At the start of the Fall semester, ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½ announced several new academic appointments across its undergraduate and graduate schools. The faculty members who have stepped into these roles bring extensive experience as educators and a demonstrated commitment to academic excellence.
Shoshana Schechter, Dean of Torah and Spiritual Life, Stern College for Women
Shoshana Schechter has been promoted to Dean of Torah and Spiritual Life at Stern College for Women. Over the past five years as Associate Dean, she has enhanced the Jewish environment on the Beren Campus dramatically through expansion of the faculty, mashgichim/ot (spiritual mentors), extra- and cocurricular events on weekdays and weeknights, and shabbat programming.
A valued member of the Rebecca Ivry Department of Jewish Studies, Dean Schechter also founded and directs the Mechina Program, which supports women from diverse, nontraditional Jewish backgrounds by providing foundational Jewish education and a strong sense of community within ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½. She has built lasting relationships with countless students on the Beren Campus, guiding their growth as Torah-oriented Jews and helping them reach new heights in their learning and Avodat Hashem [service of God].
She lectures widely on Tanach and Jewish thought and has participated in Jewish outreach initiatives across four continents.
Dr. James Camara, Associate Dean for Strategy and Operations
Dr. James Camara is the newly appointed Associate Dean for Strategy and Operations for ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½ undergraduate programs.
A member of ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½â€™s chemistry faculty since 2011, Camara brings to the position more than a decade of experience as a teacher, researcher and administrator dedicated to supporting students and colleagues across Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women.
He has distinguished himself through a forward-looking approach to teaching on both the Wilf and Beren Campuses, as well as through effective management of budgets, instruments and labs. His administrative accomplishments include tenures as director of Pre-Health Advising at Yeshiva College and as co-chair of the undergraduate-wide Academic Integrity Committee, where he helped shape policies that promote student achievement and uphold YU’s shared values. He has also served on numerous cross-campus committees, building collaborative relationships with faculty, staff and students, and developing a keen understanding of University operations.
In his role as Associate Dean of Strategy and Operations, Dr. Camara will draw upon his collaborative spirit and data-driven approach to advance institutional excellence.
Dr. Deena Rabinovich, Associate Dean of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration
At the start of the academic year, Dr. Deena Rabinovich was named Associate Dean of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration. A member of the Stern College faculty since 2005 and former chair of its Rebecca Ivry Department of Jewish Studies, Rabinovich continues to teach courses in Jewish education at Stern College while taking on her new leadership role at Azrieli.
A 2014 Azrieli alumna with a doctorate in Administration and Supervision, Dr. Rabinovich has been active in the school’s programs for many years. Since 2009, she has directed the Legacy Heritage Foundation Program, which guides students toward careers in Jewish education, and for the last several years has directed the Professional Enhancement Practicum, Azrieli’s student teaching program.
While at Stern College, Rabinovich partnered on multiple Azrieli projects, including the On the Move Fellowship, which offers Jewish educators virtual tours of day schools across the country, and the MafTEACH School Community Fellowship, which introduces students to the field of Jewish education. In her new position, she plans to build on these initiatives and further strengthen connections between Stern College and Azrieli.
Dr. Jill Katz is serving as interim chair of Stern College’s Rebecca Ivry Department of Jewish Studies for the academic year.
Dr. Marnin Young, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
This summer, Dr. Marnin Young was named Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Yeshiva College. A member of the Stern College Art History faculty since 2008 and chair of the department since 2018, Dr. Young brings to his new role both scholarly distinction and deep institutional experience.
An accomplished historian of Impressionism, he has authored and edited numerous peer-reviewed books, articles and exhibition catalogues for major museums. His research has been supported by competitive grants, including a Fulbright and a Getty Research Support Grant, and he is currently completing a book manuscript on the French Post-Impressionist artist Georges Seurat.
At ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½, Dr. Young’s teaching excellence has been recognized through multiple awards, including the Lillian F. and William M. Silber Professor of the Year Award, the Dean Karen Bacon Faculty Award and the Senior Class Professor of the Year Award. Dr. Young comes to the position with extensive administrative experience, including seven years as department chair and service on the Stern College Honors Committee, the ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½ Museum Exhibition Committee and the ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½Faculty Council.
Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Schnall, Director of Pre-Health Advising, Wilf Campus
As the newly appointed Director of Pre-Health Advising for the Wilf Campus, Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Schnall draws on nearly two decades of experience in teaching, research and leadership.
In 2006, he joined the Yeshiva College department of psychology as a faculty member and has published in peer-reviewed publications and public-facing media, including Family Medicine, Annals of Epidemiology, Journal of Religion and Health, and Journal of the History of Neurosciences.
A respected educator, he guides his students in bringing secular study into dialogue with Jewish text and tradition. Over the past five years, he has led the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program with distinction.
In his new position, Dr. Schnall will apply his academic expertise and administrative experience to support students pursuing admission to medical and allied health schools.
Dr. Shaina Trapedo, Director of the Honors Programs at Stern College for Women and Yeshiva College
Dr. Shaina Trapedo, assistant professor of English at ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½, is the new Director of the S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program at Stern College for Women and the Jay and Jeannie Schottenstein Honors Program at Yeshiva College. Both programs guide the intellectual and personal growth of students through rigorous academics, interdisciplinary exploration, individualized mentorship and an engaged scholarly community.
Dr. Trapedo is also a resident scholar and recruitment officer at the Zahava and Moshael J. Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought. In her teaching and scholarship, she explores the connections between Torah, the humanities and social engagement.
Currently at work on a book manuscript titled From Scripture to Script: The Hebrew Bible on the Early Modern Stage, Dr. Trapedo continues to advance scholarship that connects sacred texts with broader cultural and ethical conversations.
