Program Staff
Dr. Evan Daniel
Faculty Director
Email: evan.daniel@qc.cuny.edu
Dr. Daniel started as faculty director for the First Year Experience Program in Fall 2023. He has been an instructor (CCE) affiliated with the Percy E. Sutton SEEK Program and the Department of History since 2010. His primary research interests are the social and intellectual history of working people in the United States and he is currently writing a historical monograph on cotton mill workers in Southern Appalachia. Prior to teaching, Dr. Daniel was an archivist with the Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives at New York University and a researcher at the Emma Goldman History Papers Project at the University of California, Berkeley.
Professor Jorge Ivan Velez
Assistant Director
Email: jorge.velez@qc.cuny.edu
Professor Velez is an educator interested in promoting equity by making relevant the everyday lived experiences of students as to encourage self-advocacy. Especially for new students, teaching them how to advocate for themselves is a skill that will help them succeed not only in college, but in every walk of life. When not working at FYE, you can find them emphasizing the understated value of a pre-chorus or looking for zany instances of humor in the minutiae of everyday interactions.
Elisheva Conway
Peer Program Coordinator
Email: elisheva.conway@qc.cuny.edu
Elisheva Conway is a recent graduate of Queens College with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She’s passionate about helping students feel confident and connected as they transition into Queens College. She loves working with peer mentors and believes that students can use their own first-year experiences to support others and grow as leaders. When she’s not working at FYE, you’ll find her watching Netflix, reading, or enjoying an acai bowl.
Peer Coordinators
Simran Parkash
Simran Parkash is recent graduate in the Scholars Program. She majored in Computer Science with a minor in Cities and Social Medicine. She enjoys helping people and learning new things in the process. Aside from FYE, she works in the NYCDOE as a paraprofessional. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, reading, and traveling.
Major: Computer Science Minor: Cities and Social Medicine
Kelisha Prophete
Kelisha is a junior majoring in English with an interest in media studies. She enjoys helping people succeed. Outside of FYE, Kelisha is an admin for the Student Film Production Team. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, doing self care, reading, writing, and art.
Major: English
Nel Ortiz
Nel is currently a senior studying Psychology and Data Analytics, pursuing a career in Behavior Analysis. She arrived to Queens College as a transfer student, and is passionate about supporting other students comfortably adjust to a new environment. In her free time, Nel enjoys visiting museums and listening to podcasts.
Major: Psychology Minor: Data Analytics
