| Simpdy Merelan, a Haitian-American woman from Neptune, New Jersey, graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Africana Studies in 2002 and an M.A. degree in October 2005. As Department of Justice Grant/Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Program Coordinator, Ms. Merelan coordinated sexual assault prevention efforts at Bowie State University. She was also responsible for conducting sexual and dating violence outreach on campus. Prior to Bowie State University, she served in various student and academic affairs capacities. She acted as an Academic Counselor for Mercer County Community College, Residence Director for Rutgers University - Douglass College Office of Residence Life, a Residential Director for the Upward Bound Program at University of Maryland-Baltimore County, and a Part-time Lecturer for the Women's and Gender Studies Program at Rutgers University. Ms. Merelan also served as a volunteer domestic violence and sexual assault victim advocate for a non-profit organization that provides resources to those affected by domestic violence and sexual assault, Womanspace, Inc. |
