Professional Staff
Aine McCarthy (she/her)
Director
Áine McCarthy started at UNM in 2020 as an advocate supporting student survivors on campus is now proud to be serving as Director. She previously worked at Upaya Institute and Zen Center in Santa Fe as co-director of the Professional Buddhist Chaplaincy Training Program. She is also an ordained Buddhist chaplain with a background in working with women in prison and offering creative and contemplative programming for women and femmes cultivating post-traumatic growth after Intimate Partner Violence. (For more on this, check out this short documentary film by Healing Voices-Personal Stories, “Through the Door—Movement, Meditation, and Healing.”) Áine holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT and completed the Living School at the Center for Contemplation and Action in Albuquerque. She’s currently pursuing her M.F.A. in Creative Writing at UNM. Her other passions include goofy dance moves, reading tarot cards, and starting rounds of applause.
Michelle Dugan (she/her)
Campus Advocate
Michelle is a Campus Advocate at the Women’s Resource Center. She provides confidential advocacy for students who experience sexual assault or harassment, and she is also a co-chair for the Prevention Education working group on campus. Before working at UNM, Michelle lived in New York City and worked with LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness. She has a master’s degree in social work with a focus on queering the narrative of traditional sex education. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys playing roller derby and supporting her two tiny dogs, Broccoli and Pepper, in their endeavors to defeat their nemesis, the vacuum cleaner.
Lydia Wolberg (she/her)
Campus Advocate
Kylie Hanson (she/they)
Administrative Assistant 3
Kylie is the newest Program Assistant at the Women's Resource Center. She is a Senior, graduating December 2024, currently working on a double major in Sociology pre-law and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. After completing her BA she plans to pursue a Master's in Public Policy, with aspirations of continuing to working in the advocacy and non-profit realm. When she's not studying or working in the center, you can find her at concerts, comedy shows, or watching trashy reality TV with her cats, Chester and Lina. Some of her favorite TV shows are Love is Blind, Married at First Sight, Below Deck, and Gilmore Girls (a favorite when she needs a break from reality tv).
Graduate Assistants
Ivette Acevedo Weatherholtz (she/ella)
Counseling Coordinator
Ivette is a bilingual and bicultural counselor providing trauma-responsive services. She has actively intertwined her passions for mental health services and education over the past decade and has taught and provided counseling services nationally and abroad to children, adolescents, and young adults. Ivette completed a B.Soc.Sc. in Psychology in Mexico, a Master of Arts in Counseling in St. Louis, Missouri and is currently a doctoral student in the Counseling Education program at UNM. Ivette is passionate about integrating creativity, play, somatic-based approaches and natural healing practices to provide holistic therapeutic experiences that rupture cycles of intergenerational, community, and social-political trauma.
Megan Looney (she/her)
IMPACT Program Coordinator
Megan is our coordinator of the IMPACT Leadership and Mentorship program. This program pairs first year students with upper-level students, and together we work to develop the necessary skills to succeed academically, professionally, and personally. Megan graduated cum Laude from Western New Mexico University with her Bachelors in Sociology with a double minor in Pre-law and Psychology in 2019. She then received a full ride basketball scholarship to Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, ON, Canada, where she received her Masters in Social Justice with a Specialization in Women and Gender Studies in 2021. Megan is currently a 2L at UNM School of Law and has always had the goal of becoming a part of the 5% of black lawyers in America. She has always had a passion for seeking justice for marginalized groups and advocating for people whose voices have been silenced. She is interested in Family/Children’s Law, Sports Law, and Civil Rights. Upon graduating, she plans to work in one of these areas to help change lives and give back to her community!
Student Staff
Milan Ortiz-Ruiz (she/her)
Women in Health Program Coordinator
Milan is a sophomore currently studying at the College of Education and Human Sciences. She likes reading, a few of her favorite books are: The Goldfinch and The Secret History by Donna Tartt, and Bunny by Mona Awad. One of her goals is to study abroad later this year, or early next year, in Spain. She plans to travel to Europe during her time abroad; some places she's excited to visit are Malta, Portugal, and The Netherlands. She is excited about her role as a Women in Health program coordinator at the Women's Resource Center.
Seraphine ("Sera") Joe (she/her)
Office Assistant / Counseling Program Assistant
Sera is an undergraduate student pursuing a B.A in Psychology with a Child and Family Studies Minor. Her passion is to help and support those in need, no matter who or how old they are, with their mental health. After securing her B.A degree she aspires to go to graduate school and obtain a license to practice Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology. Her favorite things to do outside of work are hangout with friends, travel with family, play video games, eat, and listen to music specifically Alternative Rock.
Grace Petro (she/her)
Counseling Services Administrative Assistant
Grace recently graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Criminology. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree with a dual focus in School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She is dedicated to promoting cultural sensitivity and aims to support school-aged children from underrepresented communities. In addition to Counseling, Grace is interested in pursuing a doctorate in School Psychology. Outside of work and school, she enjoys animal training and spending time with her pets.
Kaytlyn Buksas (she/it)
Social Media / Outreach Assistant
Kaytlyn is an undergraduate student studying languages and linguistics with a minor in ASL. She's long been fascinated by languages and how we use them to communicate, and uses that fascination to help create more inclusive environments for everyone around it. As Social Media and Outreach Assistant she helps create flyers and media for WRC events and programming, and will often show up at events to take photos. When it's not working, it's often playing rhythm games and filling its sketchbooks, or out in the streets with community members fighting for a better future.
Cameron Griego (she/her)
Prevention Education Assistant
Cameron is the Prevention Education Assistant at the Women's Resource Center and Lobo Respect, where she focuses on enhancing and promoting consent culture on campus. A Senior graduating in December 2024, she is pursuing dual majors in Criminology and Psychology. After graduation, Cameron plans to attend law school with a focus on Civil Rights and Family/Children's Law, aiming to advocate for survivors of interpersonal violence crimes. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, spending time with friends and family, and reading celebrity autobiographies.
Shalom White (she/they)
Feminism in Action Program Assistant
Shalom is a double major undergraduate student pursuing a B.A. in Philosophy with a Concentration in Pre-Law and Political Science here at UNM. When she becomes a lawyer, she will be fighting for Civil and Human rights for those that are most vulnerable, underrepresented and/or marginalized. This includes Disability Law. She believes in equal rights for all. Their favorite things to do outside of work are playing cozy video games, reading a spellbinding new book, and going on quests to find new local businesses and restaurants to support our local economy and small businesses.