Jon Ahern – Professional Development Day Committee
With over 12 years of experience in higher education, Jon currently serves as the Associate Director of Graduate Programs for the Woods College of Advancing Studies at Boston College.
In this role, he oversees academic program implementation, develops faculty and student programming, and supports graduate student advising, all with a focus on fostering a dynamic and supportive learning environment.
Before joining Boston College, Jon worked as an Associate Director of MS Programs at Suffolk University and as Assistant Director of Admissions at Emmanuel College, where he helped drive student recruitment and program growth. Jon began his career at Education First, a company which leads international education and exchange programs. He has a passion for mission-driven work and believes in the transformative power of education.
Jon holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, Communication, Media, and Cultural Studies, as well as a Master of Science in Management, both from Emmanuel College. Driven by a commitment to educational equity and personal growth, he is dedicated to helping students unlock their potential and achieve their academic and professional goals.
Marika Cerbone – Virtual Event Committee
Marika Cerbone has worked in Higher Education since 2019, holding various roles at Boston College and Lesley University.
Passionate about supporting colleagues and students, she is dedicated to making higher education more equitable and efficient for everyone. Marika enjoys connecting with like-minded professionals who share her commitment to advancing these goals. She is enthusiastic about being part of an organization focused on empowering higher education professionals to thrive in their careers.
Taryn Tessari – Professional Development Day Committee
Taryn Tessari (she/her) is the Director of Faculty Affairs at the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University where she manages a small team of faculty affairs professionals.
Taryn has worked at Northeastern University for the past eight years. She earned her BA in History from Framingham State University in 2013 and her MEd in Higher Education from Northeastern University in 2020. In addition to her degrees, she completed a Cultural Competence in Computing (3C) Fellowship from Duke University in 2022 and a Diversity and Inclusion certificate from eCornell in 2021. Taryn’s work primarily focuses on supporting faculty as they navigate through the hiring, tenure and promotion, and merit processes. She is passionate about creating equitable, supportive and efficient ways that faculty can pursue their future career endeavors and also has expertise in creating and supporting faculty mentoring programs. Taryn is a member of the Faculty Affairs Northeast Network, the Higher Education Collective, and is currently pursuing a coaching certificate from the International Coaching Federation with a specialization in faculty affairs. Taryn looks forward to bringing her event planning management skills, network, and higher education experience to the Higher Education Collective community.
Christopher Lawrence – Worcester In-Person Event Committee
Chris began his career as a high school chemistry teacher. He moved to higher education in 2021 working as the Assistant Director of Academic Services at the College of the Holy Cross.
Chris is currently a Graduate Academic Advisor at Northeastern University’s Graduate School of Education, where he works with Doctor of Education students. Chris holds a BS in Chemistry, an MEd in Education and a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Leadership and Administration. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling and hanging out with his wife and dog.
Kat DeNardo – Providence Networking Events Lead
Kat got her start in higher education when she was working full time at the University of Rhode Island while getting her MBA in 2019.
After a few years in the corporate sector, she wanted to get back into higher ed and has been working at Brown since 2023 as an HR Specialist. Working in the Office of the Provost, she specializes in recruitment, professional development, and training. She enjoys helping others and building connections across campus.
Andrei Antonescu – Professional Development Day Committee
Andrei Antonescu (he/him) is the Assistant Director of Talent Management at the Office of University Advancement at Boston College, where he supports the entire employee life cycle: from full-cycle recruitment, onboarding, and developing professional development programming for all staff, all with a focus on fostering a supportive and inclusive culture.
Andrei has degrees in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from Duquesne University (’20) and an M.S. in Corporate and Organizational Communications from Northeastern University (’21). He is currently enrolled in the Human Resources Management certificate program at Boston College (’26). Andrei is passionate about creating inclusive workplaces where everyone feels supported, empowered, and connected to meaningful work. He thrives at the intersection of strategy and heart: whether recruiting top talent, crafting onboarding experiences, internal communications, or spearheading programs.
Outside of work, Andrei is an active community member: whether it’s queer sports leagues through Stonewall Sports or volunteering with Gay for Good. You can also find him on the slopes in the winter and on a beach or near the water during the other months. Andrei looks forward to bringing his unique event-planning, project-management, and extensive network to the Higher Education Collective community.
Higher Education Networking Collective 