Housing Policy Committee

Sen. Tian Zheng is Professor of Statistics in Faculty of Arts and Sciences, where she has served since 2002 and as Department Chair from 2019 to 2025. Her research focuses on developing statistical and data science methods for understanding complex, high-dimensional data, with applications ranging from social networks and public health to climate science and artificial intelligence. Her work has consistently bridged disciplines and connected research, education, and public impact. Zheng held leadership roles in interdisciplinary centers and institutes, including the Data Science Institute and the NSF-funded Center for Learning the Earth with Artificial Intelligence and Physics (LEAP). She has also been actively engaged in university governance through service on A&S and University committees related to budget, educational innovation, research computing, curricular policy, and etc. Zheng is committed to advancing data science and AI in ways that are rigorous, inclusive, and socially responsible and have been contributing to initiatives such as aiX Faculty Fellowship at Columbia, the University Seminar on AI For Social Good and Society, and a number of external initiatives. Zheng's teaching spans undergraduate to doctoral education. She has worked extensively to support data science education efforts across disciplines through the Collaboratory Program and DSI Data Science Education working group. 

Sen. Steven Chaikelson is Professor of Professional Practice in Theatre Arts in the School of the Arts, where he runs the MFA Theatre Management and Producing Program, and serves as Co-Director of the T Fellowship for Creative Producers. He also teaches in Columbia Law School and Barnard College.

Through his company, Snug Harbor Productions, Steven general manages and/or produces on and off Broadway, around the United States, and internationally. His most recent producing credits include the Broadway and touring productions of The Band’s Visit, winner of 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical, the Off-Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, and Death of a Salesman in London. Steven has consulted for numerous not-for-profit arts institutions, including the Apollo Theatre, Cambodian Living Arts, and Peter Brook’s CICT.

Steven is a member of the New York State Bar, the Broadway League and Treasurer of the Off-Broadway League. He is a co-author of Theatre Law: Cases and Materials, the first law school textbook specifically devoted to theatre law, and has contributed to the theatre volumes of Entertainment Industry Contracts, published by LexisNexis. 

Sen. Nachum Sicherman is the Carson Family Professor of Business and the Chair of the Economics Division at the Graduate School of Business, Columbia University. He is an expert in the fields of labor economics, applied microeconomics, cost-benefit-analysis of medical procedures, and behavioral economics. His work has been published widely in top economic journals. Prior to Columbia, Prof. Sicherman taught at Rutgers University and the University of Chicago. He earned his PhD in economics at Columbia University.

Sen. Liane Bdair is a student at Columbia College, studying economics and political science on a pre-law track. She serves on the executive board of Turath, the Arab Students Association, where she helps foster community and cultural pride among Arab-identifying students. Additionally, Liane’s Palestinian- American Background makes her deeply committed to equity, inclusion, and student advocacy. As a University Senator, Liane is focused on promoting shared governance, increasing transparency from the administration, and ensuring that student perspectives are meaningfully included in decision-making processes. With a new perspective and a dedication to building bridges between administration and student groups, she is passionate about amplifying voices that are often overlooked in university policy and governance conversations.

Diego Rivera serves as deputy vice president to Columbia Residential and oversees all operational aspects of the Columbia University residential portfolio which includes 150 buildings (6.7 million GSF) and over 5,800 residential apartments. 

As the Deputy Vice President of Columbia Residential, Diego is responsible for the financial performance of the portfolio, property maintenance, the entire leasing process and residents’ satisfaction. He determines and ensures that annual budgets for the portfolio are met, that operating plans are effectively and efficiently monitored and that capital improvement projects are accomplished.   

Diego's extensive knowledge and experience comes from holding executive positions on some of the largest Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT) in the country, such as AvalonBay Communities, Equity Residential, Archstone-Smith and LCOR. With over 20 years of experience in Multifamily Real Estate, Diego has developed significant strengths in leadership and team building, marketing and promotions, as well as in customer relationship management, new business development, operations and profit and loss management. Diego holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the Universidad Mayor de San Simon, Bolivia.

Carrie Marlin serves as Vice Provost for Faculty Support and Work/Life at Columbia University.

In this role, she is responsible for policy development, strategic planning, and operations management in key areas of academic administration that support faculty and staff across all stages of their careers and facilitate the pursuit of the academic mission.

With oversight of foundational resources including faculty housing and loan programs, Columbia’s early childhood and K–12 priorities, and dual-career services, Carrie develops policies and directs initiatives that support Columbia’s community from recruitment through retirement and advance scholarship, research, and teaching. Her portfolio includes the Office of Work/Life, The K-8 School at Columbia University, Tompkins Hall Early Childhood Center at Columbia University, and Emeritus Professors in Columbia (EPIC). She also leads the implementation of the Office of the Provost’s strategic priorities to support staff development and enhance community and climate.

Carrie serves on the University’s Emergency Management Operations Team and the University Senate Housing Policy Committee. At the Provost’s request, she also served in an interim role as Executive Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, now the Office of Institutional Equity. She was a member of the President’s Advisory Task Force on COVID-19 and directed the President’s Enhanced Reporting Initiative.

Prior to joining the Office of the Provost in 2015, Carrie worked in education and public service in New York City and Washington, D.C. She served as Senior Director of Strategy and Policy for New York City Public Schools, Chief of Staff in the New York State Assembly, and Senior Advisor on political campaigns at the local and national levels. She also was a high school English and journalism teacher in District of Columbia Public Schools.

Carrie received her BA in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, her MA in Education from Trinity Washington University, and her MPA from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.

Sen. Adena Bargad, PhD, CNM is Associate Professor of Nursing at Columbia University School of Nursing. She is a Certified Nurse Midwife with more than two decades of clinical and teaching experience. She has served as Program Coordinator for the Women’s Health Subspecialty in the School of Nursing for over a decade and specializes in women’s sexual and reproductive health care across the life cycle. She maintains an active clinical practice with Planned Parenthood affiliates across New York. Dr. Bargad has designed and led graduate-level nursing curricula that integrate simulation-based education and distributed learning technologies. She is dedicated to preparing the next generation of nurse practitioners and midwives to advance health equity in their practice. Dr. Bargad has been nationally recognized as a PATH Framework trainer for Title X and Essential Access Health which promotes reproductive autonomy and values-centered counseling strategies. She was honored to receive the School of Nursing Teacher of the Year Award in 2023.