Get to know the faculty and staff who have recently joined Geneseo. This is part three in a continuing series welcoming the newest members of our family and introducing them to the campus. Part 1 Part 2
Marcus Foster is the Title IX coordinator in the Office of Diversity and Equity. He serves as an around-the-clock campus-wide resource for students and employees who have experienced sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and sexual exploitation. Previously, he served as deputy Title IX coordinator at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. Foster holds a bachelor’s degree in politics from Ursinus College and a J.D. from Tulane University Law School. In his free time, he enjoys making homemade pasta, cheering for Philadelphia sports teams, and going for runs with my four-year-old Weimaraner, Bella Beignet.
Amber Hess is a medical assistant in Student Health and Counseling where she answers the phone and schedules appointments as well as doing point of care testing for the providers. Before coming to Geneseo, she worked as an LPN in the health office for the Letchworth School District. She earned her practical nursing license from Great Southern Tier BOCES. Outside of work, she enjoys kayaking, jet skiing, boating, snowmobiling, and doing crafts when she can’t be outdoors.
Rob K. Levy is the new Community and Campus Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator in Student and Campus Life. He works with members of the Geneseo and campus community to create programs that encourage substance-free activities and social connections and to promote harm-reduction strategies for students who do drink. He also co-chairs the Healthy Campus and Community Coalition. Previously, Levy worked as a prevention education specialist at CASA-Trinity and a community prevention specialist for NCADD-RA. He holds an M.S. in community health from URMC and is a Credentialed Prevention Provider for NYS OASAS. In his free time, Levy enjoys old house restoration, writing, arts and crafts, reading, and traveling.
Erik Petersen is a new university police officer with the University Police Department. Like his fellow officers, he’s responsible for patrolling the SUNY Geneseo campus and responding to emergency calls and calls for service. Prior to joining the UPD, he served as a university police officer at SUNY Cobleskill. Petersen holds a B.S. in criminal justice from RIT; his hobbies include snowboarding, golf, and waiting for the Buffalo Bills to finally win a Super Bowl.
Crystal Purdy is an administrative assistant and testing center coordinator in the Office of Accessibility Services. Prior to joining SUNY Geneseo, she served for five years as an office assistant in the guidance department at Groveland Correctional Facility. I am a certified phlebotomist and also worked for many years at WCCH in the lab. Purdy spends much of her free time supporting the sports activities of her two children.
Isaac Rodriguez is a university police officer with the University Police Department. In helping to facilitate a safe academic environment for students, he patrols the campus and responds to calls for service. Previously, he worked for several years as a uniformed peace officer for the New York State Office of Mental Health at Rochester Psychiatric Center. He has also been a member of the United States Marine Corps Reserve for ten years with Company E, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, as a platoon sergeant. In his spare time, Rodriguez lifts weights, practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu, patronizes Taco Tuesdays, and nerds out over Star Wars. A native of Geneseo, he used to watch sunsets from the gazebo with his high school friends.
Valerie Smith is the new senior information security analyst in Computing and Information Technology. She previously served in information security analysis positions for Constellation Brands, Xerox, the Department of Defense, and the National Institutes of Health, among others. Smith holds an MS from DePaul University and a BS from Utica College of Syracuse University.
Keely Bielat Soltow is the new college registrar. Prior to Geneseo, she served as senior assistant director of academic planning at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government held a variety of research positions with the Education Advisory Board. She earned her MPhil from the University of Oxford, UK, and her BS from Georgetown University.