Staff

Abigail Beshkin is the Chazen Institute’s Senior Associate Director of Communications and Programs. An editor, writer, and producer, she earned her master’s degree in journalism from Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism while also serving as a public affairs officer in Columbia’s communications office. She then went on to a career in public radio, working as a writer, producer, and reporter in the public radio system -— first at KJZZ, the NPR affiliate in Phoenix, then at WBUR, Boston’s flagship NPR station. Her work has been heard on a variety of public radio shows, including Marketplace, and appeared in the New York Times, Salon, and numerous other publications.   

Now working in higher education communications, Abigail has served as the managing editor of Barnard Magazine, the alumnae quarterly of Barnard College. Most recently, she was the editor of Columbia Business magazine, where she got to write about the transformative research and practice taking place within the CBS community. She especially enjoys interviewing scholars and experts to learn about their work, then translating complex material into engaging articles, posts, and other content. Her first job out of college was as a speechwriter for the New York City Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, and she has since particularly liked crafting remarks for others and helping her colleagues sharpen their writing and messaging. She is thrilled to return to Columbia Business School to help get the word out about the amazing work the Chazen Institute is doing.   

She lives in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. In her free time, she enjoys lap-swimming, creative writing, and singing a type of early American roots music known as Shape Note, or Sacred Harp, music.

Melissa Spooner is the Associate Director of the Jerome A. Chazen Institute for Global Business. She manages the Chazen Global Study Tours; the Bridging the American Divides course; and our student focused events (Global Spotlight series and Traveling While series). She loves collaborating with students to create their dream trips,  as well as guiding future business leaders to better understand how everything is connected in our globalized world. 

Melissa inherited her passion for travel from her grandparents. At her grandparent's house was a map of the world covered with colorful pins displaying their adventures. Having visited 40+ countries and lived in 3, Melissa's map is becoming quite full!  Originally intending to be an international lawyer, she studied Criminal Justice as an undergraduate at Northeastern University in Boston. Three years of living in Japan on the JET Program shifted her focus. After graduating with her MA in International Education, she joined the Chazen Institute team in 2018.

In her free time, Melissa enjoys many different outdoor sports: skiing, white water kayaking, and hiking. You can also usually find her climbing at The Cliffs LIC or bouldering at The Cliffs Harlem.

Zina Sockwell is an Associate Director at the Jerome A. Chazen Institute for Global Business, leading global entrepreneurship programs (ECLA and EC-Africa), the Bridging the American Divides trip to Ohio, and faculty and doctoral research grants. She is passionate about entrepreneurship, social impact, and bringing Columbia’s resources to underserved markets and communities. 

A Lion at heart, Zina graduated from Columbia College with a BA in Sociology. After college, she moved to the Bay Area to work in fintech, where she developed a passion for entrepreneurship (and the empowerment of entrepreneurs!). She joined the Chazen Institute in 2019.

In her free time, she loves studying languages (Spanish, French, a little Portuguese, and a bit of German), cooking all different kinds of food, and learning new textile crafts.

Ryan Hata is the (Events) Assistant Director at the Jerome A. Chazen Institute for Global Business. He joined the Institute after completing his degree in Higher and Postsecondary Education from Teachers College in May of 2019. In his role, he plans events for the China Business Initiative (CBI) and the Indian Business Initiative (IBI). Some events include the Lulu Chow Wang Senior Visiting Scholars Program, the Sir Gordon Wu Distinguished Speaker Forum, the N.T. Wang Distinguished Lecture, and the Khemka Speaker Forum. He will also manage the Institute’s visiting scholars program.     

Ryan has always been passionate about helping international individuals. Prior to joining the Chazen Institute, he worked at Barnard College with the International Student Services team and taught English in Tottori, Japan on the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program.     

Additionally, Ryan holds a B.A. in Communications from Loyola Marymount University, an M.A. in Asian American Studies from San Francisco State University, and an M.A. in Higher and Postsecondary Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.      

Originally hailing from Honolulu, Hawaii, Ryan is an avid hiker, beach-goer, and swimmer. He also enjoys traveling and experiencing new cultures. When not outdoors, you can find Ryan enjoying his time watching sporting events.

Jackie Basile is the Chazen Institute's program manager. After studying abroad in Ireland while earning her undergraduate degrees in political science and international studies from Ramapo College, she became passionate about traveling and international education. She worked in higher education before graduating with her MA in international relations at University College Dublin. Passionate about international travel, helping international students, and embracing new cultures, Jackie worked at American Field Service (AFS USA) as an Inbound Sponsored Programs Associate and at the Consulate General of Ireland, New York as a cultural and visa officer before joining the Chazen Institute in 2024.

Jackie manages the Institute’s Language Program. She also collaborates on global travel programs and supports regional global entrepreneurship programs (ECLA and EC Africa). In her free time, Jackie enjoys traveling to new countries, especially in Europe, going to concerts and Pilates classes, and reading books.