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 Admin Assistant for WRC and is passionate about advocating for others and social justice. She recently graduated with her BA in Sociology with a concentration in pre-law and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and is currently working on her Master of Public Policy. Her studies have led her to a focus in social movements, education policy, and environmental policy. Kylie hopes to one day take this work into the non-profit sector. 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).
Hallie McCormick (she/her)
Domestic Violence Program Specialist
Hallie McCormick is the Program Specialist focused on reducing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. She attended UNM as an undergrad and is excited to be back on campus. Hallie's background includes a mix of non-profit, government, and social impact experience, and her passion is advocating for survivors of gender-based violence. Her previous roles include providing direct services at the Rape Crisis Center of Central New Mexico, interviewing Boy Scouts survivors, and improving rape kit testing protocols to center lived experience and eliminate the backlog. Most recently, Hallie supported an international coalition focused on combating image-based sexual violence. She's honored to be a part of the WRC Team that works so hard to keep UNM safe and welcoming for everyone. In her free time, Hallie is usually chasing her cats off the counter or planning her next trip.
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.
Sofia Jenkins-Nieto (she/her)
IMPACT Coordinator
Sofia Jenkins-Nieto is the coordinator for the IMPACT Leadership and Mentorship program. She was born in Albuquerque and grew up in Denver, Colorado, then returned to New Mexico to attend UNM. She is passionate about community and leadership development and has been a climate and environmental justice organizer with groups like UNM Leaders for Environmental Action and Foresight (UNM LEAF) and Youth United for Climate Crisis Action (YUCCA). Sofia received her BS in Environmental Science with a minor in Sustainability Studies from UNM in 2022 and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Community and Regional Planning. She is a mom to a dog named Nova and dozens of plants. In her free time she loves to read, craft, and go on hikes and adventures with her puppy.
Vanessa Martinez (she/her)
Counseling Services Administrative Assistant
Vanessa is currently pursuing a M.A. Chicana/o Studies with a minor in Native American Studies and a concentration in Sociology. She is passionate about social justice, cultural studies, and Indigenous advocacy, with a focus on intersectional and transnational perspectives. Vanessa plans to continue her academic journey by pursuing a doctorate in Sociology.
In addition to her role at UNM, Vanessa is a licensed massage therapist, artist, and mentor. She has collaborated with organizations such as United in Hip Hop, Warehouse 508, Warehouse 21, and Alas de Agua Cultural Center, using art and Hip Hop to empower youth and build community. In her free time, she enjoys being with her family, participating in traditional Indigenous ceremonies, spending time in nature, and creating art.
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.
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.
Nicole Dadey (she/her)
Prevention Education Assistant
Nicole is the Prevention Education assistant at the Women’s Resource Center. She is a junior studying Sociology and is passionate about community engagement and community financial, civic, and health education. Outside of school, Nicole loves watching romantic comedies, scrapbooking, listening to R&B and Afrobeats, and eating good food, especially Italian, Greek, and her mom’s Ghanaian dishes.
