Meet the Staff

rtravia@babson.edu
781-239-4218
Hollister Hall, Room 215

Dr. Ryan Travia is the inaugural associate vice president for student success at Babson College and an adjunct lecturer of organizational behavior, having previously served as Babson’s first associate dean of students for wellness. As senior student affairs officer/chief well-being officer, Dr. Travia provides strategic leadership for a comprehensive portfolio that includes: accessibility services, case management and CARE team, counseling and psychological services, first-generation & limited income network, food and resource pantry, health services, student advising & success, and wellness & prevention services.

Prior to joining the Babson community, Dr. Travia spent a decade at Harvard University as founding director of the Office of Alcohol & Other Drug Services (Harvard’s first “alcohol czar”) and held a dual appointment as founding director of the Department of Health Promotion & Education. As the first substance abuse prevention specialist in University history, Dr. Travia’s leadership saw the implementation of a multitude of programs that promoted safer practices among students and monitored the effectiveness of University protocol regarding alcohol and other drug abuse. Among Dr. Travia’s many accomplishments at Harvard, two of which he is most proud include authoring the University’s first Amnesty Policy and creating a nationally-recognized, award-winning peer education program, the Drug & Alcohol Peer Advisors (DAPA). Dr. Travia previously led the alcohol and drug education program at Dartmouth College.

Dr. Travia believes that well-being is the key driver to student success and has worked tirelessly to remove barriers to accessing care, particularly for marginalized and underrepresented groups, as evidenced by his leadership in creating and managing a student emergency fund, developing amnesty and Good Samaritan policies for students who overdose on alcohol or other drugs, a recovery-focused medical withdrawal policy, launching a food and resource pantry, and building Babson’s first sexual assault prevention and response program. Dr. Travia holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Elementary Education/Moderate Special Needs and a master’s in Educational Administration, both from Boston College, as well as a doctorate in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania. His research interests include decision-making and restructuring at institutions that have been intentional about leveraging the connectivity between student and academic affairs to create more seamless learning environments for students. Dr. Travia has written and presented extensively on framing and measuring well-being, mental health, and leadership. His first book, Well-being Leadership in Higher Education: A Guide for Successful Well-being Programs, was published in January 2026 and he is currently working on a second volume on Transforming Mental Health in Higher Education.

Dr. Travia has held a variety of leadership roles with NASPA – Student Affairs Professionals in Higher Education, the American College Health Association (ACHA), and the New England College Health Association (NECHA). Dr. Travia is an ACHA Fellow, in recognition of outstanding service to the ACHA, superior professional stature, and distinguished performance in the field of college health. Dr. Travia currently serves as President of the International Advisory Board for Student Affairs at Universidad de Monterrey where he is also a Global Community Professor and is Vice Chair/Chair Elect of the Executive Doctorate of Higher Education Management Alumni Advisory Board at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. Dr. Travia provides expert consultation and external reviews to institutions of higher education, independent schools, and other organizations on issues pertaining to substance abuse prevention, health promotion, peer education, and various health and wellness services.

amarkson@babson.edu
781-239-6200 Option 1
Park Manor South, Room 020

Alison joined Babson College in September 2021. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Reed College, a master’s in social work from Boston University, and a doctorate in psychology from William James College. Dually-licensed as both a social worker and psychologist, Alison has 25+ years’ experience in the mental health field, 11 of which were as director of the counseling center at Curry College.

jblue@babson.edu
781-239-6200 Option 1
Park Manor South, Room 023

James joined Babson College in June 2019 and was promoted to Assistant Director in 2022. He earned his bachelor of arts from Gordon College and his doctorate from William James College. James has a variety of clinical experiences, including high school counseling, college counseling, and early intervention for psychosis in an outpatient setting.

Prior to Babson College, he worked at Roger Williams University’s counseling center for four years, where he also trained as an intern and postdoctoral fellow. James’ clinical style integrates several approaches, including interpersonal therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. His clinical interests include anxiety, depression, identity development, substance use, and relationship issues. In his spare time, James enjoys exercise, fishing, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

meustate@babson.edu
781-239-6200 Option 1
Park Manor South, Room 018

Mebi joined Babson College in September 2021. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mercy College and a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Boston College. Mebi is a licensed mental health counselor who spent five years working in the counseling center at Northeastern University, previously having worked as an in-home therapist at two Boston-based agencies. Mebi is fluent in Spanish.

dpoulat@babson.edu
781-239-6200 Option 1
Park Manor South, Room 025

Daniela (Dani) joined Babson College’s CAPS in September of 2023. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Boston College, where she most recently graduated with a M.A. in Mental Health Counseling. In addition to her time at CAPS, Dani runs weekly play-based therapy groups for kids working on improving their social pragmatics and emotion regulation skills. Prior to joining CAPS, Dani worked as a clinician at a behavioral school and residential program for kids ages 5–14 who presented with a variety of complex emotional and behavioral needs. In her free time, Dani enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and music. Dani is fluent in Spanish.

nshare@babson.edu
781-239-6200 Option 1
Park Manor South, Room 024

Noah joined Babson CAPS in January of 2023, coming from Brigham and Women’s Hospital where he provided counseling services and mental health support to folks 18+ years old living with chronic illness. He earned a BA in Psychology from Butler University before completing a Bachelor of Social Work and advanced standing Master of Social Work from Colorado State University.

His clinical training and experience includes college counseling (individual and group therapy), completion of a mind/body facilitator training through The Benson Henry Institute connected with Mass General Hospital (utilizing mindfulness, meditation, and cognitive interventions to support physical and mental health), utilizing a range of therapeutic modalities/interventions to build rapport with students and create goals collaboratively. He enjoys working on a college campus with opportunities to provide mental health support through counseling and case management, participating in outreach events, and community.

In his free time, Noah enjoys: being outdoors (walks, hikes, exploring new places), playing and watching sports, reading, and spending time with friends & family.

ctang1@babson.edu
781-239-6200 Option 1
Park Manor South, Room 024

Cindy came to Babson in September 2021 from Advocates in Framingham, MA, where she provided therapy to a wide range of clients through a community mental health agency. She has a bachelor’s degree in counseling psychology and a master’s in clinical mental health counseling, both from Lesley University. Cindy completed her clinical training in the counseling centers at Wheaton College and Fitchburg State University.

lcyr@babson.edu
781-239-4081
Hollister Hall, Suite 121

Lauren joined Babson College in July 2025. She most recently served as Chair of the CARE Team at her alma mater, Clark University, where she spent over a decade in a variety of student support roles as a student success advisor, adjunct faculty, academic coach, experiential learning coordinator, writing consultant, and GED instructor.

Lauren is currently completing a doctoral degree in History, where she examines historical understandings of “student” as an identity, and its intersections with race, class, and gender in higher education in the United States. Lauren views student support holistically and enjoys working one-on-one with students to explore strategies that make them feel empowered over their academic journey.

mtharpe@babson.edu
781-239-4082
Hollister Hall, Suite 121

Maggie joined Babson College as a case manager in June 2025. Before joining the team, she studied higher education administration at Boston College where she worked in Residence Life and Career Services. While in graduate school, she also worked at MIT in Student Wellbeing and in Student Conduct and Community Standards. These prior experiences combined advising and relationship building in order to create spaces of holistic student support and promote equitable student success. In her free time, Maggie enjoys going to the movies, trying new coffee shops, and board game nights with family and friends.

pmccabe@babson.edu
781-239-6363
Hollister Hall, Room 004

Polly McCabe has been a nurse practitioner at Babson since 2011. She previously served in the role of Associate Director starting in 2014. Polly earned her BSN from the Ohio Wesleyan University-Riverside School of Nursing and her MSN from Simmons College in Boston. She became a certified nurse practitioner in both Adult Primary Care and Women’s Health in 1995, followed by employment in outpatient settings that provided adult episodic care, primary care and ambulatory OBGYN services.

Polly earned an International Society of Travel Medicine Certificate in Travel Health™ in 2014. Clinical areas of interest include sexual and reproductive health, travel health, wellness education and public health. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, golfing, traveling, sipping tea, and spending time with her husband, four grown children, and their dogs. She has also been a First Year Seminar instructor.

tmclaughlin1@babson.edu
781-239-6363
Hollister Hall, Room 130

Teresa McLaughlin is an Adult Nurse Practitioner who joined Babson College as the Associate Director of Health Services in July 2023. Teresa obtained her Master’s of Science in Nursing from Yale University. Prior to joining Babson College, Teresa served as a Nurse Practitioner and HIV Specialist at Fenway Health in Boston for more than sixteen years. At Fenway Health, Teresa provided acute and primary health care services to a diverse patient population including HIV positive individuals and individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community and beyond.

Teresa’s other clinical experiences and interests include primary care, college health, sexual health, travel health, and gynecological health. In her free time, Teresa enjoys spending time at the beach, swimming, yoga and spending time with her family.

hstacey@babson.edu
781-239-6363
Hollister Hall, Room 132

Helena Stacey joined Babson College as a Triage Nurse in January 2020. In 2013, she entered nursing school after deciding to leave her profession as a trial attorney. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Curry College's ACCEL program in 2014. Prior to joining Babson College, Helena worked as a Certified Pediatric Nurse on an inpatient medical unit at Boston Children's Hospital.

Some areas of her practice included diabetes, cystic fibrosis, Crohn's disease, sickle cell disease, lupus, and asthma. She is a loyal Boston sports fan and also loves watching college hockey. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, trips to the Cape, and spending time with her husband, four sons, and dog Maisie.

ekawa@babson.edu
781-239-6363
Hollister Hall, Room 131

Ellie completed nursing school at Duke University after receiving her bachelor's degree in science at Providence College. She spent her first two years as a nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center as both an orthopaedic/trauma and labor & delivery nurse. Prior to accepting the triage nurse position at Babson College, she worked as a pediatric nurse in the emergency department at Boston Children's Hospital. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, exercising, and going to the Cape.

arautiola@babson.edu
781-239-6363
Hollister Hall, Room 130

Alexandra joined Babson College in August 2020 as a Nurse Practitioner. Previously she worked as a Nurse Practitioner at a federally qualified community health center in Boston specializing in both primary care and substance use disorders and as a Registered Nurse on a cardiac step-down unit at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. She obtained her Master’s in Nursing in 2016 from Simmons College in Boston.

Prior to choosing a career in the medical field, she worked in advertising and got her BA in Art History at Union College in Schenectady, NY. She is a born and bred New Englander and you can find her on the beach in the summer and skiing (weather permitting) in the winter. She enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her husband, two children, and their black lab.

khoxhabrown@babson.edu
781-239-6363
Hollister Hall, Room 130

Karla Hoxha Brown attended the University of Massachusetts where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. She then completed her graduate degree at Regis College in their nurse practitioner program. Her initial experience as a nurse practitioner was in community health. She was a clinician at the Sidney Borum Jr. Health Center, a program of Fenway health, for 12.5 years. She served a diverse population including homeless youth, disenfranchised youth, HIV positive individuals and individuals in the LGBTQ+ community.

She then transitioned to college health in 2016 at Suffolk University. She joined the Babson community in 2021. Her clinical experiences/interests include sexual health, gynecologic health, HIV medicine, hormone treatment, infectious diseases and primary care. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.

smekrut@babson.edu
781-239-6363
Hollister Hall, Room 130

Dr. Sam joined Student Health Services on October 1, 2025. She brings extensive experience in community health centers and women’s health and is the founder of Meristem Family Medicine, a direct primary care practice in Medfield. Previously, she served as Medical Director of the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center in Framingham and, before that, as Medical Director for Optum Student Health Services, where she oversaw care for Wentworth Institute of Technology, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Dr. Sam earned her undergraduate degree from Fairfield University and her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine before completing her residency training at Lawrence Family Medicine Residency. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP) and speaks Spanish with professional fluency.

In her free time, Dr. Sam enjoys hiking with her family and dog, mountain biking, practicing yoga, and reading.

ksantiagotaylor@babson.edu
781-239-5201
Hollister Hall, Suite 122

Katia Santiago-Taylor is the director of Wellness & Prevention Services at Babson College. In her capacity she leads a comprehensive, student-centered, and evidence-based health program focused on four major functional areas: alcohol and other drugs, mental health and emotional well-being, sexual health, and violence prevention. In addition, Katia will provide ongoing leadership for the Peers On Wellness (POW!) peer health education program. Wellness & Prevention Services also includes programming initiatives, advocacy, and direct services for students impacted by gender-based misconduct.

Prior to joining Babson College she was the Policy Director at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) leading BARCC’s legislative agenda and statewide collaborations for systems change. She joined BARCC in February 2013 as the Manager of Systems Advocacy, overseeing BARCC’s Medical Advocacy, Hotline, Access to Forensic Information (AFI), Legal Advocacy, and Case Management Programs. Under her leadership, BARCC’s Incarcerated Survivor Support program was created. Prior to joining BARCC, she was at the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA), where she held several positions. She has been working in the Victim Services Field since 1999, first as a Victim Witness Advocate in the Middlesex County DA’s Office, and at the Suffolk County DA's Office.

During her tenure at the Suffolk County DA’s Office, she was a part of the Judicial Demonstration Project that created a model Domestic Violence Court at the Dorchester District Court, which required a great deal of work with interagency community collaborations and community-building. She also worked as an advocate in the Elders and Persons with Disabilities Unit working with vulnerable populations and taking the initiative to create and actively participate in community outreach & education and training initiatives. She currently serves as a board member of Mass NOW.

Katia earned a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University. As a bicultural/bilingual Latina woman, Katia has a deep commitment and proven track record of promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in her work.

mfuentes@babson.edu
781-239-5527
Hollister Hall, Suite 122

Monica Fuentes is the Assistant Director of Wellness and Prevention Services at Babson College. She is an advocate for inclusive, comprehensive, and evidence-based health education and prevention services. Prior to Babson, Monica worked for the New York City Department of Education, where for the past seven years, she managed multiple teams & grants and aimed at increasing the number of NYC students who receive comprehensive health education.

Prior to receiving a master's in public health from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Monica was a community a health volunteer in the Peace Corps and served in Peru. There she managed and trained young people and community healthcare workers to teach sexuality and reproductive health education to their peers.

Monica earned her bachelor's degree from Boston College. During her time at Boston College, she led peer health educators and managed volunteer recruitment and training for over 100 students. During her time at Columbia University, she also supported students with health resources, and community engagement through the Go Ask Alice! Program.

Monica is a tireless advocate for inclusive health and wellness programs and brings her strong leadership and program management skills to Babson’s Peers on Wellness (POW!) program and the Wellness and Prevention Services office.

seisenhaure@babson.edu
781-239-4491
Hollister Hall, Suite 122

Prior to joining the Babson College Community, Sophia attended Merrimack College for both her Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences and Master of Science in Community Health Education. In addition to her educational experience, she worked as a graduate fellow for the Office of Wellness Education at Merrimack, beginning her journey in the field of higher education with a focus on student wellness and overall well-being.

With a solid educational foundation and practical experience, Sophia has spent years cultivating a deep understanding of both the academic and practical aspects of holistic wellness. She is well-equipped to make a meaningful impact in the realm of holistic well-being, as her skill set incorporates crafting effective health education programs that foster collaborative wellness initiatives aimed at enhancing the overall quality of life of emerging adults in the college setting.

In her spare time, Sophia enjoys running and traveling—especially to Walt Disney World!