Kellianne Carfi, LICSW

Director of Wellness Initiatives

Kelli is the Director of Wellness Initiatives at OPEN and a clinical social worker. She received her B.S. in Family Studies from the University of New Hampshire and her Master of Social Work from Boston College. She completed her second year MSW internship at OPEN in 2013 and was hired as a full time staff member after graduation. She has experience working with adolescents and young adults, specifically related to substance use, sexual violence, domestic violence and mental health. Kelli strives to provide prevention and education on difficult topics in an engaging and approachable way.

Megan O’Hara, LICSW, M.Ed

Director of Violence Prevention Initiatives

Megan O’Hara is the Director of Violence Prevention Initiatives at the Office of Prevention and Education at Northeastern (OPEN) and a licensed independent clinical social worker. Megan has worked in health promotion and prevention efforts on college campuses since 2013. Previously, she worked as an outpatient therapist and high school social justice teacher. Megan earned her BA in Psychology and Master of Education from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Social Work from Boston College. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, painting, exploring bookstores, and playing volleyball.

Kirsten M. Kuhn-Kutteh, LICSW, MPH

Associate Director of Wellness Initiatives

Kirsten (they/them) is the Associate Director of Wellness Initiatives at the Office of Prevention and Education and a licensed independent clinical social worker. They earned a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in community assessment, program design, implementation, and evaluation as well as a Master of Social Work degree majoring in clinical social work with a specialization in trauma and violence from Boston University. Kirsten joined OPEN in fall 2019. Kirsten has additional experience working in academic advising, housing case management, LGBTQ+ state policy, and behavioral health therapy at a LGBTQ+ community health center. They are passionate about supporting student growth, healing, and resilience through harm reduction and trauma-informed lenses. Outside of the office, Kirsten spends their time cuddling their two cats, going on nature walks, wheel-throwing pottery, and talking to anyone who will listen about marine biology.

Madison Bell, LICSW

Senior Assistant Director of Violence Prevention Initiatives

Madi (she/her) is the Senior Assistant Director of Violence Prevention Initiatives in the Office of Prevention and Education and a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW). She received her B.A. in Psychology from The Catholic University of America in 2018 and her Masters in Social Work from Boston College in 2020. Madi joined the OPEN team full-time in 2020 after completing her advanced year social work internship in the office. Madi spent three years researching clinical interventions for suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and specifically studied suicide risk in college students. She previously volunteered with RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline, and has co-facilitated the HEAL campus support group for survivors of sexual assault. Madi is passionate about supporting students in their healing process, whatever that may mean for them. Outside of work, Madi enjoys shopping at independent bookstores, taking endless pictures of her cat, and listening to Taylor Swift as well as feminist recap podcasts of The Bachelor franchise.

Kyla Martin, M.S

Confidential Resource Advisor

Kyla Martin (she/her/hers) currently serves as the Confidential Resource Advisor for Northeastern. She is a graduate of Macalester College with a B.A. in Mathematics, earned a M.S. in College Student Development and Counseling from Northeastern University, holds a graduate certificate in Restorative Practices from the International Institute for Restorative Practices, and is currently working on her Ph.D. in Leadership and Human Resource Development at Louisiana State University. Through assistantships, internships, as well as full and part time employment Kyla has worked at 15 different institutions of Higher Education in various functional areas. In previous positions, she has served both complaints and respondents of discrimination cases to support them through the investigation and adjudication process or to provide support and resources. 

In her free time, she enjoys baking, playing golf, and spending time with her puppy. 

Click here to learn more about what the Confidential Resource Advisor provides for the Northeastern Community.

Kimberly Bement

Assistant Director for Health Education

Kimberly (she/her/hers) is the Assistant Director for Health Education at the Office of Prevention and Education at Northeastern (OPEN). She received her B.S. in Public Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is currently pursuing her M.S. in Community Health Education at Merrimack College. Kimberly was a NASPA certified Peer Health Educator during her time at UMass where she got experience providing various resources relating to mental health, self care, alcohol/drugs and sexual health to the campus community. Kimberly joined the OPEN team in January 2022 looking to continue her passion for connecting with students and health promotion. In her free time, Kimberly enjoys being a dancer in the DanceWorks Boston Project, going out to eat, and Taylor Swift!

Elizabeth Coscia, LCSW

Assistant Director

Elizabeth (she/her) is an Assistant Director in the Office of Prevention and Education. She earned both her B.A in Applied Psychology and her Master’s in Social Work at Boston College, with a focus on the intersections of public health and social work.  Prior to O.P.E.N, she spent two years running HEAL campus support groups for survivors of sexual violence along with planning campus wide events surrounding sexual violence awareness.  Elizabeth is passionate about improving access to culturally relevant survivor services and engaging students in conversations around sexual health. In her spare time, Elizabeth can be found exploring new coffeeshops, reading, and playing tennis!

Clara Cahill Farella

Assistant Director

Clara (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Director in the Office of Prevention and Education. She earned her B.A. in Applied Psychology and Human Development as well as her M.A. in Higher Education from Boston College, with a concentration in spirituality, faith, and formation. Prior to her work in OPEN, Clara managed a peer-led sexual violence prevention program for undergraduate students that focused on the promotion of prosocial bystander behaviors. She also offered support and resources to survivors of sexual violence in confidential counseling sessions, which she is excited to continue doing through her work in OPEN. Clara is passionate about accompanying students along their vocational journeys and engaging students in conversations about healthy sexuality and relationships. In her free time, Clara likes to try out new recipes, have movie nights with friends, and drink copious amounts of Irish Breakfast tea.

Alex Kane

Assistant Director

Alex (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Director at OPEN. She graduated with her B.S. in Health Science from Northeastern in May of 2022, and completed her Plus One year for her Master of Public Health in August of 2023. Alex joined the OPEN team in August of 2021 as a Graduate Assistant for Sexual Health Promotion, and in January of 2023 transitioned to a full-time position helping with sexual health, general wellness, and more. She enjoys drinking coffee, trying out new recipes, reading, and exploring Boston.

Ace Coe

MSW Intern

Ace (she/they) is the Masters of Social Work Intern at O.P.E.N. They are a 3rd year dual degree student at Boston University School of Theology and School of Social Work. She has a B.A. in Christian Studies Pre-Ministry, as well as 3 minors (psychology, sociology, and health and wellness) from Campbell University in North Carolina. Prior to O.P.E.N., Ace worked at Housing Families Inc. in Malden, MA. They are passionate about creating community and making space for neurodiversity in the workplace. In their free time, Ace enjoys drawing house plans, watching reality tv and learning new skills. The most recent learning endeavor was in Summer 2023, where Ace obtained their EMT-B for the state of Massachusetts!

Brenda Duan

MSW Intern

Xinmeng (Brenda) Duan is an MSW intern at the Office of Prevention and Education at Northeastern (OPEN), pursuing her Master of Social Work at Boston College. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and Religious Studies from the College of the Holy Cross. Previously, she worked as an intensive case manager with adults, focusing on psycho-education and mental health care. Outside of her professional life, Brenda enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with friends.

Mary LaVigne

MSW Intern

Mary (she/her/hers) is an MSW Intern in the Office of Prevention and Education. She earned her B.A. in Spanish and Global Studies, focused in Conflict, Justice and Human Rights, and she is currently pursuing a dual-degree Master of Social Work and M.A. in Theology and Ministry from Boston College. Previously, Mary served for two years as a Community Advisor offering support and resource navigation to those affected by sexual violence at campus-wide events. Mary is passionate about accompanying students in their healing process, and facilitating conversations about healthy relationships and holistic wellness. In her free time, Mary loves playing board games, practicing yoga, and running along the water!

Denise Douglas

Public Health Intern

Denise (she/her/hers) is a Public Health Intern at OPEN for the Fall 2023 semester. Graduating from Northeastern with a Bachelor’s and Doctorate in Pharmacy, she is now completing her last year of the Master of Public Health program. Professionally, she serves as a Program Coordinator at the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute. In her free time, she enjoys reading, going to musicals/theater productions and photography.

Cheyenne Chin

Husky to Husky Peer Educator

Cheyenne (she/her/hers) is a third-year student pursuing a major in Cell and Molecular Biology and a minor in Ethics. As a Husky-to-Husky peer educator, she is eager to be involved with health education. In the Northeastern community, she is involved with the Re-Game XR lab as well as the Northeastern Emergency Medical Services club. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her pets, taking care of her plants, as well as playing various video games!

Caroline Gable

Husky to Husky Peer Educator

Caroline (she/her/hers) is a second-year Psychology student with minors in Public Health and Spanish. Caroline is very passionate about the importance of equitable and accessible behavioral healthcare and health education for all. On campus, she is a resident assistant, teaching assistant, an editor for Northeastern’s science magazine, and an active member of ‘NEURONS’ club and PsyClub. Originally from Boulder, Colorado, Caroline loves to write, paint, hike, and eat sushi in her free time!

Sasheen Joseph

Husky to Husky Peer Educator

Sasheen Joseph (she/her/hers) is a third-year Psychology major with minors in Data Science, Computational Social Sciences, and Sociology. She is also a member of the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority and works as a research assistant for the Communication Media and Marginalization (CoMM) Lab. She’s originally from South Florida and enjoys reading, watching movies, and coding in her spare time.

Hannah Smolyar

Husky to Husky Peer Educator

Hannah (she/her) is a second year Behavioral Neuroscience major. She’s on the Northeastern ballroom dance team, and in her free time, loves to paint!

Sydney Ring

Fraternity and Sorority Life Liaison

Sydney (she/her/hers) is a fourth-year student studying Behavioral Neuroscience and Spanish. She is a member of Chi Omega sorority and the SDP Spanish Honors Society. She previously served as her chapter’s representative for the FSL SVP Committee and is excited to continue working as an FSL Liaison.

Kassandra Boylan

Sexual Violence Prevention Educator

Kassandra Boylan (she/her) is a fifth year Mathematics and Political Science who is beyond excited to work as a Sexual Violence Prevention Educator at OPEN. She will both be working in the UP2US Program and with FSL. She previously served as her chapter’s representative for the FSL Bystander Committee.

Sebastian Caicedo

Sexual Violence Prevention Educator

Sebastian (he/him/his) is a third-year student majoring in Health Science. Outside of OPEN, Sebastian is an EMPOWER Fellow with the Social Justice Resource Center, an Operations Assistant at the Center for Intercultural Engagement, and a Peer Educator for the Alliance of Civically Engaged Students on campus. Sebastian enjoys playing volleyball, making music playlists, and exploring Boston in his free time.

Aashka Dave

Sexual Violence Prevention Educator

Aashka (she/her) is a second-year Combined Computer Science and Business Administration major with a minor in Fintech. She is involved with the Women’s Interdisciplinary Society for Entrepreneurship and is a member of the Delta Zeta sorority at Northeastern. She is originally from New Jersey and enjoys traveling, shopping, discovering new music, and hanging with friends!

Kai Doran

Sexual Violence Prevention Educator

Kai (they/them) is a third-year neuroscience major minoring in philosophy. They are passionate about mental health and look forward to working as a Sexual Violence Prevention Educator at OPEN. Kai is involved with Active Minds at Northeastern, competes in Ethics Bowl debate, and carries out neuroimaging research at Northeastern, where they study adolescent brain development. Kai is originally from the Bay Area in California, and loves reading, writing, and hiking in their free time.

Jacob Kemp

Sexual Violence Prevention Educator

Jacob (he/him/his) is a first-year graduate student in the Master of Science for Media Advocacy program, which is co-hosted between CAMD Journalism and the School of Law. Jacob is very passionate about health education, writing, and tackling internal and external sources of stigma. On campus, he is the Education Coordinator for SHARE and a Marketing & Communications Assistant for CCMISC. His chosen home is in the mountains in upstate New York. Outside of his education, Jacob loves to paint, watch new movies, and work as a barista at Solid Ground Cafe!

Elizabeth McDowell

Sexual Violence Prevention Educator

Elizabeth McDowell (she/her) is a third year Computer Science major with a minor in Theatre. She is involved with Husky Ambassadors, CoSMO (Computer Science Mentoring Organization) and Survivor Northeastern. She is originally from Westchester, NY and in her free time she enjoys crocheting, dancing and listening to music.

Elizabeth Scholl

Sexual Violence Prevention Educator

Shana Sofyer

Sexual Violence Prevention Educator

Shana (she/her/hers) is a second-year student studying Business Administration and Psychology with a concentration in Marketing Analytics. On campus, Shana is a RA and assists the Action Lab with public health research. When Shana is not at school she enjoys reading and baking!

Aahana Tiku

Sexual Violence Prevention Educator

Aahana Tiku (she/her) is a second-year pursuing a degree in Bioengineering and minoring in Consulting and Entrepreneurial Startups. As a Sexual Violence Prevention Educator at Open, she is eager to teach and support the Northeastern community. On campus, she is involved in a few medical research projects with Northeastern professors. Originally from Andover, Massachusetts, Aahana loves to hike with her dog, travel, read, and swim at the beach. She also loves to meet and greet new peers, so please reach out!