CAS Academic Advising
100 Bay State Road, Room 401
Boston, MA 02215
T: 617-353-2400 F: 617-353-1859
casadv@bu.edu
Monday to Friday
9AM to 5PM

Inquiry Form

Directions

Via the T: Take the B (green) line to Kenmore Square.

Meet the Staff

Steve Jarvi
Associate Dean for Student Academic Life
sjarvi@bu.edu
Dean Jarvi returned to BU, where he earned his Masters Degree in Guidance and Counseling, in 2010 after stops at Brandeis University and the University of Connecticut. He earned a BS in Psychology at Springfield College and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration at UConn. He began his career as a high school guidance counselor on the North Shore of Massachusetts and claims to still be a guidance counselor only with older students and more administrative duties. Away from the office he enjoys spending time with his family, biking around Boston and hitting fairways and greens.

Kerry Buglio
Assistant Dean for Advising & Academic Services
kbuglio@bu.edu
Dean Buglio grew up in northern New Jersey but fell in love with Massachusetts in college and has never left. She has a B.A. in English and an M.S. in College Student Development & Counseling. She has worked in higher education her entire career and has been at Boston University since 2004. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, shopping for vintage housewares, being a fun auntie, and planning vacations. She loves helping students achieve their academic goals (as well as helping them figure out what those goals are in the first place!).

Ali Grise
Director of Academic Advising
agrise@bu.edu

Ali grew up in a small New Hampshire town, where she fell in love with hiking, running, and being outdoors. She earned her BA in Secondary Education and English from Boston College and taught 8th grade English for a few years after that – until she realized her true joy came from meaningful conversations about students emotional and mental well-being. Ali then joined the CAS academic advising team at BU, where she worked primarily with undeclared and first-year students. She now serves as the Director of Academic Advising in CAS. In her spare time, Ali can be found reading, running around Boston, and playing with her dog, Rosa.

Caitlin Berlo
Director of Academic Services
cberlo@bu.edu
Caitlin never expected she would end up with a career in higher education when she first started at the College of the Holy Cross as a pre-medical student. After struggling with organic chemistry the same semester she took a history course on the French Renaissance, she decided to drop her science major for a B.A. in History and Creative Writing. A year after graduation, she started an administrative job at BU where she also earned a M.Ed. in Policy, Planning and Administration before transitioning into an advising role with CAS. When Caitlin is not working with her students, she is spending time with her family and friends, reading a good book, or enjoying the outdoors.

Christopher McMullen
Assistant Director
cmcmull@bu.edu
Chris is a first generation college graduate who earned his BA and EdM from Boston University, and in the process, completed the CAS Core Curriculum, studied abroad at Oxford University, and completed his student teaching practicum in London, England.  As assistant director of CAS Advising, Chris enjoys guiding current BU students toward the myriad opportunities available to them here. Chris primarily advises undeclared and first-year students and is the designated academic advisor for Core students. Chris teaches an undeclared section of FY101, the First-Year Experience course in the fall, and FY102: Introduction to Careers in the Humanities in the spring. Outside of work, Chris enjoys running, skiing, and reading, and is an avid fan of BU hockey.

Michelle  Njoroge
Academic Advisor
mnjoroge@bu.edu
Michelle (she/her) is a first-generation graduate of Boston University (CAS’20) who was born in Thika, Kenya but grew up in Harrisburg, PA. She graduated from Boston University with a B.A. with Honors in Neuroscience and a minor in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. Although Michelle was a STEM major, she fell in love with higher education and supporting students through her work in Admissions, Student Government, founding a peer-mentorship organization, and being a Resident Assistant on campus. As a recent graduate, Michelle is always happy to share her personal knowledge of the BU student experience in her advising sessions. Outside of higher education, Michelle is a Megaformer Pilates instructor and is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion work. If you’re lucky, you may even catch Michelle walking her adorable cockapoo Nova on campus!

Rebekah Stearns
Academic Advisor
stearnsr@bu.edu
Rebekah grew up in New Hampshire and graduated with her BA in History and International Relations from Saint Anselm College. Beginning her undergraduate program as an undeclared student she fell in love with the opportunities to learn and explore different subjects in college. Following this passion, she started an administrative position in the CAS Academic Advising Office. She brings her love of learning and higher education to her role. In her spare time, Rebekah likes to read, explore, try new crafts, and drink lots of tea.

Sarah Niles
Assistant Director
sdniles
My name is Sarah Niles, and I joined the CAS Advising team at Boston University in 2008. I attended the University of Connecticut, where I earned both a B.A. in Communications and Sociology and my M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration Student Affairs. I have certifications in both the Strong Interest Inventory and Gallup Strengths. While my area of expertise is working with undeclared and first-year students, I also manage the Dual Degree program for CAS and serve as an FY 101 instructor. I am also a BPS Community Service Scholars mentor, a SAFEBUDS member, and a First-Generation Ally. I enjoy having the opportunity to help students navigate their undergraduate careers and find what lights them up. I grew up in southern Connecticut and like listening to music, traveling, good food and spending time with my nieces and nephews.

Sean Mullady
Graduation Advisor
smullady@bu.edu
Sean is originally from Long Island, New York, but he has lived in Boston since beginning his Freshman year at Boston University in 2009. After completing his B.S. in Latin & Classical Studies Education in 2013, Sean joined the CAS Advising team as a Program Coordinator, later completing his Ed.M. in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies. Sean has been a Graduation Advisor since 2018 and he enjoys assisting students in building plans that help them meet their academic goals and teaching FY 101 for transfer students. While not working, Sean loves collecting comics, building up his trivia knowledge, and hanging out with his two cats.