Meet Our Team
Dr. Erika Cohen-Derr
Interim Managing Director of OSEI
Pronouns: she | her | hers
osei@georgetown.edu
Erika Cohen Derr, DLS serves as Associate Vice President in Student Affairs at Georgetown University. She oversees a variety of student engagement and support units, including student organizations, leadership programs, new student orientation, campus recreation, student conduct, and academic support services. Her work is centered on developing meaningful, transformative experiences so that all students may succeed, thrive, and become their most authentic selves, in service of others. In addition to administrative leadership, she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Leadership Development, Group Dynamics, and Student Learning and Development Theory, and has mentored several HEA students through their practicum and capstone projects. She recently completed a Doctorate in Liberal Studies at Georgetown; her doctoral thesis studied the effects of achievement-oriented context on student leadership identity development.
In more than twenty years at Georgetown University, Dr. Cohen Derr has been on the front lines for a wide variety of student programming, involvement and activism. Her research interests grew from the experience of accompanying students on their leadership journeys, through self-exploration, navigating relationships, and developing a sense of purpose. She has advised students on a wide variety of programs and experiences, from campus-wide entertainment, to provocative speakers, to artistic collaboration, to outdoor adventure and immersion experiences. She has presented on leadership development and campus engagement in far flung places like Philadelphia; Las Vegas; Kakuma, Kenya; Doha, Qatar; and Nanjing, China.
Venus Davis
Program Coordinator
Pronouns: she | her | hers
osei@georgetown.edu
Venus proudly originates from New York City. Living in the city and being a single mother fortified her no-nonsense attitude for mediocrity. Her studies at NYU would later bring her to Washington, DC to start a career in Academia. The corporate world eventually birthed a passion for wellness and a balanced lifestyle within Venus. She has since been an example and inspiration for the mission of creating a healthy and sustainable work/life balance. Through applying discipline acquired in the gym to her day-to-day duties, she approaches everyday tasks as if they are heavy objects, needing to be moved. This mentality is summarized in her personal mantra, “Train for life!”
Maya Aduba Williams
Program Manager
Pronouns: she | her | hers
osei@georgetown.edu
Maya Aduba Williams serves as the Program Manager for the Office of Student Equity and Inclusion (OSEI) at Georgetown University where she provides administrative and logistical support for OSEI’s programming across the university. She brings with her 6 years of experience in higher education from the University of Maryland, serving in one of the institutions largest academic advising units—The College of Behavioral and Social Science (BSOS). She previously held roles in research and student affairs where she developed programming and initiatives that centered the experiences of underrepresented students. Maya is passionate about using data to help support and improve these student’s college experiences. She has lead a small research team that has concentrated their efforts on factors that help retain underrepresented students and focus on the successful completion of their undergraduate education.
Maya has always sought to advocate for institutional policies and programs that promote access and equity for underserved populations. During her professional career, Maya has worked with new student orientation, campus senate committees for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and campus assessment working-groups to further discuss equity and access issues on campus. As well, she taught a first semester university seminar to help connect students to campus and helped to develop and execute academic conferences focused on DEI work. She is a Nigerian-American, Houston, Texas native. Her areas of interest include event planning, traveling, spending time with family, drawing, and research in higher education policy. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from American University and recently completed her M.S. in Health Care Administration at the University of Maryland University College.
Savannah Gaines
Student Worker Manager
Pronouns: she | her | hers
osei@georgetown.edu
Savannah Gaines is the new Student Worker Manager for the Office of Student Equity and Inclusion (OSEI), where she will oversee OSEI Student Staff and provide programming, event, and administrative support. Savannah has previously worked as a Student Community Organizer focused on multiracial, multi-ethnic, and transracial adoptee identity building. Her interests include critical mixed race studies, social policy, performing arts, and food justice. She holds a M.A in Public Policy concentrated in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from George Washington University, and received her B.A’s in Government & Politics and Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is excited to join the Georgetown community, and looks forward to meeting and working with the student staff.