Our Faculty & Staff

Lafiya Watson Ramirez is a multidisciplinary artist, web and mixed reality developer, and graphic designer. She began working for Usdan in 2011. Formerly Usdan's Marketing and Communications Coordinator she now brings her talents to Usdan as a consultant. Her work has been used for Vandoren, BET, NPR.org, and countless other publications, websites, and album covers. She has recently begun to pivot to creating Augmented Reality experiences. At the beginning of 2020, she was accepted for the MIT Reality Hackathon and spend a week working with a team to build an AR experience using Nreal glasses. In October 2020, she was chosen for a Snapchat residency and created an AR game based on the game Simon Says. Lafiya continues to work in the realm of Immersive Design focusing on using AR for storytelling in her own work and beyond. 

Courtney Kassinger has spent her summers at Usdan since 2002 when she first attended as a student. She has served as Discovery counselor, transportation staff, and is now Transportation Manager. Courtney is a teacher (and proud alum!) at Harborfields Central School District, teaching band, chorus, and music, as well as director of the annual Variety Show. She is a member of SCMEA and NAfME.

Jillian Greenberg is an artist and educator, and Usdan’s Director of Education. Prior to joining Usdan, Jillian managed Studio In A School’s Artist Residency Program. She has taught visual art in schools, organizations, and museums across New York City. Jillian holds a Master’s in Art Education from Teachers College at Columbia University and an M.F.A. from the Chelsea College of Art and Design in London.

Olivia joined Usdan’s full time staff in 2017. Formerly Usdan's Admissions Counselor and then Enrollment Coordinator, she now brings her knowledge of Usdan's program and enrollment process to her role of Manager of Marketing & Communications. Raised by a professional muralist and actor, Olivia was exposed to the life-changing power of art making and creativity at a young age. While her expertise lies in administration, Olivia’s personal art making practice includes mixed media collage and cooking. Olivia holds a B.A. in Urban Studies from The New School and has worked for arts and culture organizations in the New York City region since 2011.

Stella Shepherd is originally from London, United Kingdom. She moved to New York to study Musical Theater and graduated from The New School with a BFA in Musical Theater and Liberal Arts. Prior to working at Usdan, Stella worked at a few non-profit Off-Broadway Theater Companies in their Fundraising departments. At Usdan she is the Donor Relations Coordinator and loves visiting the studios in the summer whenever possible. 

Joe Levy joined Usdan’s team in 2021 bringing with him 30 years experience managing, building, and renovating cultural arts organizations, overseeing multi-million dollar operating budgets, extensive physical plant operations, multi-phased construction projects, and safety and security.

Joe’s professional experience includes leading operations and facilities at The National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Harlem’s World Famous Apollo Theater, Kaufman Center, Jack Morton Worldwide, The Public Theatre/New York Shakespeare Festival, and the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. Levy was also owner and operator of Radiant Construction; a contracting, construction management, and capital project consultancy committed to green-building practices.

Levy is the current chair of the Venue Safety and Security Committee for IAVM, which serves over 7,000 members worldwide. He received the Chair’s Citation at the 2017 annual IAVM conference and his Certified Venue Executive designation in 2018.

Stephen joined the year-round Usdan staff in April of 2021. He has 30 years experience in construction and maintenance; from the Rebirth of lower Harlem, as a project manager, to a classically trained "chippie" (carpenter) in London England. Stephen is the father of two young men, the eldest of which is a Usdan alum.

After attending Usdan as a student, Zach joined the staff in 2017 and has served in Administration and the Music Department. Zach is a multi-instrumentalist, primarily focusing on Saxophone and Clarinet. Zach's favorite styles to perform include Jazz, Rock, and Classical and he regularly performs with Jazz Ensembles and Pit Orchestras. During the school year, Zach is the director of bands at Lynbrook North Middle School in the Lynbrook School District. Zach holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education and a Master of Arts in Education with Honors from the Hostra University Honors College. Zach is an avid distance runner. 

Jodie Embleton is a visual arts educator who has dedicated her career to bringing art education back to inner-city students. Beginning as a ceramics assistant and kiln technician at Usdan, to teacher, and now co-chair, she has a true passion for inspiring young people. Following work at the Neuberger Museum of Art, Jodie currently teaches visual art in the Copiague School District and co-chairs Usdan’s Art Department.

Amalia Drewes is a Mixed Media Artist, a lover of nature, and a spiritual explorer. Amalia graduated from Parsons School of Design, The New School in 2015 with a BFA in Illustration. Over the last few years Amalia has continued to add new creations to her portfolio, operating as a freelancer and graphic designer and one of her biggest joys was becoming a teacher of Reggio and nature-based learning at Spark Elementary. Amalia started online teaching Mixed Media Exploration at Usdan in 2020 and also had the pleasure of attending camp as a young girl, starting when she was in 3rd grade. Her summers at Usdan were some of the best memories of her life. She is very excited to be on the campgrounds this year and can't wait to see what magic awaits us!

Anna started at Usdan as a Photography teaching assistant and 2021 will mark her first season as a lead teacher in the Art Department. She considers herself an "art nerd" and loves creating things using many different mediums including painting, printmaking, bookmaking, and more. Anna is currently an art teacher at Bay Shore Middle School and has four cats at home. She cannot wait to meet her students this summer. 

Javan Howard is a poet and writer from the Bronx. He believes that the lived experience is the ultimate teaching tool and uses poetry as a social forum to foster discourse about love, culture, and identity. He currently is the Tap lead mentor for Teaching Artist Project at Community-Word Project. He is also a teacher at Teachers & Writers Collaborative. He has also facilitated for The New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Voices UnBroken, The GO Project, and others.  Howard participates in open mic events under the moniker "@RighteousTPoet." His work has been featured online at Black Heart Magazine and Brooklyn Stories Vol. 13. He has read his work at The HBO Shop, The Inspired Word Reading Series, Lamprophonic, The Dead Rabbits Reading Series, and more. Javan joined Usdan's faculty in 2018. For more: www.Javanjhoward.com

Megan Powers is a lifelong Usdanite whose family has been educating at Usdan since the inaugural summer of 1968. She joined the Usdan community as a student in 1996, and since then, has worked as a Counselor in Training and Counselor in the Discovery Department, before proudly stepping into the role of Department Chair in 2017. Megan has her Masters degree in Early Childhood and Childhood Education from Long Island University.

Mark Bligh is the director of the Denton Ave Elementary Band (Herricks UFSD, New Hyde Park, NY) where he teaches winds, brass and percussion for grades 3-5.  The Denton Ave Band regularly attends NYSSMA Majors and consistently earns Gold and Gold with Distinction honors.  

Mark Bligh is a graduate of the Esther Boyer College of Music at Temple University where he received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education with Honors. He received a Master of Arts from Stony Brook University.  Mr. Bligh was published in Scholastic for his contributions in an article entitled, “10 Best Musical Apps for Kids”. Mark has been honored to conduct the Winds, Brass and Percussion sectional for the NYSSMA All-State Symphonic Orchestra.  Mark was privileged to conduct the 2018 SCMEA Division 1 Central All-County Band and the 2019 WCSMA All-County Elementary Band.  Mr. Bligh has performed with the Long Island Wind Ensemble, Atlantic Wind Symphony, Northwinds Symphonic Band as well as various chamber ensembles.  Mark is the current Music Department Chair at Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts where he has worked since 2005.

Alina is excited to join Usdan's Music Department as a faculty member for the first time this summer. Alina is a professional concert pianist and chamber musician best known for her innovative approach to presentation of classical music and superb command of her instrument. Alina has performed in over a dozen countries with venues and collaborations including the Kharkov State Philharmonic and State Opera Theatre Orchestras, The Imperial Valley Symphony Orchestra, the New York Symphonic Ensemble Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, the Morse Recital Hall, the Concerto Takes Manhattan Series at Yamaha Hall, the Smithsonian Museum and Library of Congress. 

Alina has released two albums including “Sonatas” and “Moving Pictures”. She is one of few classical pianists that completed both Bachelor and Master degrees at The Juilliard School of Music on full scholarship; and was also awarded the Fannie Gottlieb-Harkavi Scholarship and Susan Rose Piano Scholarship. Her awards include top prizes in Senigallia International Competition, the Grace Welsh International Competition and the California Young Artist International Competition. Kiryayeva has been honored by Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk, with the State Award for Achievements in Arts. 

In addition to her performing and teaching career, in 2020 she a Doctoral degree from The City University of New York upon completion of research on the relationship between classical and popular music. 

Amanda began teaching at Usdan for the 2018 summer season. Her personal artmaking includes incorporating mixed media and natural objects for collage, photography and altered image making, ceramics, illustration and painting. Art and nature are her true passions and she is so excited to be returning to Usdan this summer! During the rest of the year, Amanda loves teaching elementary art for a local Long Island school and teaches students from kindergarten through fifth grade. She graduated with her master's degree in art education from Adelphi University and has been teaching art since 2009. Amanda loves mint chocolate chip ice cream, her family, and her silly dog Goji! Her son is super excited to be joining the Usdan family this year as a first-time camper.

Carl taught at Usdan from 2003 to 2004, and returned to the Theater Department in 2019. A songwriter and composer, he has written two musicals, several songs and choral works. He has been Music Director for theatrical productions and cabarets across Long Island and NYC; including CAP, Broadhollow, Kids 4 Kids and South Shore Theatre Experience.

Carl has been a music educator for close to 30 years. He is an alumnus of the Crane School of Music and SUNY Stony Brook, with degrees in Music Education. He is a member of NYSSMA, SCMEA, and NAfME. Currently, he is teaching in the Amityville School District

Carl has been conductor of the Silver Chords, a community chorus in Smithtown since 2014. This year, they will celebrate their 40th anniversary season. He is also the Music Director for Setauket United Methodist Church, served as Associate Music Director for L.I. Voices, and has sung with the Brookhaven Choral Festival.

Carl loves to grill outdoors during the summer, and is looking forward to relaxing outside in nature.