The Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity (URSCA) is very pleased to welcome Valentina Arecy to our staff. Ms. Arecy will serve as the Program Specialist, responsible for the planning and execution of our undergraduate research programs and initiatives; the management of our finances; and the coordination of our events.  

Ms. Arecy brings to the URSCA office more than a decade of experience as a program management professional across the higher education, nonprofit, and tech sectors. Most recently, she designed and executed a variety of leadership coaching programs for Tenshey, Inc., while also serving as a freelance project management consultant supporting more than a dozen different program launches. She previously managed student placement operations for the educational technology company 2U, Inc., and coordinated grants and contracts for the Institute of International Education in Washington, D.C.  

Throughout her career, she has also served as an advisor with the Red Pine Scholars Program, through which she mentors first-generation college students and provides guidance on setting and achieving their educational and career goals. Her combination of program management expertise and commitment to student support will make her an excellent addition to the URSCA office. 

Ms. Arecy shared that she was drawn to the position in URSCA because of Johns Hopkins University’s reputation as a world leader in research, and because URSCA’s mission – of supporting all students, regardless of prior experience or access, to pursue their research passions in meaningful ways – speaks to her core values.  

Ms. Arecy holds an M.S. in Global Studies and International Relations with a concentration in Global Student Mobility from Northeastern University, and a B.S. in Business Management from Bridgewater State University. Her first day in the URSCA Office was Monday, January 12. Please join us in welcoming her to Hopkins!