Bob Cillo, Dean of Students
303-546-3506; bcillo@naropa.edu

Bob Cillo is the dean of students and has been at Naropa since 2001. Bob manages the Office of Student Affairs, acts as an ombudsmen for students, advises students on conflicts and handles disciplinary issues. He serves on various university committees including the Student Journey Committee of the Board of Trustees. Bob worked previously at The Evergreen State College as the director of a federal program for low income and first-generation students. Bob likes working at a college such as Naropa where he feels he can have a part in creating positive changes for students. He encourages students to stop by his office to speak their mind.

Tashi Browder, Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Students & International Student Advisor
303-546-3562; tashi@naropa.edu

Tashi Browder has been at Naropa since 2000 as the administrative assistant to the dean of students after having worked as a manager of a Gift Basket Company in New York City. She is an ethnic Tibetan raised and schooled in India, where she also taught elementary school for 5 1/2 years before coming to America in 1987. In addition to English, she is fluent in Tibetan, Nepali and Hindi. Tashi has also taken on duties in assisting the International student advisor in working with the International students on campus. What Tashi most enjoys about working in Student Affairs is her constant interaction with a diverse range of students and visitors. She is the point person when students come to ask questions.

Sarah Steward, Career Services Coordinator
303-245-4863; ssteward@naropa.edu

I am originally from the great state of North Dakota. Over the past several years, however, I have studied and worked in both Iowa and Ohio. In May 2008, I graduated with a MA in College Student Personnel from Miami University and made the transition to beautiful Colorado and Naropa University. As the career services coordinator, I can help you explore your values, interests, skills, and talents as they relate to your career and academic pursuits. From choosing a major to planning an internship to preparing for employment or graduate school, I am here to assist you.

Sherry Ellms, Contemplative Practice Coordinator
303-546-5298; sherry@naropa.edu

Sherry has worked in a number of capacities at Naropa over the past 19 years. Through Student Affairs, as the Contemplative Practice Coordinator, she can provide students support  for the spiritual aspects of their education and development, by providing them with  a meditation instructor/mentor and giving referrals for mentors in many of the world wisdom traditions. At the University-wide level, she coordinates Community Practice Day each semester and does programming that reflects the various spiritual traditions available in the area. She assists with ritual and ceremonies and serves on the Contemplative Practice Faculty Committee which addresses the overall contemplative atmosphere of the University.  Sherry has a BA in Psychology from UCLA and a Masters in Environmental Leadership from Naropa.  She has trained with Marshall Rosenberg, in Non-violent Communication and with Jon Kabat-Zinn in Mind-Body Stress Reduction.  She is a long time student of the Founder, Choygam Trungpa, Rinpoche and has taught meditation and led retreats for 25 years. She is Assistant Professor in the Environmental Studies Department where she teaches courses in ecopsychology, meditation, and communication skills.  She also teaches in the Masters in Ecopsychology Program. She has a passion for the natural world and believes in the interdependence of landscape and psyche. What heals the planet can heal us. What heals us heals the planet.   

Alicia Weiss, Disability Services Coordinator
303-245-4749; aweiss@naropa.edu

Alicia Weiss is the Coordinator of Disabilities Services. She works with students with disabilities who qualify for accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, guides students through the process of establishing eligibility, and provides a variety of supports and services throughout the semester. In addition, the Coordinator of Disability Services acts as resource to staff, faculty, and administration staff on matters of disability awareness, equity, accessibility, and other aspects of  ADA compliance.  Her philosophy and practice is best characterized by, “Nothing About Us Without Us,” a slogan broadly adopted by the disability rights movement, which affirms people with disabilities as experts about their needs and hence rightful participants in decisions that effect their lives. Alicia brings to Naropa a background in Neuroscience, and Neuropscyhology. She taught at the postsecondary level for nearly two decades at several institutions and served as an academic administrator for five years at Goddard College in Vermont. She also served as a legislative advocate and community educator as the Executive Director for the VT Coalition for Disability Rights. She is passionate about facilitating a heightened awareness of disability, an essential component of campus diversity and the richness of human experience.

Jennifer Hinton, International Student Advisor
303-546-3592; jhinton@naropa.edu

Jennifer brings her experience as a foreign student in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and six year long expatriate experience to her position as Naropa’s International Student/Scholar  Advisor. She has mired through her own immigration challenges both here and abroad. As avid traveler in her “younger” days, Jennifer has had the great privilege to have visited different countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and Central America. Jennifer is also a graduate of Naropa’s Transpersonal Counseling Psychology program and held the position of Academic Advisor in that same department. As the international student advisor, Jennifer advises students on visa and regulatory matters, assists students getting settled in and acclimating to Boulder, and offers support and resources to students experiencing difficulties adjusting to the culture. Feel welcome to drop in and visit anytime.  

Stephanie Small, MSW, Crisis and Outreach Coordinator
303-546-3570; ssmall@naropa.edu

She is available for psychological and emotional support around crises, drop-in therapeutic sessions, community outreach, psycho-education, and referrals to other community resources. Stephanie received her BA from Yale University and her MSW from Smith College School for Social Work. In keeping with her holistic approach to healing, she also holds a Certificate in Holistic Nutrition from Bauman College. She believes the mind, body, and spirit must all be engaged and supported in order for transformation to occur. Depending upon the needs of the client, her clinical interventions may involve a blend of psychotherapeutic approaches, Earth-based healing techniques, and coaching around nutrition and exercise.

Matt Peterson
303-546-3549; mpeterson@naropa.edu

Matt Peterson is excited to join the Naropa University community as Director of Student Leadership and Engagement. In this role, he is responsible for setting the direction of student development for the out-of-the-classroom curriculum, utilizing experiential learning support of students’ spiritual, emotional, social, intellectual and physical growth. Matt earned his MS in Experiential Education from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and his BA in Spanish from Western Michigan University. In addition, he has training in conflict analysis and resolution through the U.S. Institute for Peace and the Athens Area Mediation Services. Prior to joining the Student Affairs department at Naropa, Matt served as Residential Coordinator at Ohio University, providing advising to students on academic, career and personal issues. Within this role, he worked to develop programs and activities that built academic success strategies, citizenship and intercultural skills. His work in student leadership development is extensive. He has consulted on numerous leadership development and diversity initiatives, and has presented on these topics locally and nationally. His focus of leadership development philosophy is a blend of servant leadership and reflective practice, wherein students work introspectively and interpersonally to create positive and lasting social change. Matt is available to meet with students regarding leadership development, student groups, and engaged citizenship, or just to chat!

Anne Cowardin, Director of the Counseling Center
303-245-4633; acowardin@naropa.edu

Dr. Cowardin earned her PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1991, BA in Education and MEd in Counselor Education at the University of Virginia. She has served counseling centers at University of Wyoming, first as a staff psychologist, then as Training Director and Associate director of the Center and as director at University of North Carolina at Wilmington. In 2001, she served as Psychology Training Director at the Department of Psychological Health and Psychiatry at the University of Colorado at Boulder and then was appointed as Director of the department for 5 years and as chief psychologist. She left there in January of 2011 to pursue her dream of hiring on with Semester at Sea and traveling around the world working in her field on its floating campus.

Dr. Cowardin holds a license as a psychologist in Colorado, a certificate as an Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist and is a member of the Heart Centered Therapies Association. She teaches hypnotherapy to other mental Health workers through her affiliation with the Wellness Institute in Issaquah, Washington.  She has held a certification as a group psychotherapist and enthusiastically promotes group therapy.

Amy Soehngen, Residence Hall Director
303-447-3846; asoehngen@naropa.edu

Amy L. Soehngen, when not becoming entirely too invested in a board game, planning her next traveling catastrophe, or convincing herself that she will someday learn to play the piano, can be found at Snow Lion as the new Residence Hall Director. Amy looks forward to the opportunity to work in further depth with students to help them maximize their Naropa experience and hopes her “go big or go huge” motto will motivate students to strive for their best. Amy has been working at Naropa University since fall 2011 for Student Administrative Services, having been previously employed at Teach For America, the University of Colorado, and Colorado Mountain College. As a Peace and Justice Studies Graduate of Regis University with a minor in Spanish, she is so excited for this opportunity to be an advocate of contemplative education outside the classroom.