Cassaundra (Cassie) Guzman is a West Coast transplant originally from Los Angeles, CA.  After completing her Bachelor's degree in Journalism, she drove across country to Syracuse, NY to pursue her Master's in Cultural Foundations of Education at Syracuse University.  As she currently works to complete her PhD, she simultaneously works with undergraduate students from underrepresented communities attending Predominately White Institutions.  As a first-generation student herself, her work within higher education focuses on how universities can better support these populations of students.

Outside of academia, Cassie spends most of her free time with her Golden Retriever, Atlas.  Together they go on all kinds of adventures around Central New York in search of the best hiking trails and tastiest Mexican restaurants.