Senior Cabinet
Alfred Bloom, Vice Chancellor
Bloom oversees all academic, administrative, and operational affairs.
Bloom joined NYU Abu Dhabi from Swarthmore College, after an 18-year tenure as president. Prior to assuming the presidency at Swarthmore, he served as executive vice president of Pitzer College in Claremont, California. Previously, he was vice president of Academic Affairs and dean of faculty at Pitzer. He was appointed as assistant professor of Psychology and Linguistics at Swarthmore in 1974, and named associate provost there in 1985.
Bloom graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1967. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1974, and holds honorary doctorates from the University of Richmond and Swarthmore College.
Fabio Piano, Provost
Piano serves as NYU Abu Dhabi’s chief academic officer, setting the University's academic strategy and priorities, and overseeing academic appointments and faculty affairs. Long before his appointment as provost, Piano was instrumental in developing and advancing NYU Abu Dhabi, helping to craft its innovative undergraduate science curriculum, as well as its distinctive research program. Piano is the director of NYU’s Center for Genomics and Systems Biology in New York.
Piano leads an active research program in genomics and systems biology and has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels at NYU New York. Prior to serving as a faculty member in Biology at NYU, Piano was a Damon Runyon Cancer Research Fellow at Cornell University, where he studied early embryo development and evolutionary biology.
Piano holds a Laurea from the University of Florence and a Ph.D. in Biology from NYU, where he also received his B.A., M.S., and M.Phil.
Julie Avina, Associate Vice Chancellor, Campus Life & Dean of Students
Avina oversees all aspects of student life, including academic advisement and residential life, and shares responsibility for student health, public safety, food services, athletics, and recreation.
Also the executive director of Opportunity Programs for NYU New York's Office of the Provost, Avina has held several positions at NYU New York's College of Arts and Science since 2005, including associate director of the College Advising Center, director of the Academic Achievement Program, and program associate for the Martin Luther King Scholars.
She received a B.S. in Human Development from Warner Pacific College in Portland, Oregon, and a Doctorate of Education/Health Education from the Teachers College of Columbia University.
Ballon serves as the principal representative of NYU Abu Dhabi in New York, working to ensure a strong connection between the two campuses. In addition, Ballon also focuses on curriculum development, and planning the new NYU Abu Dhabi campus on Saadiyat Island and other facilities. Ballon is a University Professor, and a professor of Architecture and Urban Studies at NYU's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
She received a B.A. from Princeton University and a Ph.D. from M.I.T.
Carol Brandt, Associate Vice Chancellor, Global Education and Outreach & Vice Provost
Brandt plays a central role in shaping and implementing NYU Abu Dhabi's commitment to global education and the institution's connections to Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
Brandt joined NYU Abu Dhabi from Pitzer College, where she most recently held the position of vice president for International Programs and Fellowships. Previously, Brandt served as Pitzer's associate vice president of International Programs, director of the program in American College English, and director of Special Programs. She was also a senior lecturer in Modern Languages, Literature, and Culture.
Brandt received a B.A. and an M.A. in Linguistics from California State University Fresno.
Peter Christensen, Associate Vice Chancellor, Finance & Planning
Christensen is responsible for NYUAD's overall resource management, providing the leadership, vision, strategy, and facilitation for resource allocation and for the financial infrastructure that supports the teaching, learning, and research mission of the faculty, staff, and students.
He is also responsible for working with areas across the institution in guiding the development of NYUAD's short- and long-term strategic and operational plans.
Christensen received a B.S. in Economics and Accounting from Gonzaga University, and an M.S. in Computer Information Technology from Regis University.
Linda Mills, Associate Vice Chancellor, Admissions and Financial Aid
Mills is responsible for student recruitment and financial aid for NYU Abu Dhabi. Mills will continue as NYU’s senior vice provost for undergraduates in the global network university and as professor of Social Work, Public Policy, and Law, with teaching appointments at the School of Law, Silver School of Social Work, and Tisch School of the Arts. Mills is also executive director of the NYU Center on Violence and Recovery. Mills received a B.A. from the University of California, Irvine; a J.D. from the University of California, Hasting College of Law; an M.S.W. from San Francisco State University; and a Ph.D. in Health Policy from Brandeis University.
Ron Robin, Senior Vice Provost
Robin plays a leading role in the recruitment of NYU Abu Dhabi faculty worldwide, and has responsibility for additional critical elements of the academic enterprise. He also serves as NYU’s senior vice provost for Planning.
Robin is a professor of Media, Culture, and Communication at NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, where he was previously associate dean for Academic Affairs. Prior to joining NYU, Robin taught US history and communication theory at the University of Haifa, Israel, where he also served for five years as dean of students.
Robin received a B.A. from the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in history from the University of California, Berkeley.
Sunil Khambaswadkar, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Human Resources
Khambaswadkar heads the human resource function for NYU Abu Dhabi. Khambaswadkar brings to NYUAD over 30 years of global experience in human capital leadership in both higher-education and corporate sectors. Prior to taking on this role in October 2008, Khambaswadkar had served in senior leadership capacities in diverse international locations and organizations. He is a Certified Human Resources Professional from the Human Resources Professionals Association of Canada.
Josh Taylor, Associate Vice Chancellor, Public Affairs and Community Relations
Taylor is responsible for ensuring that NYU Abu Dhabi's mission, goals, and image are effectively communicated to both external and internal audiences. He serves as the school's primary spokesperson; manages its communications, marketing, and special events functions; and helps lead NYUAD's community engagement efforts. Taylor also works with the vice chancellor on issues of strategic importance to the NYUAD community.
Taylor served in a number of capacities at NYU New York, including deputy director of Public Affairs and director of Web Communications. He also held the position of vice president of Communications at Teach For America, and worked in new media for companies including CBS Interactive and Microsoft.
He received a B.A. in Political Science from Columbia University.