Graham Staff

Caleigh Bell-Rosof (they/them) is the Program Advisor for the Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) program at the Graham School. In this role, they help manage outreach and advising for the Graham School’s educational programming, specifically serving as the lead advisor to and recruiter of prospective students considering enrollment in the MLA at the Graham School. You can contact Caleigh at cbellrosof@uchicago.edu.

Originally from New York, Caleigh graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in American Studies and a minor in Legal Studies. While at Northwestern, they worked in the admissions office as a tour guide, and they completed an interdisciplinary honors thesis examining radical imagination, queer politics, and prison abolition through a media studies lens. 

Caleigh was also a member of the Northwestern University Sailing Team, and in their free time, weather permitting (which it hardly does), they try to spend as much time as they can outside and around Lake Michigan.

Which Graham course would you most like to take and why?

As a student of queer theory and catastrophe, Caleigh would love to take Mark Miller’s MLA course, “Some Versions of the Apocalypse.” They would also love to attend any of the travel study programs.

Brendan Bulger is Director of Finance for the Graham School. He oversees the development and management of the School’s budget and its financial administration processes. Brendan joined Graham after working across campus at the University of Chicago’s Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures for over 6 years in a leadership role overseeing operations, administration, and finance. Prior to joining the University, Brendan held a number of leadership roles at field-leading early childhood education non-profits in Chicago and in Boston. You may contact Brendan at bpbulger@uchicago.edu

When not working on behalf of Graham, Brendan enjoys time with his three children attending their many lacrosse games across the midwest, trying new restaurants, taking exploratory walks around the city, and simply enjoying their great company.

Sara Connell (she/her) is the Director of Outreach and Communications for the Graham School. She oversees strategy and execution of outreach and communications efforts for Graham across all programs and with a variety of audiences. You can reach Sara at sconnell@uchicago.edu.

Prior to joining Graham, Sara served in leadership communication roles for various colleges at the University of Illinois Chicago, including the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the College of Dentistry. She also has a background in book publishing with St. Martin’s Press and Oxford University Press in New York City and was an intern at ABC News Nightline in Washington, DC. She is the author of the "Journalism" entry in the Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women.

Sara earned a BA in communications from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts and is a PhD candidate in the Institute of Communications Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she has studied the ways in which media coverage of and narratives about women’s healthcare issues, such as infertility, cancer, mental health, and AIDS, have affected healthcare policy. She is also a current student in UChicago's Master of Liberal Arts program.

Which Graham course would you most like to take and why?

Sara would love to take most of the courses in the Writer’s Studio (particularly poetry and non-fiction offerings). She also has a special interest in Graham’s course offerings with University partners like the Institute on the Formation of Knowledge.

J.M. Conway (they/them) is Manager of Innovation Programs with the Graham School. In this role, they help to plan new educational programs, support new and existing partnerships, and serve as a resource for prospective and enrolled students. You can contact Conway at jmconway@uchicago.edu.

Conway has led as a diversity, equity and inclusion practitioner and administrator within higher education for two decades. They have worked with non-profits such as Day One NY, Interfaith Youth Core, College Track, and institutions of higher learning including DePauw University, Loyola University Chicago, Columbia College Chicago, and Michigan State University. Conway earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Anthropology from DePauw University and a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Loyola University Chicago.

Conway enjoys participating in Chicago’s rich Arts and Cultural scene by attending events throughout the city. They keep a daily journal, are endlessly curious about collaborative art making and collect one-liner jokes.

Which Graham course would you most like to take and why?

Conway would like to take Writing the One Act Play via the Writer’s Studio. They love watching live theater and have always been curious about what it takes to be a successful playwright.

Carey Dempsey serves as Director of Marketing and Recruitment for the Graham School. She oversees the development and execution of the marketing strategy to help connect learners with Graham’s programs and course offerings.

Carey has decades of experience in brand marketing in the higher education and healthcare sectors. Prior to joining Graham, Carey served in marketing leadership roles at Wiley and AllCampus. She has a demonstrated history in developing marketing campaigns that resonate with learners, enabling universities to both attract and retain students throughout their educational journey.

Carey completed her undergraduate studies with a BA in public relations and a minor in marketing from Marquette University. You can contact Carey at careydempsey@uchicago.edu.

Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and trying to keep up with her two children.

Which Graham course would you most like to take and why?

Carey would like to take part in Writing the Ten-Minute Play. She was very active in her school’s theater program when she was younger and would love to be able to revisit that area from her past through a different lens.

Zoë Eisenman is Director of Academics at the Graham School, overseeing the non-credit programs including the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults, Open Enrollment, and Writer’s Studio. Zoë is also an instructor in the Basic Program (since 1992) and served as the Cyril O. Houle Chair of the Basic Program from 2015 –2020. She holds a BA in Greek from Vassar College and an MA in Classics from the University of Chicago where she has also done advanced graduate work. You can contact Zoë at zme1@uchicago.edu.

Outside of work Zoë enjoys hiking trails in Michigan with her husband and their two dogs.

Which Graham course would you most like to take and why?

She hopes one day to take Claudia Traudt’s course on Ulysses by James Joyce since she’s never managed to finish it by herself.

Seth Green was appointed Dean of the Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies on July 1, 2021. You can contact Seth at sethgreen@uchicago.edu.

Before joining Graham, Green served as Founding Director of the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility at Loyola University Chicago. During his tenure, the Center launched a top-ranked specialty MBA program, a globally significant award for social innovation in business, and an array of educational programs that annually engage more than 4,000 learners. Green also served as an Executive Lecturer in Loyola’s Quinlan School of Business, teaching classes on social entrepreneurship and receiving recognition as the Mission-Driven Faculty Member of the Year in 2021.

Prior to Loyola, Green led Youth & Opportunity United (Y.O.U.), a nonprofit organization that prepares low-income youth for post-secondary and life success. At Y.O.U., Green oversaw the fourfold expansion of programs and a $16.4 million fundraising campaign to build a state-of-the-art youth center. He also spearheaded two strategic planning processes, resulting in an enhanced program model and deepened impact. Alongside Y.O.U., Green taught courses on nonprofit management as an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University.

Earlier in his career, Green worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, guiding private sector clients through strategy development and change management. A recipient of McKinsey’s Community Fellowship, he spent one year of his time at the firm supporting nonprofit clients, including the Gates Foundation and United Way.

Green speaks and writes on social innovation. His commentaries and research have appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, Fortune Magazine, the Journal of Business Research, and the Social Innovations Journal, and he serves on the Editorial Review Board of the Business and Society Review. Green has been a featured guest on Slate Podcasts, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, MSNBC, and CNN, and his efforts have been covered by the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. In 2008, Utne Reader named him one of 50 “Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World.”

Green is civically engaged in Chicago, serving on the Campaign Cabinet of the United Way of Metro Chicago, the Impact Investing Advisory Council of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, the Advisory Board of Concordia Place, the Reception Committee of the Economic Club of Chicago, and the Advisory Board of the Executives’ Club of Chicago.

A Marshall Scholar, Green holds a J.D. from Yale University, a master’s in women’s studies from Oxford University, a master’s in development studies from the London School of Economics, and a bachelor’s degree in politics from Princeton University.

Alex Hotovy (he/him) is a Digital Marketing Strategist for the Graham School. In this role, he develops and executes paid media strategies for Graham School offerings. He graduated from the University of Nebraska in 2018 with a double major in Advertising/Public Relations and History. Since then, he has worked both in-house and for an agency developing effective client-specific digital marketing strategies. 

A recent resident of Chicago, Alex spends a lot of his time exploring the city as well as playing tennis and attending concerts.

You can contact Alex at ahotovy@uchicago.edu. 

Which Graham course would you most like to take and why?

Alex would most like to take The Remains of the Day and All Quiet on the Western Front: International Relations through Literature as it explores the intersection of art, culture, and society. 

Michelle Libby (she/her) is the Human Resources Manager for the Graham School, overseeing all things related to the employee lifecycle. She can be reached at mlibby@uchicago.edu.

A Chicagoland native, Michelle holds a BBA in Human Resources Management from Loyola University Chicago, where she graduated from the Interdisciplinary Honors Program.  Prior to joining the Graham School, Michelle held various Human Resources and Employee Relations roles at Fortune 500 companies.

In her free time, Michelle enjoys spending time with family and friends, ideally outdoors (hiking, biking, or birdwatching), at live music events, or traveling.

Which Graham course would you most like to take and why?

As a lifelong lover of music, Michelle would love to take Listening after Electricity, from Opera to Pop.

Shannon Morrissey (she/her) is the Assistant Director for Curriculum for the Leadership and Society Initiative at the Graham School. In this role, Shannon supports LSI by overseeing curriculum development and the experiential learning components that help fellows apply their skills and contribute to positive social change. You can contact Shannon at smorrissey@uchicago.edu.

Shannon has always had a passion for work that bridges the gap between theory and praxis. Prior to joining LSI, Shannon worked with the Chicago Studies program, helping students apply their classroom learning to think critically about issues facing the City of Chicago. She also served as a program director for a national service-learning nonprofit and worked as a strategy and research consultant for mission-driven organizations. Shannon holds a BA in Sociology from Whitman College and an MA in the Social Sciences from the University of Chicago where she has also done advanced graduate work in Sociology. 

Shannon is a proud Minnesotan who likes to spend her free time playing board games with family and friends, baking sweet treats, and swimming at Promontory Point.

Tim Murphy serves as Director of the Master Liberal Arts program and has been with the Graham School since 2015.  A lifelong Chicagoan, Tim completed his undergraduate studies at UChicago studying American history and later earned his MA here focused on twentieth-century American political history. You can contact Tim at timmurphy@uchicago.edu.

In his spare time, he enjoys taking advantage of the tremendous resources available through UChicago’s library, pursuing a hodgepodge of historical interests.

Which Graham course would you most like to take and why?

Tim would most like to take any of the music courses taught by John Gibbons in the Open Program.

Fiona O’Connor is the Executive Assistant for the Dean’s Office at the Graham School. Prior to joining Graham, she was at University of Illinois Chicago, where she worked in the Honor’s College and then with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The connections she made at UIC brought her to the University of Chicago. You can contact Fiona at fiona3@uchicago.edu.

She holds a BA in English from University of Illinois Chicago and certificates in project management from the Graham School. The Project Management course at Graham has been invaluable to Fiona’s work at the school.

Fiona recently moved to Rogers Park and in her spare time has really been enjoying checking out all of the restaurants, shops, and many beaches. She’s also looking forward to getting back into traveling internationally for pleasure.

Which Graham course would you most like to take and why?

Fiona would love to take any of the travel study programs offered by the Graham School.

Diana Petty designs and oversees leadership development programming to help senior executives prepare for their next chapters in leadership, service, and philanthropy. She builds collaborations across the University’s Schools and Divisions and with civic partners to deliver a distinctive higher education experience supporting accomplished leaders committed to using their talents toward creating positive societal impact. You can contact Diana at dpetty@uchicago.edu.

Diana has spent her career helping mission-driven organizations deepen impact in their communities, with expertise in strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and program evaluation. She brings extensive experience working in municipal government and public-sector consulting, particularly leading cross-sector, cross-functional partnerships. Diana received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Media Studies from Macalester College, and is a graduate of the New York Urban Fellows Program, the New York University Wagner School’s Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service, the StartingBloc Fellowship for Change Leaders, and the University of Chicago Booth School’s Executive Program for Emerging Leaders.

In her spare time, Diana enjoys exploring Chicago by bike with her family and playing cards with friends, specifically bridge, euchre, and cribbage.

Which Graham course would you most like to take and why?

When she has the chance, Diana hopes to take Graham’s course “A Poem A Day” as a creative outlet, opportunity for reflection, and to refine her voice in writing.

As Chief of Staff, Andriana Scaramella is responsible for facilitating and implementing strategic initiatives that support Graham’s mission. Her efforts are focused on sustaining the School by broadening our philanthropic support; embracing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within our community; and supporting our operational capacity. Andriana’s work intersects with a number of areas including activities related to administration, advancement, and institutional partnerships, among others. She leads projects and initiatives at the direction of the Dean and works in close collaboration with other leaders at Graham and the University. You can contact Andriana at ascaramella@uchicago.edu.

Prior to joining Graham, Andriana led Macedonia2025, a non-profit organization focused on educational advancement and economic development for members of its diaspora, working in partnership with the board of directors and with businesses, governments, and universities to generate opportunities.

Andriana holds a Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Indiana University.

In her spare time, Andriana enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, attending cultural events, and visiting art museums.

Which Graham course would you most like to take and why?

Andriana would be most interested in attending one of Graham’s travel study programs as they are experiences that blend her love of travel, learning, history, and culture.

Tom Shannon (he/him) serves as the enrollment counselor for the Graham School. In this role he completes outreach to prospective students and connects with them to discuss program details and outcomes. Tom also works with current applicants and guides them through the application process.

Tom is a Chicagoland native and graduated from Trinity Christian College with a Bachelor of Science in Business. Outside of work, Tom is a committee member for a local charity and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

What course would you be interested in taking at Graham?

With the ever increasing role of technology in our day to day lives, Tom would be interested in the Technology in America course.

Kendall Sharp is currently the Cyril O. Houle Chair of the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults. He holds a PhD from the Committee on Social Thought and a BA from the College at the University of Chicago. Formerly, he was Assistant Professor in the Department of Classical Studies at the University of Western Ontario, and he has taught also at DePaul University (history), the University of Illinois-Chicago (classics), and in the College (humanities). He rejoined the Basic Program in 2019, having last served on the staff from 1999–2000. His research and publishing focus on Plato's dialogues as literary expressions of the philosophical life. His teaching has included Greek and Latin languages, classics in translation (literature, philosophy, history), and both classical mythology and ancient Greek science. He is currently preoccupied with the chilly reception Western Civilization gave to the ancient Greek values of political freedom and equality. You can contact Kendall at krsharp@uchicago.edu.

Which Graham course would you most like to take and why?

There are no courses at Graham Kendall would prefer to any others, for he loves them all equally.

Jan Watson is the Associate Director of the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults, a four-year certificate program in the liberal arts, and she directs the annual Study in Oxford travel programs, along with the Basic Program’s Spring Break in Greece. Jan has been with the University of Chicago for over 15 years and appreciates supporting and being a member of the incredible community of committed learners at Graham. You can contact Jan at janwatson@uchicago.edu.

Jan holds a BA from Florida State University and an MS from Illinois State University, both degrees in Theatre, and is a graduate of the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults at UChicago. She is also a member of the so-called Sunday School, a group focused on critical analysis of plays and opera scores.

Prior to coming to Graham, Jan worked as an arts administrator, production manager, and stage manager, touring internationally with dance companies, running music festivals, and organizing events for the City of Chicago, Ravinia Festival, Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Chicago Humanities Festival, various corporations, and many other arts organizations. Jan is an avid traveler and enjoys baseball and opera.

Which Graham course would you most like to take and why?

The literature seminar during the Study in Oxford programs. Jan welcomes the challenge of reading multiple texts by a few authors and then learning from the wonderful University of Oxford tutors and her fellow students.

Sarah Wilson is the Assistant Director for Engagement for the Leadership and Society Initiative at the Graham School. In this role, Sarah supports LSI fellows in their selection of courses and through building connections with faculty, centers, and students across campus to maximize their fellowship experience and to support their unique learning goals. You can contact Sarah at swilson11@uchicago.edu.

Sarah is passionate about supporting lifelong learners in their pursuit of knowledge and humanistic inquiry. Prior to joining LSI, Sarah managed the Adult Education program at the Newberry Library, where she administered hundreds of seminars in the arts and humanities for adult learners. Sarah also supported adult education initiatives through the Odyssey Project at Illinois Humanities and the Detroit Mercy Education Project. Sarah holds a PhD in Medieval English Literature from Northwestern University, where she taught literature and composition classes. She is excited about bringing her academic background and facility with research projects to bear in supporting the educational goals of LSI fellows. She also holds a BA in English and Philosophy from the University of North Texas.

In her spare time, Sarah enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and ambitious baking projects.  

Nikki Yagoda serves as the Director of Partnerships and Innovation, forging new connections with external partners to expand the scope and reach of Graham programming and University scholarship. You can contact Nikki at nyagoda@uchicago.edu.

For the past twelve years, Nikki has worked in higher education with an emphasis on arts and culture programming in professional and volunteer capacities at the Hyde Park Art Center, Morpho Gallery, Culture Coast Network, Chicago Children’s Museum, and of course, the University of Chicago Graham School.

Nikki received her undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago in English literature and art history, with a focus in European modernism. She is currently completing her thesis in the Graham School’s MLA program. In her free time, Nikki enjoys trips to the dog park, gardening, and DIY.

Which Graham course would you most like to take and why?

Nikki would love to take so many of Graham’s creative writing courses, but one that has recently caught her eye is “Writing and Walking in Essays and Memoir.” The course encourages active exploration of your surroundings as part of your writing practice, perfect for curing writer’s block.