Who We Are

Professional Staff

professional headshot of Jennifer Drake-Deese. While woman, straight blonde hair, with glasses, a green top, and a black blazer. She's smiling.
Jennifer Drake-Deese
Jennifer Drake-Deese, Director of Undergraduate Advising

Jennifer Drake-Deese

Director of Undergraduate Advising, Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science

Watson Undergraduate Academic Advising

Pronouns: She/Her

Jen has a Bachelor's degree from Oswego State University in Communications and Russian and a Masters from St. Lawrence University in Counseling and Human Development. Jen has been advising students for over 20 years. As an active member of NACADA , she is passionate about the profession of advising and the positive impact it has on student success.  

Favorite Movie Snack: Popcorn with tons of butter
Favorite Bingeable TV Show: Schitt's Creek and Bridgerton
Dream Vacation: Anywhere in Asia 
Pets: Dog - Wanda and a Cat - Tommy


Professional Headshot of Meghan Crist. A white woman with brown hair and glasses, in a red blazer and a beige turtleneck. She's smiling.
Meghan Crist
Meghan Crist, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Advising

Pronouns: She/Her

Meghan is a Watson College alumnae with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and a master’s degree in Systems Engineering, both from Binghamton University.  She worked as a Systems Engineering for 8 years before becoming an Academic Advisor.  Meghan is an advocate and a mentor for all students and is involved with both the Society of Women Engineers and Girls Who Code on campus.

Favorite Movie Snack: Popcorn with M&Ms mixed in
Favorite Bingeable TV Show: Parks & Rec or The Office
Dream Vacation: National Parks Roadtrip 
Pets: 2 dogs, Chewie and Bindi, big orange cat, Merry, and 5 chickens!
Class Superlative: Most School Spirit


Professional headshot of Shira Clark. A white woman, with brown wavy hair, in a black shirt and a pink blazer. She's smiling.
Shira Clark
Shira Clark, Academic Advisor

Pronouns: She/Her

Shira is a double Binghamton alumni with a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and a master’s degree in Student Affairs Administration. She has worked in various roles at different colleges and has a love for advising students and serving as an advocate for them.

Favorite Movie Snack: Popcorn with cookie dough candy mixed in
Favorite Bingeable TV Show: Friends, Parks & Rec, or The Office 
Dream Vacation: Scotland (going for my honeymoon!)
What Would You Bring to a Potluck: Oreo balls 
Class Superlative: Most likely to brighten your day 


A photo of Rachel Higgins
Rachel Higgins
Rachel Higgins, Academic Advisor

Pronouns: They/She

Rachel  received their Bachelors in Media Studies from UC Berkeley and their Masters in Higher Education: Student Affairs from University of Redlands. They have worked at BU as a Resident Director since 2021, working in the Mountainview, College in the Woods, and Newing communities. They are an out member of the LGBTQ+ community and are an advocate for  students of color and LGBTQ+ students.

Favorite Movie Snack: Popcorn 
Favorite Bingeable TV Show: Abbott Elementary
Dream Vacation: Northern Lights or Jamaica
Class Superlative: Most likely to quietly take over the world


Photo of Tetiana Lockburner
Tetiana Lockburner
Tetiana Lockburner, Administrative Assistant

Pronouns: She/Her or They/Them

Tetiana has worked on campus since 2018, she started in Campus Mail Services. They are an open member of the LGBTQIA+ community, and are passionate about inclusion and labor rights.

Favorite Movie Snack: Raisinets
Favorite Bingeable TV Show: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Dream Vacation: Iceland for the black sand beaches and somewhere in Scandinavia to see the Northern Lights
What Would You Bring to a Potluck: Something to fill a niche the other dishes don't


Peer Advisors

What Are Peer Advisors?

They're engineering and computer science students just like you.

Peer advisers are typically stationed at the front desk as you enter the Watson College Advising Office.

These students have received special training to help you work through the experience of being a Watson College student. They have a deep knowledge of the campus, including our academic support systems, registration processes and policies, and how to navigate academic departments. They also know where to go for answers and will save you time and effort by pointing you in the right direction and making knowledgeable referrals.

From filling out forms to filling up a meal card, they've experienced Watson College from the inside. And if you need to complete a form, they're also helpful in directing you to the correct one to fill your need.

Peer advisers are usually rising juniors or seniors who have already experienced much of what you will go through as a student. They are selected for their strong communications skills, capacity for discretion, diplomacy, and resourcefulness.  

Jaden Keener, Head Peer

Photo of Jaden Keener
Jaden Keener

Pronouns: She/Her

Jaden is a senior studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Sustainable Engineering. This summer she spent 6 weeks in Iceland studying renewable energy and technology, which she is very passionate about. On campus, she's involved in the SWE, Topsoccer and the Binghamton University Bouldering Club (BUBC). In her free time, Jaden loves being outside, hiking, listening to music, and hanging out with friends and family! 


Jayshawn Brown

Photo of Jayshawn Brown
Jayshawn Brown

Pronouns: He/Him

Jayshawn is a senior majoring in Computer Engineering. He's the Treasurer for Binghamton University's Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) as well as the Chief of Staff for the Student Association's Vice President for Student Success (VPSS). This past summer Jayshawn interned at iA in Binghamton as a software development engineer.

Favorite Movie Snack: Popcorn
Favorite Bingeable TV Show: One Piece
Dream Vacation: Paris
What Would You Bring to a Potluck: Mac and Cheese


Sarah Horvath

Photo of Sarah Horvath
Sarah Horvath

Pronouns: She/Her

Sarah is a junior studying Computer Science and Math. Currently, Sarah is a Student Ambassador Program Supervisor, Vice President of Finance at Hillel, and President of Alpha Omega Epsilon, Watson's professional engineering sorority.


Wendy Jiang

Photo of Wendy Jiang
Wendy Jiang

Pronouns: She/Her

Wendy is a junior studying Industrial and System Engineering. She's a part of SASE. She loves to hang out with friends and family during her free time and would love to travel to as many places as possible. 

Favorite Movie Snack: Jalapeno Cheetos
Favorite TV show to binge: My Demon
Dream Vacation: A trip to as many Asian countries
What Would You Bring to Potluck: Sushi


Mishu Kaur

Photo of Mishu Kaur
Mishu Kaur

Pronouns: She/Her

Mishu is a senior majoring in computer science. She has interned at Capital One as a software engineering intern and at Publicis Sapient as a product management intern. On campus she is the President of Girls Who Code and Senior Advisor for Binghamton Tech Collective.

Favorite Movie Snack: Ben & Jerrys
Favorite Bingeable TV Show: Gossip Girl
Dream Vacation: Literally anywhere as long as it's not a resort -- I'd rather learn about the place and the people 
What Would You Like to Bring to a Potluck: Penne Alla Vodka 


Theresa Murphy

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Theresa Murphy

Pronouns: She/Her

Theresa Murphy is a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Economics. She is an intra-university transfer student from Harper College. This summer, she interned at Astronics, an aerospace electronics company. On campus, she's involved in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the Binghamton University Bouldering Club (BUBC). Outside of school, she enjoys live music, exploring national parks, and biking.


Luis Ramon

Photo of Luis Ramon
Luis Ramon

Pronouns: He/Him

Luis is a junior studying Computer Science. This past summer, he interned at Microsoft as an Explore Intern. On campus, Luis is involved in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) serving as the Professional Development Chair, an E-board member of the Computer, Robotics, and Engineering (CoRE) Living-Learning Community, and works as a Residential Computer Consultant (ResCon).

Favorite Bingeable TV Show: Criminal Minds
Dream Vacation: Zürich, Switzerland
Favorite Movie Snack: Buttered Popcorn
What Would You Bring to a Potluck: Horchata


Anirudh "Kumar" Ramkumar Sivasankaran

Photo of Anirudh "Kumar" Sivasankaran
Anirudh "Kumar" Sivasankaran

Pronouns: He/Him

Kumar is a senior pursuing a mechanical engineering degree. He is an international transfer student from PSG in India. In his free time, he enjoys playing chess, playing some 90s games, going out with friends or doing some cool projects in CAD. He is a part of the chess club, rugby club and badminton club on campus.

Favorite Snacks: Honestly anything, I am not a picky eater. 
Favorite TV Show: Breaking Bad
Dream Vacation: Scotland trip


Aishni Srivastava

Photo of Aishni Srivastava
Aishni Srivastava

Aishni is a Junior studying Biomedical Engineering. She is the Vice President of Finance for MSF/ Doctors without Borders, and a member of SWE. Over the summer, she interned at American Regent, a pharmaceutical company and started volunteering for a crisis line.

Favorite Movie Snack: Dibs and Popcorn
Favorite Bingeable TV Show: Derry Girls
Dream Vacation: Italy and Yosemite


Interested in becoming a Peer Advisor? Keep your eye out for the application on Handshake in the spring semester!