Staff & Board

Dr. Taiese Bingham-Hickman serves as the Assistant Vice President of Pathways and Pipelines at Brown University, where she leads strategic initiatives that expand educational and professional opportunities across the institution and beyond. In this role, she oversees programs such as The Leadership Alliance, the Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship, and the Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion Fund, fostering partnerships across campus and within the community to strengthen pipelines into higher education and research careers. With a focus on innovation, mentorship, and research, she drives programs that connect students, postdocs, and partners with resources that promote scholarship and long-term success.

Dr. Bingham-Hickman concurrently serves as Executive Director of The Leadership Alliance and Adjunct Associate Professor of Biology Education at Brown University. The Leadership Alliance, a national consortium founded by Brown in 1992, develops underrepresented students into leaders and role models across academia, the public, and private sectors. As an alumna of the Leadership Alliance Summer Research Early Identification Program (SR-EIP) at Harvard Medical School, she brings both personal and professional commitment to diversifying the research workforce.

As Executive Director, Dr. Bingham-Hickman serves as Co-PI on two National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs, PI of the Veterans Affairs Leadership Alliance SURF Program, and PI on major federal and foundation awards, including the National Institute of General Medical Sciences R25 Synergistic Network to Enhance Research that Grows Innovation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant, the Dana Foundation, and the Every Page Foundation.

Prior to her current roles, Dr. Bingham-Hickman was Assistant Director of Research and Operations at the Brown Center for Biomedical Informatics (BCBI) and the NIGMS-funded Advance-CTR Biomedical Informatics Core, where she supported major statewide research initiatives, policy development, and collaborations with Brown’s affiliated hospitals and national partners. Before joining Brown, she was Vice President of Data Analytics at Beacon Health Options, where she led the Analytics Innovation Center, overseeing teams of data scientists, analysts, and programmers to drive evidence-based decision-making in behavioral health.

She is also the Founder of the New England Equity Collective (NEEC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting equity and access to homeownership, providing financial literacy education, and creating affordable housing opportunities for underserved communities. Through NEEC, she advances inclusive housing solutions and strengthens community engagement initiatives.

Earlier in her career, she conducted biomedical research at Children’s Hospital Boston and completed a research fellowship at Harvard Medical School. She holds both an M.S. and Ph.D. in Molecular Pharmacology from New York University School of Medicine and an M.B.A. from Northeastern University. Her dissertation work has been published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, Journal of Lipid Research, and Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Maria DoVale is the Communications & Events Specialist for the Leadership Alliance. It is Ms. DoVale’s primary responsibility to plan, organize, coordinate and develop sessions that promote networking, mentoring and professional development for undergraduate students, graduate students, and our doctoral scholars. As the Ex-Officio of the Leadership Alliance Symposium Planning Committee, she works alongside colleagues from various member institutions who provide suggestions on different aspects of program planning for the Symposium. She is also responsible for maintaining the national website and keeping the public aware of all programming and events through social media. Ms. DoVale comes to us with a wealth of experience in administration, event planning and management augmented with exemplary technical, organizational and customer service skills. Prior to her appointment with the Leadership Alliance, Ms. DoVale worked for the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau helping to promote the state of Rhode Island as well as the city of Providence as a convention destination. Prior to this appointment, she worked for American Express corporate travel. Ms. DoVale holds a B.A. in Travel & Tourism Management from Johnson & Wales University.

Dr. Cuartas currently serves as the Coordinator of Undergraduate Programs. She joined the Leadership Alliance in January of 2025. Prior to joining the Leadership Alliance, Dr. Cuartas worked as a customer experience supervisor with expertise in workplace safety and employee wellness programs. Throughout her previous career, she attained a Doctor of Philosophy degree, specializing in humanities and sociology from Salve Regina University. She also holds a Master of Education degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Providence College. As an undergraduate, Dr. Cuartas earned the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship for academic achievement, which opened many doors and inspired her career in higher education.