Syracuse University Representatives to the Board
Mark J. Lodato
Academic Dean Representative to the Board, 2025 - 2027
Appointed dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 2020, Mark J. Lodato leads a team of some 200 faculty and staff at a school with approximately 2,400 students.
Lodato has reinforced Newhouse’s reputation as the premier school in its field, a forward-thinking institution that pivots to align with the needs of the fast-moving media and communications industries. Recognized as a prominent voice in higher education journalism and communications, Lodato serves along with a select number of deans on the Carnegie-Knight Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education, among other leadership positions.
Tula Goenka
Faculty Representative to the Board, 2025 - 2027
Tula Goenka is a Professor of Television, Radio and Film at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the graduate program director for her department.
Goenka received her Master of Science in Television-Radio from Newhouse in 1986. She was a film editor for Mira Nair, Spike Lee, and James Ivor, among others, before focusing on producing and editing her own documentaries. As a filmmaker and public scholar, she believes in the power of storytelling to illuminate oppression, heal trauma, and create positive change, with a particular focus on women's rights, and social justice and the use of art and music to build awareness and preserve heritage. Goenka is currently working on the “Look Now Project” about those affected by breast cancer.
Andrea Rose Persin
Staff Representative to the Board, 2025-27
As the Assistant Dean of Budget, Finance, and Administration at Syracuse University’s College of Arts & Sciences, Andrea Rose Persin provides strategic financial oversight to support the goals of the college. She manages all aspects of the College’s budget and directs expenditures to align with actual revenues received. She also has the primary oversight for College’s HR related processes including, but not limited to, annual compensation review and implementation, performance partnerships, and College staffing and organizational planning.
Alexia Chatzitheodorou
Graduate Student Representative to the Board, 2025–2026
Alexia Chatzitheodorou is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Physics at the College of Arts and Sciences, specializing in soft matter physics. Her research focuses on liquid crystal elastomers, using geometry and elasticity to develop theoretical frameworks that explain how these materials change shape—informing the design of bio-inspired systems. She is also a member of the BioInspired Institute at Syracuse University.
Ryleigh Mellen
Law Student Representative to the Board, 2025–2026
Ryleigh Mellen is a third-year law student at the College of Law. She currently serves as managing editor of the Syracuse Journal of International Law and Commerce, Vol. 53, after previously holding the position of Associate Editor for Vol. 52. Additionally, she serves as a law student ambassador at the College of Law. Mellen also works in the College of Law's Admissions and Financial Aid Office as a work-study student. During the fall of 2024, she was a Student Attorney in the Syracuse Law Bankruptcy Clinic. Mellen spent the summer of 2024 in Syracuse, New York at Bond, Schoeneck & King as a 1L Summer Associate; she returned as a 2L Summer Associate in the summer of 2025.
Anna Mirer
Undergraduate Student Representative to the Board, 2025–26
Anna Mirer is a senior in the Maxwell School and College of Arts and Sciences, triple majoring in neuroscience, psychology, and policy studies. Her passion for mental health and community well-being grew from her experience working as a medical assistant in a neurology office that primarily served Russian-speaking patients. As an immigrant herself, Mirer saw firsthand how language and cultural barriers can limit access to care, inspiring her to pursue research and policy work that expand mental health resources for underrepresented communities.
German Alejandro Nolivos
Undergraduate Student Representative to the Board, 2025–2026
German Nolivos is a Venezuelan first-generation college student from Miami, FL. As a senior at Syracuse University, he is pursuing a dual major in Political Science and Public Relations at the College of Arts and Sciences, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.