Diana Mendez (She/Her/Ella) is the Director of Workplace Engagement and Experience at NYU within the Global Enrollment Management and Student Success division. Previously, Dianna was the Associate Director of the Breakthrough Scholars Leadership Program at the NYU Stern School of Business. She holds an MA degree in Mental Health Counseling from NYU, a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Rutgers University, and is currently completing an MS degree in Human Resources Management, also from NYU. Diana was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia, and is fluent in Spanish. Her experiences as an immigrant Latina and first-generation college student have shaped her lens as a student affairs professional for over 10 years. In her current role at NYU Stern, Diana oversees a leadership development program for undergraduate Scholars in business fields from underrepresented backgrounds. Previously, Diana worked at the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development as a Senior Assistant Director/Manager, overseeing student employment training and development, DEI programming and employer engagement for STEM students, and also offering inclusive career coaching to students and alumni of all majors. Diana has effectively managed large internship programs, student diversity initiatives, staff hiring and onboarding strategies, and early college engagement efforts at different institutions in NJ and NY. An avid traveler and supporter of global experiential learning, she has served as a staff advisor for student cohorts in Italy and the Dominican Republic.

Outside of her daily work, Diana strives to contribute to the higher education field by serving in leadership positions at different professional organizations. Diana has presented at regional and national conferences on the topics of implicit bias in the student employment hiring process, leadership development for student employees, and staff mentorship programs as a DEI/retention tool. Her work and articles related to inclusive staff mentorship programs, service learning in career development, and the need for DEI as a higher ed business model have been published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) magazine, blog, and journal. In her personal life, Diana enjoys extensive travel, community service, Broadway shows, puppies, and spending time with her loved ones.