Prior to joining the Luce Foundation in 2015, Sean served as President of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. During his tenure, the University developed and introduced an innovative interdisciplinary curriculum, launched a number of new degrees, and established a program for creative entrepreneurs. Before moving to Philadelphia, Sean was a senior administrator at Harvard University, initially overseeing inter-faculty initiatives in neuroscience, health policy and environmental studies on behalf of the Provost, and then managing Harvard's arts and culture activities as Associate Provost. Sean received the A.B. summa cum laude from Harvard College, and an M.A. in American Culture from the University of Michigan.
Born and raised in Rome, NY, Mina studied theater at Buffalo State College before joining the Foundation staff in 1991. She served twenty years as executive assistant to the President, before being named Grants Administrator in 2013.
Terry previously worked as a curator at the Brooklyn Museum from 1985 to 2015, overseeing the American Art collections from 2005 to 2015 as Andrew W. Mellon Curator of American Art. She was principal author of American Paintings in the Brooklyn Museum: Artists Born by 1876, winner of the College Art Association's Alfred H. Barr Prize, and project director for the innovative collection installation American Identities: A New Look (2001). Terry's curatorial projects included the exhibitions Eastman Johnson: Painting America; Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties; John Singer Sargent Watercolors; and Witness: Art and Civil Rights in the Sixties. She was the 2014 recipient of the Lawrence A. Fleischman Award for Scholarly Excellence in the Field of American Art, presented by the Smithsonian Institution's Archive of American Art. Terry completed her graduate work at the University of Delaware (M.A.) and the CUNY Graduate Center (Ph.D.).
Fiona Carter-Tod holds a BS in Biology from the University of Richmond, where she also double majored in Leadership Studies. At her core, she is a researcher interested in the intersection of biological research and health equity. As a 2021–2022 Luce Scholar based in Colombo, Sri Lanka she worked as an independent researcher for the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA). During her time with CEPA she completed a project that investigated the role of community organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka. Currently, she works as the Luce Scholars Fellow and Presidential Fellow at the Henry Luce Foundation. In this role she is continuing to fortify her professional connections across Asia through assisting with all aspects of the Luce Scholars Program.
Tati Cosper (she/her/they/them) is the program assistant for the Religion & Theology and Indigenous Knowledge programs at the Henry Luce Foundation. Tati is an enrolled citizen of the Mvskoke Nation and is a second-generation German American. They were born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, and holds a BA in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Kansas.
Tati moved to New York City in 2019 to begin their career volunteering for local non-profit organizations with the AmeriCorps Program. Through AmeriCorps, Tati learned to uplift funding resources through development and grant support for organizations like the Queer Detainee Empowerment Project. Before working with the Henry Luce Foundation, Tati worked with the Urban Indigenous Collective providing development support to increase wellness and educational resources for local Indigenous communities.
As the Foundation’s first-ever director of human resources, Denise Dalton works with senior leadership to help build the right infrastructure for an evolving, growing, and diverse organization. Denise joined the Foundation in December 2021 and brings extensive human resources subject matter expertise and hands-on experience leading workplace culture development at major non-profits and philanthropic organizations to the position.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Denise most notably served as the director of human resources strategy at Trinity Church Wall Street and director of people and culture for the Vera Institute of Justice, Inc. She has also held human resources leadership roles at The Fortune Society, Inc. and the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services and has provided pro bono technical assistance to a range of nonprofit service groups including Just Futures, the Council on Foundation’s Alliance for Men and Boys of Color, and the Center for NuLeadership on Human Justice and Healing.
Prior to joining the Luce Foundation, Sarah was the administrative assistant for the PCLB Foundation, managing their office space and providing support for their grant cycle. She was also previously a research assistant at the New School and in the law firm of Paul Weiss. Sarah earned a master’s degree from the New School in Politics, focusing on Global Environmental Politics, and she earned her bachelor’s degree at Penn State University in International Relations with a minor in Environmental Inquiry.
Connie Desimini is the grants assistant for the Henry Luce Foundation. She previously worked as the grants/scholarship administrator and office manager at the Westchester Community Foundation, which is a division of the New York Community Trust. Connie holds an associate’s degree in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Pace University in Pleasantville. Connie is a lifelong resident of Westchester County; she grew up in Yonkers and currently resides in Somers, NY.
Michelle Douenias manages all aspects of the Luce Scholars Program and oversees The Asia Foundation grant. She previously worked as program associate and event coordinator for the Luce Scholars Program and prior to that, program assistant for the Luce Scholars and Clare Boothe Luce Programs. Before joining the Luce Foundation in 1990, she worked as a jewelry designer and briefly taught K–12th grade art. She holds a B.A. and a teaching certificate in fine arts from Ohio Wesleyan University. Among other various volunteer positions in the Morris School District and local community, Michelle served on the Board of Trustees of the Morris Educational Foundation from 2013-2019.
Jackie Edwards is currently a doctoral student in Art History at the CUNY Graduate Center. Prior to beginning her studies at CUNY, she was Assistant Curator at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, TX, where she co-curated Transamerica/n: Gender, Identity, Appearance Today, which was organized with Luce Foundation support, and other exhibition projects as wide-ranging as Dario Robleto: Ancient Beacons Long for Notice and To See is to Have: Discovering Today's Art Ecosystem. Prior to her tenure at the McNay, she completed an MA in Art History and Criticism at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and a BA at Fordham University, where she was an Honors Program double major in Art History and Theology.
Angelica Farias is the executive assistant to the president and CEO. Prior to joining the Foundation, she worked in private banking as an associate, and most recently at the Anheuser-Busch corporate offices supporting V- and C-level management.
Angelica was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, and has lived in New York City since 2005. She holds a BA in liberal arts from Brazil and a BBA in entrepreneurship from Baruch College.
Raymond joined the Foundation in April 2023 as the Foundation’s inaugural program director for the Indigenous Knowledge Initiative. Prior to joining the Foundation, Raymond served as vice president for First Nations Development Institute, a national Native-led organization that works with Native American communities on community and economic development.
Raymond holds a PhD in political science from the University of Colorado at Boulder and has an extensive research background focused on Indigenous politics, democracy and social development in the U.S. and Latin America. In 2021-2022 he served as a visiting scholar in the political science department at the University of New Mexico. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, the American Political Science Association and the Women’s Foundation of Colorado.
Aida Gureghian is the program director for leadership at the Henry Luce Foundation. She previously served as the assistant dean for professional development at the Graduate School of Arts and Science at New York University, where she designed and implemented innovative programming to cultivate leadership and public engagement skills. Aida also served as the assistant dean for students at NYU, where she launched several pathway programs for underrepresented students. Prior to pursuing a career in higher education administration, she taught history at the University of Pennsylvania and Brooklyn College. Aida earned her bachelor's degree in history from UCLA, her MPhil from Oxford University, and her PhD in history from the University of Pennsylvania.
Helena Kolenda joined the Henry Luce Foundation’s Asia Program in 1998, serving as program officer prior to her appointment as Program Director in 2008. Ms. Kolenda holds a BA in Chinese Language and Literature from the University of California, Berkeley (1980) and a JD from the University of Texas School of Law (1989). Between 1981 and 1996, she spent a decade in China, working first as an English teacher with Volunteers in Asia and later as an attorney with the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. She is chair of the Harvard-Yenching Institute and a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the National Committee on United States-China Relations.
Yuting was born and raised in China, and holds a BA in International Studies and a MA in Comparative Politics from Peking University. In 2016 she received her PhD in Political Science from the University of Washington, Seattle. Her academic focus is the study of political economy and social welfare, especially public housing in China. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2017, Yuting devoted herself to women in philanthropy and early childhood education.
Linsey Ly is Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow at the Henry Luce Foundation where she works on the Democracy, Ethics, and Public Trust initiative and supports the AAPI and Indigenous Knowledge portfolios. Prior to joining the Foundation, she received her PhD in Cultural Anthropology from The Graduate Center, City University of New York after completing research for her dissertation, “Spectral Urbanism: Modern Ghost Cities, Rare Earths, and Political Time at the Limits of Materialism.” Linsey was formerly program administrator for the Committee on Globalization and Social Change (Grad Center, CUNY), a fellow with the Academy of Global Humanities and Critical Theory at the University of Bologna, and a member of the experimental research methods collaborative, Topographers of Absence. She has publications in Cultural Anthropology (2020) and the forthcoming edited volumes, Imagining the Unseen and Finance Capital and The Ghosts of Empire. From 2015 to 2019 she taught in the anthropology department and Asian American Studies program at Hunter College, CUNY.
Brian F. Murphy is the Foundation’s vice president and chief financial officer. Prior to joining the Foundation, he served as senior vice president for finance and administration at Bennington College. During his time at the Vermont-based liberal arts college, he restructured its debt to obtain more favorable terms and to secure funding for a $25 million renovation of a historic building in the heart of campus. Brian also held the positions of chief financial officer and chief operating officer at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) during a period of high growth in enrollment and programs. Earlier in his career, Brian practiced as a CPA and consultant with KPMG. Brian earned his MBA at the University of Chicago and did his undergraduate studies at Florida State University, where he graduated summa cum laude.
Carrie A. Ortiz joined the Henry Luce Foundation in 2000, where she served as finance and administration manager prior to her appointment as office and special events coordinator in 2022. Carrie is a volunteer at The Art School at Old Church in Demarest, NJ, where she serves as board president.
A Bronx, NY native, Beni earned a BS in Sociology and an MSW from Fordham University. Prior to joining the Luce Foundation in 2010, Beni served as a project manager and a survey analyst.
Kimberly A. Scott is professor of women and gender studies in the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University and the founding executive director of ASU’s Center for Gender Equity in Science and Technology (CGEST). Founded by Kimberly, the Center is a one-of-a-kind research unit focused on exploring, identifying, and creating innovative scholarship about underrepresented women and girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Center projects include the National Science Foundation-funded COMPUGIRLS; U.S. Department of Education-funded COMPUPOWER; Gates-funded project on African American Families and Technology Use; and NSF-funded Culturally Responsive Co-Robotics Program. Kimberly is also an affiliate faculty in George Mason University’s Center for Digital Media Innovation and Diversity located in Fairfax, Virginia.
Kimberly has raised millions in grant funding to support research about and programs for women and girls of color in STEM. In 2022, she was named the Inaugural ASU Foundation Faculty Fellow focused on increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion opportunities in philanthropy, and expanding faculty involvement in philanthropy. She is the 2022 Recipient of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Distinguished Contributions to Gender Equity in Education Research Award. In 2018, she was invited to join the National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM Education Advisory Panel created to encourage U.S. scientific and technological innovations in education in consultation with the U.S. Department of Education, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Kimberly is the author of four books, including her latest, COMPUGIRLS: How Girls of Color Find and Define Themselves in the Digital Age (2021). She earned her BA from Smith College in art history and French literature, an MS from Long Island University in curriculum and instruction/elementary education and her EdD from Rutgers University in social and philosophical foundations of education and completed the high potentials leadership program at Harvard Business School.
Luke Selenow is a program assistant for the Office of the President at the Henry Luce Foundation.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Luke worked as a program assistant for the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) where he helped launch the Mercury Project, a research initiative focused on improving vaccine uptake and creating healthier information environments. Luke earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from George Washington University. During his time at George Washington, Luke was a legislative intern for Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer’s Office and a small business/economic development intern for Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer’s Office.
Dr. Mariko Silver is the president and CEO of the Henry Luce Foundation. She was previously the president of Bennington College. During the Obama administration, she served for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as Acting Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Policy. Dr. Silver also served for Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as the Policy Advisor for Economic Development, Innovation, and Higher Education. Prior to her government service, Dr. Silver was instrumental in the transformation and expansion of Arizona State University, leading teams in economic development policy and metrics, science, technology and innovation policy, state K-12 and higher education policy, sustainability science, and global health. Dr. Silver is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She holds a Ph.D. in Economic Geography from UCLA; MSc, Science and Technology Policy from SPRU, University of Sussex (UK) and B.A., History from Yale University.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Jonathan was the founding director of the religion and the public sphere program at the Social Science Research Council, where he developed and directed a range of grant-funded projects, launched a suite of experimental digital publishing platforms, served as acting director of communications, and worked to incubate a new initiative on knowledge and culture in a digital age. Jonathan is co-editor of a series of books on secularism and religion, including Habermas and Religion (Polity), Rethinking Secularism (Oxford), The Post-Secular in Question (NYU), The Power of Religion in the Public Sphere (Columbia), and Varieties of Secularism in a Secular Age (Harvard). Originally trained as a philosopher, he received his PhD in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Cybele Verzosa Chen is currently the staff accountant for the Henry Luce Foundation, where she also manages matching and discretionary grants. She was born and raised in the Philippines and has lived in New York City since 2009. Cybele holds a BS in business administration from Baruch College.
Edna graduated from Baruch College with a B.B.A in Accounting and a minor in Psychology. She earned her M.S. in Accounting and Taxation from the University of Hartford. Edna is one of the founding members of Delta Sigma Pi, a business fraternity that was established in October 2010. Prior to joining the Luce Foundation, she served as a staff accountant at a public accounting firm where she specialized in non-profit clients. She is a licensed CPA in New York.
Staff Emeritus
Michael was elected president of the Henry Luce Foundation in December 2002, having been Program Director for Theology since 1998. He previously served at the Association of Theological Schools (ATS); as Academic Dean of the Pontifical College Josephinum; and as teacher and administrator in the Catholic Diocese of Columbus. He received a B.A. from Duke University and a M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of Virginia. He is chairman of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, and serves on the board of the Council of Independent Colleges.