Meet Colleen Brauer
What is your name?
Colleen Brauer
What’s your job title?
Senior Associate Director, Executive MBA – Washington, DC
Years/Months at NYU:
About 6.5 years (started March 5, 2018)
What’s your hometown?
Rockville, MD
What kind of projects do you work on?
Our team works on delivering the Executive MBA 2 year Masters in Washington, DC. We have our hands in everything from faculty on-boarding and orientation to alumni engagement. The Student Services team helps ensure students and faculty have what they need for smooth class weekend logistics, materials access, and travel/accommodation support. We also run special events, including faculty chats, student lunch-and-learns, guest speakers, cultural celebrations and social events like boat cruises and happy hours. Finally, I coordinate the EMBA DC Global Immersion Experience, which is a week-long international residency for the DC cohorts, and features a different market each academic year for students to better understand the social, economic, and business culture.
What made you choose NYU or what contributes to NYU being special to you?
NYU is filled with so many different types of people who bring extraordinary insights and ideas. I love working with faculty and students who genuinely want to make a difference. The emails highlighting our faculty in the news or events taking place around the globe are really inspiring. NYU is not just in the city that never sleeps, it’s the community that never sleeps (even at a global site in DC) – there’s always something happening.
What does a normal day look like for you?
When we’re not holding classes, I’m typically in meetings with various team members, working with faculty on their course details, answering student questions, or planning for the next event or residency.
Any advice for new administrators?
Learning your role will take time, but be sure to take advantage of the guidance and support your team provides. There is a true sense of camaraderie at NYU, and everyone wants you to succeed.
Is there an NYU benefit or perk that you use or think everyone should know about?
Dependent care and pet insurance reign supreme in our household! If you have any dependents relying on you, the pre-tax program is incredible.
Name your favorite spot on campus.
I personally love the big dog run in Washington Square Park. I have two dogs, and when I’m on campus, if it’s a nice day, I love to walk over and eat my lunch on a bench nearby. There’s something almost meditative about watching dogs play that makes any problem in your life feel solvable.
Who do you know that you think we should know? Why?
Everyone should know Jerry Chong in IT. He is the embodiment of professionalism and care. He takes time to really understand an issue, and doesn’t quit until the job is done. He is kind and extremely knowledgeable. I love working with Jerry.
What is your fondest memory in your time here?
Our larger team holds an annual event where we can all do something together. Last year we went to a blindfolded sculpture class. Everyone sat at one large table where there was a clay head, extra clay, and a blindfold at each space. Once blindfolded, our hosts guided us through verbal instructions and meditative music, which changed tempo and rhythm based on what tasks we were working on. It was incredible to see what my colleagues came up with at the end, all while blindfolded. The creativity of the group was really on display, and it was such a unique afternoon. Only at NYU!
Do you have a hidden talent, skill or side gig you’d like us to spotlight?.
I love to play the piano, and my husband plays the guitar. Sometimes we’ll pick songs to play together. Lately it’s been a lot of Taylor Swift – we have two young daughters who love her, although my husband is the real Swiftie 🙂 Our piano also has a really interesting history dating back to the Holocaust. NPR did a story on it, and it was subsequently made into a short documentary by an independent film studio.
What is your favorite book and why?
I’m currently reading the Three Body Problem trilogy by Liu Cixin and it is quickly becoming the best series I’ve ever read. To use the word ‘epic’ somehow doesn’t do it justice. If you enjoy science fiction, I can’t recommend it enough.
What is your go-to app on your phone right now?
I should say something that increases my productivity, but the true answer is the Crumbl Cookie app. I love seeing the new flavors every Sunday, and with two small kids and a husband with a sugar addiction, we accrue the reward ‘Crumbs’ pretty quickly.
If you were a superhero, who would you be and why?
Mantis from Guardians of the Galaxy. What a cool power to be able to sense and impact the emotional state of others. I have two small girls at home who could really use some external support calming down at bedtime…
Books or TV?
Depends on the day. When things are really busy, there’s something wonderful about unplugging at the end of the day with something mindless on in the background. That said, when a really good book comes along, it blows TV out of the water.
Favorite travel destination?
Hilton Head, South Carolina. I went there every year growing up, and we have continued to go with our extended family and our own kids now.
Coffee or tea?
Tea! Toasted Coconut Black Tea is my favorite, but I welcome anything with caffeine. Anything.
Describe yourself in only three words.
Tired but happy
Horror or comedy?
Comedy. The world is pretty scary all on its own – no need to seek more of it out.
What’s your favorite season?
Fall. I love the colors of the leaves changing, and the smell at night once it starts getting colder. It’s also a time of year where school starts and there’s so much excitement about all the new opportunities.
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