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MEET OUR STAFFÌý

St. Thomas of ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ Center for the Common Good 

At the Center for the Common Good, we connect with campus and community partners, organize specific programs and projects, provide guidance service opportunities, provide education and mentoring, and support the ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ campus and our global community. 

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Kate Giancatarino

Senior Director 

St. Rita Hall, Rm. 121 

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Kate is the director of the CCG. In this role she works with the whole team as well as campus and community partners to ensure we are offering high quality community engagement programs and working with communities to address the needs that arise.  Kate is the advisor for Back on My Feet group and facilitates a Caritas section of Communitas.  Kate has a Masters of Social work and a Masters of Pastoral Ministry from Boston College and is currently a part time PhD student in the Theology department.  In addition to working and studying here at Nova, Kate is a mom to 3 incredible girls.  She loves to watch them find their passions with sports, dance, and theater and being outside hiking and exploring with them.  Her partner Anthony works in the climate justice field so they often have the opportunity to meet people in communities who work for justice in a variety of ways.  In any free time, she ends up having, she volunteers with her kids’ school and dance school and engages in amateur photography.  Her favorite food is cacio e pepe and she loves pretty much anything sweet… and coffee… always coffee 😊

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Dan Griffin

Director, VU Partnership with CRS

St. Rita Hall, Rm. 114

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Dan Griffin is with the Center for the Common Good within the Office for Mission and Ministry at ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ and is the Director of the ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ University Partnership with Catholic Relief Services (CRS). ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ University has partnered with CRS to advance compassion, justice and peace, and foster solidarity with the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people through education, research, direct service, and advocacy.  Dan comes to ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ after more than a decade of service in both CRS in East Africa and as part of the Maryknoll Mission Association of the Faithful.

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Marcy Andersen, MA '21

Assistant Director for Local Service and Community Engagement

St. Rita Hall, Rm. 118

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Marcy, a native Chicagoland resident, moved to Pennsylvania in 2014 to attend college at Eastern University in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Marcy graduated from Eastern with a B.A. in Youth Ministry and a B.A. in Biblical Studies. Grounded in her Christian-Catholic faith, Marcy was eager to continue her education at ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ by joining the Graduate Resident Minister team and graduated with an M.A. in Ministry and Theology in May of 2021. After spending some time working in Residence Life at Bryn Mawr College, Marcy began working full-time at ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ in January 2023. Marcy serves as the program director for RUIBAL, a first-year service program which provides ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ students the opportunity to serve at afterschool programs in the greater Philadelphia Area. Marcy also oversees the Center for the Common Good’s Holiday Outreach programs like the Thanksgiving Donation Drive (Turkey Drive) and various Christmas Donation Drives. In her free time, Marcy is currently in the midst of planning her upcoming wedding in February 2025 to William, a fellow ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ grad and current PhD Student in the Theology department. 

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Joshua Kammerer, MDiv

Associate Dirrector, Student Formation and Community EngagementÌý

St. Rita Hall, Rm. 120Ìý

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Josh Kammerer, MDiv, has a passion for forming students who commit to pattern their lives for something greater than themselves, who recognize that their own good and thriving is found in seeking first the good and thriving of others. He is also passionate about matching resources with needs and about building multilateral connections among ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥â€™s community partners for the benefit of all. He is the program director for Community Outreach of ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ (COV), a program dedicated to connecting ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ students to weekly service in the community. He also co-directs the Philadelphia Area Social Justice Internship (PASJI), a paid summer internship program out of both the Center for the Common Good and the Center for Peace and Justice Education, that places interns with community partners doing the work of social justice. Josh received his Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Religious Studies, with a cognate in Computer Science, from the University of South Carolina-Columbia. Following graduation, he spent a life-changing year as an AmeriCorps volunteer at the Harambe Family Center in LA County, California, teaching math, tutoring kids, and rebuilding the Center’s IT infrastructure. He earned his Master of Divinity (MDiv) from the Yale Divinity School at Yale University, also earning a Certificate in Educational Ministry in Schools and Colleges from the Berkely Divinity School at Yale. He has served as a hospital chaplain resident in trauma and mental health units (southern CT) and has served in ministry settings at churches and campus ministries in DC, Northern VA, and NW Indiana. He has also taught courses in theology and religious studies here at ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥.

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Abigail Gorman

Assistant Director of Service Immersion Programs

St. Rita Hall, Rm. 116

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Abigail is the assistant director for service immersion programs. 

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Farhad Wedee

Program Coordinator

St. Rita Hall, Rm. 117 

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Farhad is the Program Coordinator at CCG and the advisor for the ÄÌÌÇÖ±²¥ Refugee Empowerment Organization. He oversees the CCG newsletter, social media, student worker supervision, and events. As a first-generation refugee and humanitarian advocate, Farhad brings over a decade of experience with governmental and international organizations, contributing to medium to large-scale operations. He has a proven track record in case management, refugee resettlement, financial and project management, crisis intervention, and leadership. Farhad is dedicated to providing structured, empathetic, and effective support to vulnerable populations.

Meet Our Student Workers!

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Alexandra Schuster

Hometown: Ridgefield, CT

Fun Fact: I have lived in over 5 states

A Junior

Major: Psychology 

Minor: Socciology and Disability Studies

Role: Supports our local service programs by effectively handling program coordination, document management, and local service site photography.

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Ali Benjamin

Hometown: Cherry Hill, NJ

Fun Fact: I am left handed

Ali is a Sophomore

Major: Psychology 

Minor: Communications and Deaf Disability Studies

Ali plays a crucial role in managing and enhancing our social media presence for all CCG programs, creating engaging content, and effectively communicating our message across various platforms.

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Elani Dwyer 

Hometown: East Orange, NJ 

Fun Fact: I love to travel 

Sophomore

Major: Public Service & Administration

Elani offers support with local service, social media, and assists with various program needs.

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Elizabeth Paparo 

Hometown: Honolulu, HI 

Senior 

Fun Fact: I take photos for a surf school

Major: Political Science

Elizabeth helps out with the Service and Justice Experience programs and provides support across programs. 

Meet Our Grad Students!

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Alexis Atwood

Hometown: Austin, Texas (most recently!)

Fun Fact: I have a twin sister named Rebecca

“I love helping to connect students with social justice experiences that will help them grow, support communities, and explore!â€

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Harrison Bell

Hometown: Cumberland, ME

Fun Fact: I love to create things in my woodshop!

Role: Provide emotional, spiritual, and religious outreach to first-year students in Stanford Hall.

CCG Position: I mentor the SJE leaders and work with Abigail on the logistics of the trips

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Omar Renteria

Hometown: North Philadelphia, PA

Fun Fact: I love exploring new foods!

GRM Role: Create a welcoming atmosphere, organize events, and provide spiritual guidance for residents

CCG Position: COV programming (focused on helping students deepen their understanding of their service activities)

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Sam Odidi

Hometown: Abuja, Nigeria

Fun Fact: I enjoy long distance driving

GRM Role: Good Counsel Residence Minister

CCG Position: Graduate Assistant for CRS Ambassador program

NEWS AND EVENTS