Distinguished Lecturer Dara Meyers-Kingsley is the Muse Scholar Program Director and Faculty Mentor. She also serves as the Founding Director of the Office of the Arts for the entire college where she is the liaison for the college’s cultural partnerships with arts and cultural institutions throughout NYC. She also previously served as the Director of the Mellon Arts Fellowship Program and the Arts Across the Curriculum initiative at Hunter.
Ms. Meyers-Kingsley has extensive experience as a contemporary art curator with an interdisciplinary curatorial practice. Her exhibitions, often including visual art, media, installation, and performance have been presented at LA MOCA, MCA Chicago, The New Museum, The Andy Warhol Museum, Miami MOCA, the Brooklyn Museum and the Mattress Factory. Previously, she was Director of the Film and Video Collections for the Andy Warhol Foundation and curator of Film and Video at the Brooklyn Museum. Ms. Meyers-Kingsley has lectured on media art history in the United States and abroad and is the author of museum catalogs and articles on artists Adrian Piper, Andy Warhol, Sheila Pepe, and Diane Samuels, as well as on 1970s film and video art, public art and contemporary media.
As an educator she has taught aspiring artists in Parsons’ MFA Studio Art Program, undergraduates in Hunter’s Macaulay Honors College and, since 2011, the freshman Muse Scholars. As part of the Muse curriculum, students study with Ms. Meyers-Kingsley during their freshman year in a course that includes outings to museums and performances around the city.
Ms. Meyers-Kingsley holds an MA in Cinema Studies from New York University and a BA in Art History from Barnard College, Columbia University.
Kristen Hoffman, Muse Program Assistant, is a Hunter Theatre alum and NYC-based theatre artist. An actor, producer, teaching artist, and Front of House specialist, she has performed at La MaMa, Playhouse 46, and Under St. Marks, and as a founding member of the award-winning Torch Ensemble, she produced and originated roles in new works. She is excited to return to Hunter to support the Muse Scholars and the Office of the Arts with her passion for collaboration and community.
Advisors
Joel Jimenez, Associate Director for Scholar Programs and the Manhattan Hunter Science Early College program, joined the Hunter College campus community in 2015. Previously he worked in both Student and Academic Affairs at Stony Brook University with focus on residence life, academic advisement, student life, and career services. He is an alumni of Stony Brook University (Psychology, BA ’10, MSW ’12) and of St. John’s University (Doctor of Education ’17). Outside of Hunter, Joel works as an Executive Function Coach. He loves to eat, bike ride, and to spend time learning new things and helping people realize their goals.
Elizabeth Wall-O’Brien, Assistant Director, Honors Scholar Program, completed a Master’s in psychology at New York University and established a private practice shortly thereafter, providing psychotherapy and educational programs for children and adults. Wall-O’Brien earned a second Master’s from Neumann University in Instructional Leadership and later joined the Neumann faculty as an adjunct psychology instructor and advisor/counselor. She lives in East Harlem with her husband, daughter and six cats. In her spare time, Elizabeth enjoys writing poetry, drawing and playing piano.
Connor O’Reilly, Scholar Programs Advisor, joined Hunter College in 2022. He completed both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in Computer Science at Brooklyn College. Previously he worked at Brooklyn College resolving any DegreeWorks or Curriculum issues students were experiencing. Outside of Hunter he enjoys cooking, working on digital art, sports, reading comic books, and spending time with his dogs.
