Introductions: Senior Leadership Team and President's Office Staff

September 3, 2024

Dear all,

Every fall, I like to re-introduce our senior leadership team and the president’s office colleagues who support the College. See below and please be in touch with any of us if needed!

Senior Leadership Team

Two people walking dressed for a wedding in tux and dress. One person is carrying a young child while holding the other's hand.

Dean Carlos Alamo, Dean of the College, married su querida Lola in the Shakespeare Garden (it was so HOT!). His family also took a much-needed break in Puerto Rico, where we had the chance to relax and recharge while visiting his ninety-three-year-old abuelita. Dean Alamo is filled with energy and gratitude for the collective work to help students live their best lives.


Person sitting on a small boat with a dog in their lap.

Marianne H. Begemann, Dean of Strategic Planning and Academic Resources is responsible for leading the Libraries, Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Athletics and Physical Education, the Nursery School, and the Preserve and Environmental Cooperative, as well as overseeing the Sustainability Office and Faculty Housing.  She collaborates with Facilities Operations and others on space and landscape planning with a particular focus on accessibility, sustainability, and equity.  She enjoys spending time on the water, never far from her dog Pip.


Person standing and leaning on a rail with trees in the background.

Professor Kim Williams Brown is associate professor in Education, Director of Engaged Pluralism, and College Advisor for Inclusion and Engaged Pluralism. She is a house fellow in Raymond House and loves doing programming that allows students to feel a sense of home while they are on campus. She teaches courses on race, gender, and migration.


Four people standing side-by-side posing for a photo on a beach.

Dean Brian Daly, Professor of Physics is excited to serve as the Interim Dean of the Faculty this year.  He's been a member of the faculty since 2005, and from 2022–2024 served as Associate Dean of the Faculty and Academic Resources.  While it's been a busier summer than usual, he did get to take a lovely vacation on Cape Cod this summer with his family.   


Person sitting with a yellow shirt and dark hair with crystal blue/green island waters in the background.

Wesley Dixon serves at Vassar as the Deputy to the President and Secretary of the Board of Trustees. Wes enjoys cooking, and recently learned how to cook oxtail (with butter beans, of course) from a 94-year-old Jamaican man. Wes also hopes to get behind the bar at the new Salt Line restaurant to design, serve, and drink some seasonal craft cocktails. Given both of those things, Wes stays in the gym.


a dark photo of a person in suit and tie with a cowboy hat looking into an outside fire.

Carlos Garcia is Vice President for Technology and Human Resources and Chief Information Officer.  Carlos is grateful to continue working this year with the dedicated experts in CIS, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action and Title IX, and Human Resources.  He is enthusiastic about fostering care and enabling success for all in the Vassar community.


Two people sitting outside smiling while wearing sub glasses.

Victoria Grantham is celebrating her second year as Vassar’s Vice President of Communications. She has loved getting to know the Vassar community and is looking forward to meeting more people and gathering ideas and feedback along the way. She is pictured here on a rooftop on a rare date night with her husband Jay.


Person standing upstairs leaning against a railing.

Shay Humphrey, General Counsel, is a Vassar alum and a bit of a history buff.  This photo is from the Hotel Boulderado, a historic hotel in Boulder, Colorado. Shay looks forward to bringing student voices into the work of the General Counsel's office this year.


Person standing on a ladder looking at books in a library.

Tim Kane, Vice President of Advancement has always loved reading and learning—bookstores and libraries are his happy places. So is Vassar!  Now in his seventh year here, Tim works with our 40,000+ alums to support Vassar's mission through philanthropic and volunteer support.


Person standing in a baseball stadium with the field in the background.

Sonya Smith, Vice President and Dean of Admission and Student Financial Services (try saying that five times fast), is always happy to catch a Dodgers game back in Los Angeles when not recruiting future Brewers. Dean Sonya has contemplated joining Pantone 294, a Dodgers fan club, for one of their away-game takeovers in NY. In the meantime, to catch their televised games, she stays up far too late.


Four people standing in front of an artistic display in a museum.

Bryan Swarthout, Vice President for Finance and Administration, is looking forward to another successful year with the finance and administration team.  In his free time, he loves spending time outside and being with his family. On a recent expedition to the Biltmore, they came across a Chihuly Exhibit, another example that Vassar connections are everywhere!


A family standing outside in the wilderness posing for a photo.

Bini Tesfamariam is the Director of Institutional Research and Strategic Decision Support. He has been with the college since 2017. Bini appreciates Vassar's dynamic, forward-looking culture. In his free time, he enjoys the beautiful scenery of the Hudson Valley with his family and friends.


President's Office Staff

Two people standing side-by-side outside in a field.

Gabriel Anjo (Gabe), who covers Reception in the President’s Office some days and supports Communications as well, will be coming up on his first-year anniversary at Vassar. You might catch him playing video games or taking a stroll around campus with his fiancée, Eva, who is a House Advisor.


Three people smiling for a photo.

Angela DePaolo, Director of Administrative Affairs for the President’s Office is involved in many larger-scale events such as Convocation and Commencement and is responsible for leading the day-to-day operations in the President's Office. Here she is pictured (center) with 2024 Commencement Speaker, Emily Mortimer and Executive Assistant, Veronica Peccia.  Angela enjoys gardening, watching true crime stories, and spending time with her family.


Person taking a selfie in a whicker chair with boats docked at a marina in the background.

Veronica Peccia, the Scheduler for the President, here pictured in Venice on her summer vacation. Anytime you are looking for time with me, email VePeccia@Vassar.edu; she is a magician!


Two people standing side-by-side outside posing for a photo.

And here I am with my husband of 38 years, John Bradley, on one of our last days of summer vacation. Looking forward to a year full of learning and growing.

See you around campus! 

Elizabeth H. Bradley, President
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY 12604
@EHBVassar