Welcome to the Office of Student Affairs

Kevin Boehm, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Student Life

Kevin Boehm is a 2007 HGSE graduate in the Learning and Teaching Program.  His career in Student Affairs was launched when he did a FEP (Field Experience Placement) in the Office of Student Affairs in the spring 2007 semester.  He now serves as the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Student Life.  His main points of focus in OSA include Orientation, student organizations, Title IX programming, community activities, and general student support.  When not in the office, Kevin enjoys spending time with his wife and 4 daughters at their home just outside of Cambridge.  Kevin met his wife, Laura, while he was a student at HGSE and she was in the Language & Literacy program!

Kevin's primary responsibilities within OSA include supporting student organizations, building community, navigating resources at HGSE and Harvard University, and general student support.  Kevin also serves as a student Title IX Resource Coordinator.

Andrea Le, Associate Director for Community Building & International Student Support

Andrea’s background is in international education and she worked at Suffolk University for over three years in a variety of student-facing roles within the Center for International Programs and Services. Most recently, Andrea served as the Exchange Student Program Manager, overseeing the inbound and outbound exchange of students with Suffolk’s partner universities around the world. She also worked as an International Student Advisor at Suffolk, helping international students to navigate the transition to university life in the United States. Andrea graduated from Suffolk University in 2017 with her M.Ed in Higher Education. She also studied as a part-time student in the Human Development and Education program at HGSE and graduated with her master's in 2023.

Andrea loves to travel and has spent time living and teaching English abroad in both Spain and Costa Rica. Her favorite trips have included visiting her family members in Italy and Vietnam. Besides traveling, Andrea loves taking long walks with her golden retriever named Lucy.

Andrea's primary responsibilities within OSA include working with students to build community, advocating on behalf of international students, collaborating with the Harvard International Office on issues related to visas, and general student support.  Andrea also serves as a Title IX Coordinator for students.

Rilda Kissel, Associate Director for Student Support Services

Rilda began her career in Higher Education at Boston University where she also earned a Masters in Higher Education Administration. She served in several student support roles at the Boston University School of Social Work and Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences before joining HGSE in 2011. She served as the Program Administrator and Assistant Director for the TIE, L&T, and LDIT programs for the past twelve years. In this role she supported students in each cohort through academic advising, event planning, programmatic support, and community building. She is also trained as a storytelling coach and has been involved in the HGSE storytelling program, Double Take, since 2016.

Rilda lives nearby with her two school age children, her husband, and her chocolate lab Frank. She enjoys running and spending time in the woods near her home with her family. She also really enjoys reading, but sometimes opts to just watch tv instead.

Her responsibilities include supporting student through personal and academic challenges as well as creating programming that enables a supportive and inclusive environment focused on student well being.

Brooke Huynh, Assistant Director for Accessibility Services

Brooke has worked at both public and private institutions and is passionate about social justice, equity and inclusion in higher education. She graduated from the University of Rhode Island where she earned a Masters in Human Development and Family Studies with a College Student Personnel Focus. Most recently, she has worked at Roxbury Community College, where she worked as the Coordinator of Student Accessibility Services for three years. She is a part of the College Student Educators International (ACPA)’s Commission for Social Justice Education and has written a book chapter in the book entitled “In No Ways Tired: The Journey for Professionals of Color in Student Affairs.”

In her free time, she plays rugby with a local team in Rhode Island. She also loves cats, Taylor Swift, and coffee from the local coffee shops in Boston.

Brooke’s responsibilities include supporting students with disabilities, providing accommodations, accessibility related programming and outreach, and ensuring that all programs and opportunities are accessible and inclusive.

Crystal Quintanilla, Senior Student Affairs Administrator

Crystal joined the Office of Student Affairs team in 2021. Before HGSE, Crystal worked at the MIT Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, where she supported two senior faculty, their labs, and biomedical innovation programs.  Crystal earned a Master of Arts in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University in 2016. The focus of her ethnographic research project at Lesley was on identity transformation in Salvadoran immigrants living in the Boston area.

In her free time, Crystal volunteers with Enroot, a Cambridge-based non-profit dedicated to empowering immigrant students in high school and college through mentoring and tutoring. Whether it is through travel or gaming, Crystal welcomes adventure. She enjoys exploring the many wonderful hiking trails New England has to offer.

Crystal's primary responsibilities include finance management, overseeing department communications, and supporting student organizations. She also serves as the housing resource and information coordinator.

Janet Ross, Student Affairs Coordinator, Access and Disability Services. 

Janet has an M.Ed. in elementary education from UMass-Amherst, a teaching license in elementary and music education, and experience teaching second grade, children’s choir, and piano. For sixteen years before joining the HGSE community in 2023, she was the Admission and Licensure Coordinator for the renowned Shady Hill School Teacher Training Center, the first teacher residency program in the US, which partners with universities and the state to offer master’s degrees and licensure in a variety of areas.

Also a professional classical musician, Janet has two undergraduate degrees and an M.Mus. in piano performance all from Indiana University where she was named Chancellor’s Scholar in recognition of her academic achievement and service to the school. She now works as a soprano, singing regularly with the Handel and Haydn Society, Emmanuel Music, and myriad other organizations as both ensemble member and soloist.

Janet’s focus in OSA is student support through academic coaching, disability accommodations, and community-wide wellness events.

Annie Lewis, Program Coordinator, International Student Experience

Annie first became part of the HGSE community in 2021 while pursuing an Ed.M. in Human Development and Education and concentration in Global, International, and Comparative Education. Before joining the Office of Student Affairs, Annie worked in education research at HGSE and student programs at the Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS) in Seattle. As a 2018-2019 Bonderman Fellow, she traveled across 12 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East to explore how the U.S. education system can better create student-centered programs that holistically meet the needs of learners. Annie holds a Master of Education degree from HGSE and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and English from the University of Washington.

True to her Pacific Northwest roots, Annie spends much of her free time outdoors and enjoys hiking, running, swimming, and exploring parks around Boston. She also loves to solo travel, write, and explore topics in psychology and the social sciences.

Annie’s primary responsibilities include working with international students to create events and programs that enhance students’ academic, social, and professional experiences at HGSE.

Indra Acharya, Academic Coach

Indra was born and raised in a Bhutanese refugee camp in Nepal, where his family sought refuge from ethnic cleansing. As a child in exile, he led several advocacy and leadership initiatives focused on children's and human rights, and educational opportunities, starting at the age of five. Indra resettled in Vermont in 2012 and has since been involved in various local, statewide, and national policy and advocacy initiatives. He completed his higher education at Georgetown University (BA) and Harvard GSE (M.Ed.).

Currently, Indra serves as a Co-Director of the HRSA Rural Behavioral Health Workforce Centers grant. Previously, he designed and implemented various statewide programs and projects, such as the Covid Equity Fund for Vermonters without documentation (Vermont Community Foundation), engagement and empowerment of low-income individuals on climate justice (Community Action Partnership agencies), BIPOC outreach for state budget priorities (Fund Vermont’s Future campaign), and as an Integrator for Vermont Community Health Equity Partnership grant in central Vermont (THRIVE). Indra also serves as a consultant, coach, and facilitator for various non-profit and for-profit organizations, political campaigns, and educational institutions on policy, strategy, community engagement, and DEIB initiatives at the local and national level. He is currently a board member of ACLU-Vermont and a public engagement consultant/facilitator at the Vermont Climate Council.

Indra describes himself as a "troublemaker" and enjoys exploring nature.

Samuel Odamah, Academic Coach