral and case interview preparation, and offer negotiation. Caroline, a proud Columbia alumna with a Master’s degree in Education from Teachers College, is committed to helping students achieve their professional and personal aspirations.

Paul Maniaci has worked at four institutions of higher education across New York City in career development. He has over twelve years of experience helping students find internships and prepare for career opportunities. Paul spent eighteen years living internationally in Mexico City, Hong Kong, and London. He received his Bachelors of Arts in Communications at Syracuse University and his Masters in Public Administration at Baruch College. He has two young daughters.

Will Goodall serves as an Assistant Director at the CDL, supporting Columbia’s Enterprise Risk Management students. Before joining the CDL, Will was a strategy consultant with both EY and a start-up organization, supporting organizations through their operational, strategic, and human capital challenges. He also spent time on the backcountry staff at Philmont Scout Ranch, teaching team-building and conflict management skills to thru-hiking groups. Will is excited to bring all his experience to support students’ career search and professional development.

Will holds a MA (Hons) from the University of St. Andrews in International Relations and Management. He is also a subject-matter expert in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Outside of work, Will enjoys backpacking, cooking, and his guilty pleasure: reality television.

Sabrina holds an M.S.Ed in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies and an Advanced Certificate in Human Resource Management and has a passion for working with college students as they embark on their journeys of professional development. She strives to be constantly surrounded by the beauty of diversity and culture in whatever project she takes on. Sabrina believes that to be successful is to be constantly surrounded by education and growth, which is what she intends to do in the Career Design Lab. She is a strong communicator both verbally and in writing, with a knack for leadership.

Sabrina has a background in both employer relations and career coaching. As a first-generation college graduate, Sabrina finds her passion in assisting fellow first-generation college students through programming and career advisement.

Stefany has joined the Career Design Lab as an Operations Coordinator. Stefany earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sports, Entertainment, and Event Management from Johnson & Wales University and has over 8 years of experience in events management.   She is excited to have joined the Career Design Lab where she can bring her background, experience, and skills to support CDLs students and staff through creative event planning, and operations.

A “City Girl,”  Stefany was born and raised in Queens, NY, and attended high school in Manhattan. She loves to travel in her free time and learn about new cultures customs and history. She also has a strong love for music, from listening to the classics to today’s modern genres.

As the Operations Coordinator at Columbia University’s Career Design Lab, Robin is dedicated to fostering an environment for success for SPS graduate students through strategy and efficiency. In Robin’s role, she leverages her expertise in operations and strong communication to enhance the services provided by the Career Design Lab, ensuring exceptional support for both students and employers.

Growing up in Hebei, China, and immigrating to the U.S. at the age of 12, Robin embraced the diverse cultural experiences of both her hometown and her life in Queens, New York. This rich background fuels her passion to foster an inclusive and dynamic environment that embraces diversity and encourages continuous learning. Robin graduated from Stony Brook University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 2020, followed by a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration in 2022. Through her personal experiences, academics, and professional career, Robin hopes to continue to enhance the experiences of international students in a collegiate setting.

On weekends, Robin enjoys spending her time playing board games and video games with friends, building her 12th mechanical keyboard, or enjoying a large iced latte while catching up on shows. 

Mariela Torres is the Associate Director at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies (SPS) Career Design Lab (CDL) since May 2019 and works with students in the Insurance Management and Wealth Management programs. Mariela is an experienced professional with over 25 years of experience in Career Counseling and business. Mariela has experience managing small to large Career Services Centers that provide comprehensive career and internship services to college students and alumni. She has held Director level positions at The College of New Rochelle, Berkeley College, and LIM College. She is also a certified Myers Briggs (MBTI) Practitioner. Mariela is very passionate about student success and has provided career coaching for students and alumni, advised student clubs, and taught undergraduate and graduate-level career preparatory courses. Mariela has worked for organizations such as Avon Products, Perry Ellis, and Macy’s Merchandising Group. Mariela has been on the Executive Board of MNYCCPOA since 2015.  MNYCCPOA is a professional organization consisting of career services counselors representing more than 60 colleges in the metropolitan New York area. She is the current Past-President of MNYCCPOA. She has also held the President, 1st VP, 2nd Vice President and Treasurer roles. Mariela holds a Master of Science degree in Career Development from the College of New Rochelle and a Bachelor of Professional Studies from LIM College in Fashion Merchandising. She is married and has one son and one daughter. Her thirteen-year-old son with special needs has taught Mariela to be resilient in times of adversity.

Gonzalo Miranda serves as the Industry Relations Specialist at Career Design Lab. Before assuming his current role, Gonzalo served as Senior Legal Counsel for a Mexican Power Generation Company for over three years. Prior to that, he worked as a Legal Counsel for both public and private entities in Mexico.

Born and raised in Mexico, Gonzalo holds a B.A. in Law from the Escuela Libre de Derecho de Puebla, A.C., where he graduated with honors due to the elaboration of his undergraduate thesis in State Theory and Philosophy of Law. He recently graduated from Columbia University after completing a graduate degree in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, also finishing at the top of his class. In his free time, Gonzalo enjoys writing poetry, playing soccer, snowboarding, and wakeboarding, as well as spending time with his wife and family.

Fernanda Mackenna is currently serving as Industry Relations Specialist at Career Design Lab. She has a background as a recruitment consultant with over a decade of expertise in executive search. She specialized in full-cycle recruiting, encompassing sourcing, screening, negotiating, and closing across various industries, with a strong focus on developing meaningful relationships with clients in the Latin American market. Fernanda is passionate about leadership consulting and personal development, she worked closely with business clients and athletes to foster their growth.

Fernanda holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the University of North Texas, where she was an NCAA Track and Field Athlete. She was also a former athlete for Chile.  She is also a certified professional coach from the International Coaching Federation and IPEC.

Born and raised in Santiago de Chile. In her free time, Fernanda enjoys time with her husband and daughter, running and reading.