Biography

Co-founder of START, former Assistant Director of DAl, and current Director of the Academic Testing Center during the day.

Dr. Macaruso teaches courses in the evening that focus on academic success, belonging, equity, social justice, and mental health. BONUS: Dr. M. is ALSO the instructor for START URI’s UCS 160 course!

Name: Lisa Macaruso.  

Job Title: Director of the Academic Testing Center  

Job title if you could make your own:  Madame President.  

In another life, I’m pretty sure I was:  The Goddess Hestia. She was a deity who protected the household and family. She chose to live on Earth, rather than Mount Olympus, to mend families and teach men and women how to build strong family bonds. She was also playful and enjoyed ancient board games. Hestia also had a cool emotional temperament that could calm others, but when necessary she could bring the heat!  

On Sunday mornings, you can usually find me...  with my husband and teens playing Scrabble at the table while we wait for Hulu to post the previous night’s SNL episode.  By 11am we are all piled into one corner of the couch watching SNL and eating Tater Tots or having a Cereal Buffet.  

Name a few of your daily habits (other than a shower and brushing your teeth). Most mornings I choose a Peloton ride, even when I can only commit to 20 minutes. After getting ready for the day, I make breakfast for my family and tag-team to get everyone where they need to be. These days, I can carve out time to grind locally roasted coffee beans and percolate a fresh pot of coffee which I use to keep me engaged during these digital days! This is my morning meditation.  

What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome to accomplish your academic goals, and, what advice would you give to your past self? 

I am a first-generation college student from a non-traditional family that struggled with many issues. Growing up in a suburban neighborhood surrounded by intact families, I did not realize that there were so many others overcoming struggles similar to mine.  At times it was isolating and confusing.  

I would give myself the same advice I did then: an education will be my escape; these challenges will teach me do better for others than was done for me; troubles are temporary and someday I will have the means to create the life and family I dream of. 

The path was not easy, nor was it without my missteps, but these three mantras carried me through some uncertain times. Now I am an educator, a social justice advocate, a political activist, a lifelong learner pursing a doctorate in Educational Leadership, and a wife and mother to a family I cherish and who treasures me in return.   

What is your favorite part about your job? If you are reading this – it’s you.  Connecting with students who are seeking to advance their education and helping those who are trying to support someone else to do so is at the heart of the work.  My second favorite part of my work is problem solving.  I have a solution-oriented mindset. If you have a goal, I have a plan.