Higher Education · DEI · Community & Program Strategy

Anastasia Tahou

Higher-education professional with 8+ years designing inclusive programs, developing student staff teams, and driving cross-campus collaboration that advances student belonging and institutional goals.

Rochester, NY · Open to Relocation stasiatahou@gmail.com

Explore my work View Résumé Download Résumé

Currently open to higher-ed leadership, DEI strategy, and community-program roles

8⁺ Years in
Higher Education

50⁺ Programs
Coordinated Annually

3,500⁺ Students
Served

$40K⁺ Funds Raised
for Programming

01 — About

Building places where students belong.

For 8+ years I've designed programs that turn institutions into communities — from coordinating 50+ annual programs for a 3,500-student international community at the University of Rochester to establishing Nazareth's first Latinx Heritage Month. The work sits at the intersection of operations, equity, and care: the unglamorous logistics that make belonging actually happen.

I've hired and mentored student staff and graduate assistants, stewarded a $250K budget, and partnered with Institutional Research on the university's first campus climate and DEI curriculum surveys. The throughline: programs that meet students where they are and move institutions forward.

Inclusive Program Design

50+ annual cultural, educational, and recreational programs serving 3,500+ international students.
Team Development

Hiring, mentoring, and developing student staff and graduate assistants across event, marketing, and research roles.
Cross-Campus Collaboration

Coordinating governance bodies, advisory councils, and external partnerships that move shared work forward.

02 — Experience

A decade of student-centered work.

Oct 2022 — Present

Program Coordinator for Support & Engagement

University of Rochester · International Services Office
- Coordinate 50+ annual cultural, educational, and recreational programs—including International Education Week and International Student Orientation—for a community of 3,500+ students through cross-campus collaboration.
- Hire, lead, and mentor a team of 10 student workers across event support, social media, and marketing; manage and reconcile programming budget.
- Oversee office social media presence, design event promotional materials and infographics, and produce targeted newsletters for multiple student populations.
- Design and conduct SSN and ITIN training for hiring managers and student employees; assist with Sprintax Tax Filing and ITIN Application program logistics.
Aug 2018 — Nov 2021

Executive Assistant to the Vice President

Nazareth University · Division for Community & Belonging
- Managed calendars, a $250K budget, and travel arrangements for the inaugural VP, AVP, and 2 directors.
- Coordinated internal governance bodies including the Board of Trustees Committee, Advisory Council, and Bias Response & Education Team; led external partnerships through the WNY Diversity Officers group.
- Managed 5 annual institutional programs, including establishing the university's first Latinx Heritage Month.
- Supervised 4 graduate assistants in research, social media, and marketing.
- Adjudicated student conduct cases as a Hearing Board member, crafting restorative sanctions; partnered with IR to design the university's first campus climate and DEI curriculum surveys.
Aug — Dec 2020

Adjunct Professor

Nazareth University · Academic & College Success
- Taught first-year seminar exploring identity, motivation, and approaches to learning.
- Advised students individually to support college transition and goal-setting.
Aug 2015 — Jul 2018

Administrative Coordinator & Graduate Assistant

Nazareth University · Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies & Dialogue
- Organized conferences for 50+ international scholars and 500 students, increasing participation by 30%.
- Raised $40K+ over 3 years through donation and proposal letters to individuals and organizations.
- Analyzed qualitative survey data through NVivo to determine student learning outcomes.
2016 — 2017

Earlier Experience

Nazareth University · Student Affairs
- Intern, Residential Life · Jan – May 2017
- Graduate Assistant, Center for Spirituality · Aug 2016 – May 2017
- Intern, First-Year & Second-Year Experience · Aug – Dec 2016

03 — Education

Grounded in theory, trained in practice.

2015 — 2017

M.S., Higher Education Student Affairs Administration

Nazareth University

Award for Excellence in HESAA
Student Development Graduate Assistant Award

2010 — 2014

B.A., Psychology

Nazareth University · Minors in Religious Studies & Interfaith Studies

Summa Cum Laude
Phi Kappa Phi · Psi Chi · Theta Alpha Kappa

04 — Skills & Capabilities

A practitioner's toolkit.

Strategy & Operations

Program Design & Launch
Change Management
Stakeholder Engagement
Cross-Functional Leadership
Budget & Resource Stewardship
Team Hiring & Development
Event Operations
Community Strategy

DEI & Practitioner Skills

Inclusive Program Design
Restorative Practices
Climate & Curriculum Surveys
Conflict Resolution
Cross-Cultural Communication
Mentorship & Coaching
Qualitative + Quantitative Insights

Tools & Platforms

Canva
Mailchimp
MyEmma
NVivo
Qualtrics
MS Office
Slack
Teams
Zoom
Instagram
Sunapsis
Colleague
Handshake
Maxient

05 — Credentials

Certifications, honors & service.

Certifications

Certified Specialist in Restorative Practices 2019
Mental Health First Aid 2019
Title IX, Clery & Enough is Enough 2019
Student Conduct Institute Basic Compliance 2020
DEI in the Workplace 2021

Honors & Awards

Award for Excellence in HESAA
Student Development Graduate Assistant Award
Shining Star Award Recipient

Current Committees

International Student Orientation
Global Photo Contest
International Education Week Chair
Council for Global Engagement & Enrichment

06 — Contact

Let's build something students remember.

Open to roles in international student services, DEI strategy, and program leadership. The fastest way to reach me is email.

stasiatahou@gmail.com View LinkedIn