Our Staff
Anthony Carpi, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Research, International Partnerships, & Student Professional Advancement.
Dr. Carpi is Associate Provost and Dean of Research at John Jay College. He has been at the institution since 1997, working as a professor, Deputy Chair, and Chair of the Department of Sciences, and has served on numerous committees focused on institutional effectiveness, student retention, and technological innovation in addition to founding PRISM. He maintains an active research portfolio, investigating the transport of mercury in the environment, and strategies for teaching science as a process of discovery.
Edgardo Sanabria-Valentín, Ph.D.
Associate Program Director, Pre-Professional Advisor, and Adjunct Professor of Biology
Dr. Edgardo Sanabria-Valentín is the Associate Director of PRISM, where he leads PRISM’s programmatic efforts in addition to serving as a Coordinator for our Undergraduate Research Program and as the Health Careers Advisor Lead for John Jay College. In these roles he advises students about post-graduate opportunities, designs the programming to develop our undergraduate researchers, and manages some of our external awards. You can learn more about him here.
Rachel Perlman, PhD
Senior Grant Program Manager
Dr. Rachel Perlman is the Senior Grant Program Manager of PRISM, where she oversees the federal grants which support PRISM’s initiatives, including Junior Scholars, Undergraduate Research, and CUNY Justice Academy. In this role, she plans and implements PRISM’s grant-funded projects, manages budget allocations and monitors expenditures, supervises grant staff, tracks results, and prepares reports to funding agencies. You can learn more about her here.
Alejandra Myerston
Academic Advisor/Program Specialist
PRISM's Lead in planning student events, holistic advising, supporting and recruiting of JSP and TT students. Alejandra is dedicated to fostering success in college. Learn more about Alejandra and her mission here.
Derek Casarrubias
Academic Advisor/Program Specialist
Derek Casarrubias is PRISM'S Academic Advisor/Program Specialist. He provides targeted academic advisement to PRISM's student population, assists in the development and execution of program activities, and provides support in student recruitment and outreach. As an advisor, Derek aims to develop personalized academic plans built around a student's academic/career goals while relaying important information about the college, PRISM, and the STEM disciplines
Patricia Samperi
Grants Management Specialist
Patricia Samperi is PRISM’s Grants Management Specialist. In this role, Ms. Samperi ensure the smooth operation of the Science Grants office. A 12-veteran of the program, Ms. Samperi is passionate about process improvement and organizational efficiency. Prior to joining PRISM, Ms. Samperi worked in various industries. She holds a bachelor of science in journalist and masters of science in organizational change management.
Nathan Lents, Ph.D.
Former Co-Director, Professor of Biology, and Director of the Honors College
Dr. Lents completed a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Physiology from Saint Louis University and postdoctoral training in computational genomics from New York University. He joined the faculty of John Jay College in 2006 and has published research in the areas of cell biology, gene expression control, toxicology, and forensic microbiology. He also writes popular science articles and books focusing on the evolution of human biology and behavior. To learn more about his work, please visit his website.
Lawrence Kobilinsky, Ph.D.
Former Co-Director, Professor of Forensic Sciences, and former Chairperson of the Department of Science.
Dr. Kobilinsky received his B.S. and M.A. degrees from The City College of The City University of New York in 1969 and 1971 respectively and his Ph.D. degree from The City University of New York. His doctoral work was performed at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in the Department of Biochemistry. At John Jay College he was promoted to the positions of assistant, associate, and full Professor and served in an administrative capacity as Acting Dean of Graduate Studies and subsequently as Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Provost. He has also served as Science Advisor to the College President and as Chair of the Department of Sciences. He is currently Deputy Chair of the Department of Sciences.