Crew / Consultants

Ariel Rojas, MS, MA - Executive Director. 
Having completed Masters degrees in Sociocultural Anthropology (Columbia University, 2003) and Social Psychology (University of Havana, 2000), Mr. Rojas, founder of Transdiaspora Network, is a bi-cultural and inter-disciplinary social entrepeneur with more than 10 years of experience. He is a resourceful leader with the capability to motivate a diverse group of individuals, and possess networking skills to forge successful partnerships with stakeholders from both the private and public sector. Areas of expertise include HIV/AIDS, Mental Health, Counseling and Youth Development. Mr. Rojas is keenly aware of cultural nuances and has in-depth knowledge of the Caribbean and Latino communities in the New York metropolitan area. He has a BA in Psychology from the University of Havana (1998). 

Susannah DePalo, MPA - Deputy Director.

With a BA in Forensic Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Ms. DePalo began working in the Bronx at ARGUS Community, Inc. There, she provided case management services to individuals who were affected and infected by HIV/AIDS, and years later she decided to persue a Masters Degree in Public Administration Health Services at Marist College. After earning her degree, Ms. DePalo joined Diaspora Community Services as a Director where she provided supervision, program management and development to the agency's staff offering intense case management services to HIV+ individuals and their families who were mainly from the Caribbean region. She was also a participant in the Ryan White Care Act of 2006, in conjuntion with the Brooklyn Hospital Path Center, where she performed as an advisory committee member on the Presbyterian Psychosocial Committee for Special Need Plans (SNPs). Ms. DePalo grew up in Georgetown, Guyana, and immigrated to the US in the early 1990s.

Dominique Dupont-Dubois, MPH - Program Manager.

Ms. Dupont-Dubois is a recent graduate from the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health where she focused on reproductive and family health. Prior to attending graduate school, she studied Health: Science, Society and Policy at Brandeis University and then worked at Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts where she learned about  women's reproductive health services hands-on, educated patients about birth control methods and HIV/STI prevention. Having always known she wanted an MPH, Ms. Dupont-Dubois finally decided to learn more about the health disparities minority populations face and to acquire the skills necessary to research and address those important issues. Since her admission to our team on June 2011, she has rapidly progressed to understand TDN's social value and mission, and some of us have seen her real commitment and personal investment to secure the organization's success at different venues. She has opened new possibilities for TDN forging new collaborations and professional exchanges with other HIV-related entities nation-wide such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Association of People Living with AIDS (NAPWA), among others.

Yon Lam - Communication Coordinator.

Ms. Lam has a BA in Metropolitan Studies from New York University and she is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Sustainability Management at Columbia University's School of Continuing Studies. In the recent past, she worked as Communications Associate at Inform, Inc. where she maintained and updated relationships with companies for fundraising events and public awareness projects.

Tessa Scott, MPH - Research Coordinator.

Ms. Scott hold an MPH from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and currently works at Weill Cornell Medical College. She has an extensive experience in the design, implementation, coordination and analysis of clinical, epidemiological and public health studies. Ms. Scott has conducted protocol development as well as IRB submission with local goverment and universities such as Harvard University and University of California, San Francisco. She is commited to re-design and validate our program evaluation materials as well as to engineer TDN research strategy at a local level, especially in Brooklyn. Ms. Scott holds a BA in Developmental Biology from University of California, Santa Cruz.

Tara Batista, M.Phil. - Research Associate.

Ms. Batista received a BA in Spanish and a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business at Stetson University, a Master of Science in Evidence-based Social Intervention at the University of Oxford, and a Master of Philosophy at Columbia University. She served as a Research Assistant under the direction of Dr. Paul Montgomery for the DHA Oxford Learning and Behavior Study (DOLAB), Oxford, UK, in 2009. She currently works as Research Assistant for Senior Research Scientist Dr. Lauren Gates at the Workplace Center at Columbia University. Ms. Batista conducts literature review, quatitative analysis, focus groups, and aids in the construction of measurement instruments for the Center's various projects. She is also a statiscian for the Columbia University Medical Center. At this time, she is undertaking a PhD in Social Work at Columbia University.

Maria Caso, CEC, PCC - Certified Professional Coach.

Maria Caso is a life coach to celebrities, business leaders, professionals and a variety of creative individuals, including bold-face-name fashion designers. A compelling motivational speaker, she helps people change how they approach life through transformational dialogues aimed at discovering their personal goals and the mechanisms they need to achieve them. Ms. Caso provides action toward a psychologically healthy and useful acceptance of painful emotions with empathy and understanding. A frequent guest of Life Coach TV, Ms. Caso is certified by the International Coaching Federation as a professional Master Coach, the Board of Hypnotherapies and The Grief Recovery Institute. As a Master Coach, she conducts a weekly seminar for established Life Coaches in the NY metropolitan area. In addition, she is a trained Betty Ford Clinic Regional Area Volunteer of long standing. Ms. Caso is also a member of the International Coach Association and the Board of Hypnotherapists. She is the co- founder and board member of the Cuban Artist Fund and co-producer of the Cuban Arts Festival. She is on the board of Spirituality for Kids, an outreach program for high risk children, where she volunteers as a facilitator. She is a member of Madrinas, the Hispanic executive women organization, as well as Toastmasters.

Federica Rangel, MS - Communications Associate.

Ms. Rangel came to the U.S in 2003 from her native country Venezuela. She has an M.S. in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from New York University, and holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2008, she participated in the creation of a communications department for an industrial equipment distributor, and that experience helped her develop an interest in public relations. Ms. Rangel plans to use her technical background, together with PR and communications skills, to bridge the gap between technological advances and socio-economic challenges that we face today. She has volunteered as an English as a Second Language teacher in Atlanta, GA and Austin, TX; as a math tutor; and as a Spanish interpreter at NYU Free Clinic.