Meet the Team

Arlete Perez Paez

Arlete Perez Paez, grew up in Mexico City and emigrated to the United States in 1991. She has worked in several administrative positions at Sacred Heart University since 2006, including advising part-time students enrolled in University College and, currently as Assistant Director of Community Engagement. In this position, she is responsible for student-led volunteer programming, the organization of international student immersion trips, and various community focused student service programs. Arlete brings with her a long-standing passion for global citizenship, social justice, and student development. She received a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Sacred Heart University, both of which reinforced her desire to promote and support community partnerships.

Renée Delahaye

Renée Delahaye is a dedicated professional in healthcare education and has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to shaping the next generation of healthcare providers. Renowned for her dynamic leadership and visionary approach, Renée has played a pivotal role in advancing the clinical education curriculum at Sacred Heart. Renée is a passionate advocate for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) initiatives in healthcare. Recognizing the importance of cultivating a diverse and inclusive healthcare workforce, she actively integrates JEDI principles into the PA program, fostering an environment where students learn to address healthcare disparities and advocate for equitable patient care.

MaryAnne Turner

Maryanne began her career in higher education working in the Admissions Office at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston. While there, she earned a master’s degree in College Student Development & Counseling from Northeastern University. After working for several years in MCPHS’s Academic Support Services, Maryanne moved to Plymouth, New Hampshire where I worked as an Academic Advising Coordinator in the Elementary & Early Education Department at Plymouth State University. Currently, she is an Academic Advisor for the First Professional Degree Program at the Davis & Henley College of Nursing.

Sasha Aaronson

Sasha Aaronson is an anti-racist social worker whose teaching, and research are informed by a critical approach. She has had a 10+ year career in higher education, teaching as an adjunct at many universities around the country, at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and both online and in person. Sasha has served as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work at Sacred University in the online Master's in Social Work Program since 2018 where she also serves as the Adjunct Coordinator and Chair of the Education Review Process Committee and a member of the Curriculum, Student Support and Admissions Committees. Prior to her transition to academia, Sasha worked in various clinical and non-clinical capacities within the child welfare system, as a school social worker, as an Americorps Program Director focused on school-based interventions and capacity building in high-need public schools, and as a clinical program director. She holds a master's in social work and a master's in public administration. Sasha’s research interests include social work ethics, sexuality, masculinity and colonialism in Jamaica, the impact of social-emotional learning on school success and secondary traumatic stress in school social workers.

Deirdra Preis

Deidra Preis has worked as an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Sacred Heart University since 2019, teaching courses in transformative leadership and social justice in her department’s 092 certification, sixth-year and doctoral programs. A retired K-12 educator, she served for over 33 years in various CT public schools in both teaching and administrative roles. Deidra is a K-12 consultant who provides professional development to teachers and administrators and supports their efforts to address systemic barriers to opportunity for their students; she also enjoys training and supporting youth social justice activists. Deidra’s main research focus is the preparation of school leaders who will work to ensure equitable educational access for all students and meet the needs of our schools’ increasingly diverse student and family populations. She earned her doctorate in educational leadership from Northeastern University and has presented her work at Oxford, Harvard and other K-12 and higher education institutions in the U.S. and abroad.

Gregory Madrid

Gregory Madrid has worked in Residential Life at Sacred Heart University since 2011. Currently, the Director of Residential Life oversees 3,600 students in 12 residential areas. Gregory previously worked at several institutions in New England including, American International College, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Western New England University, and Quinnipiac University. He graduated from Western New England University with a degree in business administration and earned his master’s in organizational leadership from Quinnipiac.

Ashley Nechaev

Ashley Freeman (Nechaev) is Executive Director of Horizons at Sacred Heart University (HSHU). Ashley has been with Horizons programs for over 15 years and left her teaching position in Bridgeport to join the HSHU team in 2019. Ashley champions culturally inclusive teaching practices and integrates diversity, equity, and inclusion at HSHU. She holds degrees from Franklin and Marshall College, Fairfield University, and Southern Connecticut State University, and is actively pursuing an EdD at Sacred Heart University. Ashley writes curricula, recruits staff, orchestrates professional learning initiatives, handles assessments, collaborates with the board, and manages the budget. Her research focuses on the decolonization of schools, operationalizing SEL, educational neuroscience, and antiracist practice.

Cynthia O’Sullivan

Cynthia O'Sullivan is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Global Nursing Programs in the Dr. Susan L. Davis, RN, and Richard J. Henley College of Nursing. Cynthia’s background spans from acute and critical care earlier in her career to primary care as a family nurse practitioner and nursing education. She is involved in several projects and grants in the college intended to increase financial support to undergraduate and graduate students in need, educating students about social determinants of health, recruiting students and faculty from historically underrepresented groups into SHU's nursing programs, and fostering an environment where all feel respected and valued.