AACC Center Director: Alicia McKenzie (she/her)

I was born and raised in Bridgeport, CT with my parents and 4 siblings where I attended Warren Harding
High. I graduated from Eastern CT State University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. During
my time at Eastern, I was an RA, captain of our dance team YNot?, and involved in a few campus clubs. I
graduated with my Master’s from Central CT State University in Counseling w/ a Specialization in
Student Development in Higher Education. I have worked in Higher Education since 2011 in positions
ranging from Residence Life, Students Affairs, and Diversity & Inclusion. I am passionate about
empowering our underrepresented students and assisting in their overall development. I am a proud
member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my
daughters, husband, family and friends. I love spending long days on the beach, practicing yoga,
journaling, meditating and music. I am a city girl with a love for the outdoors and activities that ground
me. Dancing is a core peace of who I am and an outlet for expression. I am an avid football fan and have
played in a co-ed flag football league for 8 years.

E-Mail: alicia.mckenzie@uconn.edu

 

 AACC Center Assistant Director: Velda Alfred-Abney (she/her)

I am St. Lucian born and raised, I migrated to Brooklyn, NY as a teenager where I attended Boys and Girls High School.  I graduated from SUNY Oswego in 2002 with an MBA.  I joined the UConn Staff in 2004 as a Residence Hall Director with the Department of Residential Life.  I enjoy working with and advocating for students.  I am interested in Social Justice, Multicultural Affairs, and Student Leadership Development.  I am a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.  

Outside of work, I enjoys spending time with my partner, two daughters, family, and friends.  I also enjoys traveling and learning about different places, people, and cultures.  

E-Mail: velda.alfred@uconn.edu

Graduate Assistant: Lex Greene (they/she)

I am a first-year masters student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) program. I was born
in the Bronx, NY and raised in Bridgeport, CT. I began my college career at Hamilton College in 2016;
however, took a two-year leave of absence to pursue makeup artistry before transferring to the
University of Bridgeport (UB) in 2020 and graduating with an English: Creative Writing degree in 2023. At
UB, I engineered a qualitative data-based research project called "The Bias(Ed) Discussion: Expanding
Educational Narratives" (TBD) and became passionate about helping BIPOC and QPOC narrate non-linear
stories of educational trauma. Through my experiences with HESA and AACC, I strives to liberate the
collective voice of minorities, as well as create avenues for artistic expressionism; identity exploration;
activism; education; accessibility, representation, and visibility as a multimedia artist.

E-Mail: alexis.greene@uconn.edu