• Madison Jackson

    Jack G. Buncher Director of Jewish Student Life at Carnegie Mellon University
    Bio

    Madison Jackson

    Madi received her Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Chatham University, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Judaic Studies and English from Binghamton University. Born in Pittsburgh but raised in Cleveland (she considers both home), she is thrilled to finally be living and working in the city of bridges. Madi loves helping people discover their connection to Jewish life and is so excited to meet students! In her free time, she enjoys writing, cooking, travelling, and talking about modern Jewish life in Europe.

  • Brian Burke

    IACT Israel Coordinator
    Bio

    Brian Burke

    A Pittsburgh native, Brian graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2019, with a B.A in political science, minor history, and certificate in Jewish studies. During his time at Pitt he held several leadership roles on the Hillel at Pitt student board and within the campus Israel club. Brian has been fortunate to travel to Israel multiple times. He has participated in, and staffed, several immersive Israel experiences, including most recently working as a madrich with BBYO Passport. Before coming to Hillel JUC, Brian worked as a program associate for a Birthright Israel trip organizer. Brian is excited to bring his passion for Israel engagement and advocacy to Hillel and help students develop and strengthen their own connections to Israel. In his free time, Brian enjoys watching sports and old movies, talking about Israel and politics, exploring Pittsburgh’s parks, and playing Jewish geography.

  • Emily Smulewitz

    Springboard Innovation Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh
    Bio

    Emily Smulewitz

    Emily Smulewitz grew up in Central Jersey (yes it does exist!) before attending the University of Delaware where she earned a B.A. in History Education and minored in Political Science. Throughout her time in college, she was involved with UD Hillel, where she worked as a Freshmen & Perspective Students Intern for two summers and a Marketing and Communications Intern during her senior year. She was also involved with her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, where she served on the Executive Board as the Vice President of Education. Additionally, she was the President of Creative Mentoring, a club in which students at UD mentor students at a local elementary school. For two years, she was a Peer Mentor for Univ-101, in which she helped Freshmen transition to college life. Through each of these involvements and others, she found her passion for working in Higher Education, helping others, and being a leader. In her personal life, she is a big fan of the New York Rangers (sorry Penguins fans!) and enjoys photography and traveling, which she hopes to do more of soon. Emily is so excited to meet new students and explore Pittsburgh!