GSAS Alumni Association Board of Directors

'06MA, French Cultural Studies
Member, Alumni Engagement Committee

Margo Adam is the Founder of MarGrow, a venture dedicated to organic gardening and the cultivation of native plants to foster resilient ecosystems in Miami. Drawing on her background in policy and strategic development, she bridges culture, environment, and community impact through sustainable initiatives. A deeply engaged alumna, Margo has served on the boards of the Columbia Club of France and the Columbia Alumni Association, and currently contributes her expertise to the GSAS Alumni Engagement Committee. Margo is committed to advancing interdisciplinary dialogue, environmental sustainability, and meaningful engagement across the GSAS alumni community.

’93JRN; ’02PhD, History
Member, Awards Committee

Warren Bass is the Director of Communications and Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. His distinguished career spans government service, journalism, publishing, and foreign policy, including senior advisory roles to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and UN Ambassador Susan Rice. As a lead investigator on the professional staff of the 9/11 Commission, he played a key role in drafting its landmark final report. Previously, he was a senior editor of the Wall Street Journal's Review section, deputy editor of the Washington Post's Outlook section, and book review editor of the Washington Post. A recipient of the 2017 GSAS Outstanding Recent Alumni Award and a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Warren Bass is dedicated to strengthening connections across generations of alumni and advancing the enduring relevance of historical scholarship to contemporary public affairs.

’14PhD, Chemistry
Member, Awards Committee

Neena Chakrabarti is a Principal at Ambit Inc., where she combines scientific expertise with commercial strategy to help advance innovative therapies from development to patient care. She began her career as a life sciences consultant at ZS Associates before moving to Guidehouse in 2018, where she specialized in clinically focused engagements. As a Mickey Leland Energy Fellow at the US Department of Energy, she gained experience at the intersection of scientific research and public policy. Neena holds a BS from Trinity College where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and completed her PhD in inorganic chemistry at Columbia. As a graduate student, she held leadership roles in C4 and Women in Science at Columbia (WISC), championing career exploration and advocacy for women in STEM. A dedicated mentor and alumna, Neena actively advises GSAS students exploring careers beyond academia, particularly in consulting and the life sciences. She is passionate about expanding opportunities for emerging scholars and strengthening connections across the GSAS alumni community.

’06MA, Statistics
Member, Alumni Engagement Committee; Recent Alumni and Students Committee

Jiayi Chen is a Partner at Trutino Capital Management, where he helps guide the growth of a newly established hedge fund while leading portfolio strategy and investment decision-making. Recognized on the Forbes “30 under 30” Finance list in 2012, Jiayi brings deep expertise in global markets, strategic planning, and investment management. He began his career at Goldman Sachs Asset Management before becoming a portfolio manager and later partner at Pine River Capital Management. He holds a BA from Tsinghua University and is an active member of both the GSAS Alumni Engagement Committee and the Recent Alumni and Students Committees. A dedicated alumnus and mentor, Jiayi is passionate about supporting international students and mentoring alumni pursuing careers in finance and investing. 

’79PhD, Psychology
Member, Awards Committee

Larry Friedman is a veteran market research leader whose career spans more than forty years at the forefront of consumer insights, strategy, and innovation.  As former North American chief research officer at Kantar TNS, a WPP company, and a senior executive in both domestic and international research organizations, he has helped shape the ways organizations understand consumers and make strategic decisions. Widely recognized for his expertise in combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, Larry has been a trusted adviser to leading global brands throughout his career. A widely published industry contributor and a frequent speaker at market research conferences and forums, Larry was honored with the Advertising Research Foundation’s Great Mind in Innovation Award in 2009. He currently serves on the board of GreenBook, a widely recognized platform for market research professionals. Larry is dedicated to helping GSAS students leverage the skills and perspectives gained through graduate study to build meaningful and successful careers across sectors.

’19PhD, Chemistry
Member, Awards Committee

Andrew Hsu is a Management Consultant at ZS Associates, where he advises life sciences clients on product development strategy and digital transformation. He earned his PhD from Columbia, where his research on protein behavior using NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics modeling was supported by the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award. Beyond the laboratory, Andrew was a fellow at Columbia Technology Ventures, advancing the Translational Therapeutics Accelerator Awards Program. Andrew also held roles as a university senator for GSAS natural sciences and as vice president of ASGC, as well as its predecessor GSAC, which he helped restructure. Andrew Hsu is passionate about fostering a strong GSAS alumni community and supporting initiatives that enhance the academic and professional growth of current students.

’94MA, Classics
Member, Alumni Engagement Committee

Julia Kang-Reeves is the Chief Marketing Officer at Earth Therapeutics, a leading bath and body care brand known for integrating Korean beauty innovations into the global marketplace. She leads the company’s marketing, brand strategy, and digital engagement efforts, drawing on a career that spans creative campaigns, publishing, and the arts. Her work is distinguished by a strong focus on storytelling and cross-cultural communication. Julia earned a BA in Classics from the University of Chicago and an MFA in Fiction Writing from New York University. During her time at Columbia, she was awarded a Presidential Fellowship. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Blanton-Peale Institute & Counseling Center and on the Fall Fête committee for Archipelago Books. An advocate for the humanities, Julia is committed to mentoring students and fostering a GSAS community that celebrates the transformative impact of humanistic scholarship across professions and cultures.

’79PhD, French and Romance Philology
Vice President of the Board
Chair, Governance Committee
Member, Alumni Engagement Committee

Susan R. Kinsey is a decorative arts and design historian and associate appraiser, specializing in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century European decorative arts. She enjoyed a distinguished career in higher education, including a decade as divisional dean and professor of humanities at New York University’s School of Professional Studies, before retiring from academic administration in 2017. Her published research focuses on early nineteenth-century French technology and design, including a 2023 article in the Journal of Glass Studies at the Corning Museum of Glass. Susan holds a BA from the University of Maryland and an MA in History of Design and Curatorial Studies from Parsons School of Design and Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum Professor Kinsey is committed to serving GSAS out of gratitude for her graduate education and to support future scholars and academic leaders.

’82MPhil, Political Science

Michael Klecheski is the President of The Mongolia Society, an academic organization dedicated to advancing scholarship in Mongolian history, language, and culture. He retired from the US Department of State in 2022, after more than thirty years of diplomatic service, culminating in his role as US ambassador to Mongolia from 2019 to 2022. His distinguished foreign service career included senior postings as deputy chief of mission in the Philippines and Kazakhstan, following earlier assignments in the Soviet Union and Russia. He also served on the National Security Council as director for Russia and led a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Iraq. A recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, Michael was additionally honored by the president of Mongolia with the Order of the Polar Star for his contributions to US-Mongolia relations. Today, he is committed to supporting future scholars and global public service leaders through alumni engagement.

’16MA, Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences
Member, Alumni Engagement Committee

Yuanrun Lin is an investment manager with experience applying sophisticated statistical and analytical methods to financial strategy and decision-making, spanning both the finance and health care sectors. Yuanrun began his professional career at the Mount Sinai Health System, applying statistical modeling to improve operational performance and risk management before transitioning to the financial sector. A 2013 graduate of New York University with a BA in Economics and Mathematics, Yuanrun serves on the GSAS Alumni Engagement Committee. He is dedicated to fostering a strong culture of alumni engagement and philanthropy in support of future generations of GSAS students and scholars.

’05PhD, Music Ethnomusicology
Co-chair, Alumni Engagement Committee

Cynthia Wong Lippe is a leader in philanthropy and strategic planning who serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for Harbor Country Day School and chairs the capital campaign for a new Ronald McDonald House at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. Her professional experience includes a tenure as the director of education and special projects at the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, where she helped advance the organization’s educational and community initiatives. At Columbia, Cynthia served as the chair of the Graduate Student Advisory Council, advocating for the creation of a graduate student childcare subsidy program. Her doctoral research examined questions of gender and authenticity in rock music in the People’s Republic of China. She holds a BM from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and two MMs from Florida State University. As co-chair of the Alumni Engagement Committee, Cynthia is dedicated to paying forward the life-changing support she received as a graduate student and to ensuring that future generations of scholars can benefit from the transformative mission of GSAS.

’04CC; ’15PhD, Art History and Archaeology 
Member, Alumni Engagement Committee

Megan McCarthy is a Senior Director of Advancement at the Rosenbach Museum & Library, and serves on the GSAS Alumni Engagement Committee and Awards Committee. An accomplished advancement professional, she has held leadership roles across some of the nation’s leading cultural institutions , including the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), the New Museum, and The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), where she specialized in major gifts and individual philanthropy. Megan earned her BA from Columbia College and her PhD from Columbia University. Her dissertation, The Empire on Display, examined nineteenth- and twentieth-century art and was supported by fellowships and grants from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Historical Institute (GHI), and the Council for European Studies (CES). Drawing on her experience in both scholarship and cultural leadership, Megan is committed to mentoring GSAS students pursuing careers beyond academia, particularly in museums, arts administration, and the nonprofit sector.

'02CC; '07MA, American Studies
Co-chair, Alumni Engagement Committee

Emily Morris is Executive Director of Development Communications at the Mount Sinai Health System and co-chair of the GSAS Alumni Engagement Committee. A strategic communications and advancement leader, she has built a career spanning higher education, philanthropy, corporate partnerships, and cultural organizations. Prior to joining Mount Sinai, Emily spent more than a decade at Columbia University, where she led international alumni engagement and strategic communications initiatives. She has also held leadership roles at BrandEd Holdings and Sotheby’s Institute of Art, developing educational partnerships with globally recognized institutions and brands, including Sotheby’s and the New York Times. Emily earned a BA in Art History from Columbia College and an MA in American Studies from GSAS, where her research focused on New York City’s cultural history. Emily is passionate about building community, empowering alumni networks, and supporting GSAS students through mentorship.

’21PhD, Psychology
Co-chair, Awards Committee

Michael J. Naft is the General Counsel and Operating Advisor at Astria Elevate, a private equity firm that invests in founder- and family-owned businesses. His finance career includes serving as general counsel at Treesdale Partners and operating partner at AGI Partners. He began his legal career at Covington & Burling LLP and clerked for Judge Constance Baker Motley of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Michael earned a BA, summa cum laude, from Emory University and a JD, cum laude, from Harvard Law School. While working on his PhD, Michael received Columbia’s Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Graduate Student. He again teaches at Columbia, as an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, where he teaches the Seminar on Law and Psychology. He serves on the board of JustFix, a nonprofit advancing housing justice. Through his engagement with GSAS, Michael is committed to strengthening GSAS through mentorship that fosters connections between academic research and leadership in law, psychology, and social equity.

’17MA, Art History and Archaeology
Member, Awards Committee

Basak Araz Nalbantoglu was born in Istanbul, Turkey, and raised across Europe and the Middle East. She received her BA in 1998 in International Relations and French from Brown University. She has worked in the private equity fundraising groups of several large financial institutions, including Deutsche Bank and Lehman Brothers, as well as various boutique firms, and helping to raise billions of dollars from institutional investors worldwide. In 2017, Basak received her MA in Art History and Archaeology from Columbia University, where her studies focused on ancient and Byzantine art. Since then, her work has centered on provenance research, particularly concerning European artworks, and arts education. Today, she is active in a range of leadership and philanthropic efforts spanning arts, education, and human rights.  In addition to her work with the GSAS Alumni Association, Basak supports Columbia’s She Opened the Door leadership initiative and the Yale Art Gallery. She is the mother of three daughters.

’00MA, American Studies; ’11PhD, History
Member, Alumni Engagement Committee and Awards Committee

Valerie Ritter Paley is the Senior Vice President and Sue Ann Weinberg Director of the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library at the New-York Historical Society. As distinguished public historian and museum leader, she works at the intersection of scholarship, curation, and public engagement. She is the founding director of the Center for Women’s History at the New-York Historical Society, the first initiative of its kind in a major US museum. In 2020, Valerie received the American Historical Association’s Herbert Feis Award, in recognition of her contributions to public history. Her work encompasses curatorial oversight, academic programming, and cross-disciplinary leadership, including the launch of a joint MA program in Museum Studies with the CUNY School of Professional Studies. She serves on the adjunct faculty of the Columbia University Center for American Studies, and holds a BA from Vassar College. Through her service on the board, Valerie is committed to advancing historical literacy, mentoring future scholars, and strengthening the impact of GSAS.

’13PhD, French and Romance Philology 
President of the Board 
Chair, Awards Committee 

Benjamin Young is a strategist who helps organizations increase the public good by creating innovative programs and alliances. At the New York Academy of Sciences, he developed the International Science Reserve, growing its network to over 10,000 stakeholders from more than 100 countries. He also established strategic partnerships at the American Red Cross and created global equitable access models at JSTOR. His political background includes serving as regional GOTV director for the 2020 Biden-Harris campaign and working on strategic initiatives for the Obama campaign. Young received his BA and MA from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2003 and has held teaching appointments at Princeton and the École Normale Supérieure. He is dedicated to serving on the board to support the dean’s vision and works to strengthen the GSAS alumni community.