CuPID | Who We Are

Our Mission

CuPID’s mission is to cultivate connection among individuals and communities within and around the University of Pittsburgh by engaging in authentic dialogue centered on our diverse lived experiences—learning together the ways in which we can empower each other to thrive.

What matters to us?

Community + Connection + Authenticity

Truly seeing, hearing, and learning who we are and how to support one another in a world that seems to strip our humanity away or tell us that our genuine selves, identities, and backgrounds are not enough.

We aim to get it right while recognizing and honoring that there is no “right.”

Learn with Us Get in Touch

Who We Are

Adriana Modesto Gomes Da Silva

Hello! Welcome to CuPID! I’m so glad you’re here with us! My name is Adriana Modesto Gomes Da Silva (she/ela/ella). My superpowers are kindness, love, and patience. I'm very passionate about personal growth and creative opportunities. I truly believe that by valuing, respecting and welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, we can unlock a wealth of unique talents and ideas. I started writing poetry to express my feelings and find meaning in my life. I wrote my first poem “Looking in the mirror” in 2020 when I started practicing self-acceptance and embracing all aspects of my intersecting identities.

Lilcelia Williams

My name is Dr. Lilcelia A. Williams and it is a pleasure to meet you! I am more affectionately known as CeCe by colleagues, peers, and students within and across the community. I am a loving, empathetic, compassionate and devoted mother, daughter, wife, friend, and knowledgeable other to many. I am proud to be walking in my passion and my purpose as a health disparities research scientist advocating for minoritized communities and working to irradicate the health disparities experienced by members of minorities communities. I firmly believe in the timeless words offered by the late, great Maya Angelou, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.”

Kathryn Reed

Hi everyone! My name is Kathryn Reed, and my pronouns are she, her, hers. Experiences that bring me joy include spending time with my family and friends, having conversations with my 3-year-old nephew, going for walks with my fiancé, organizing a messy cabinet or pantry, exercising to support my mental health and overall wellness (yoga, weightlifting, HIIT training, hiking, etc.), reading, and mentoring. I want to live in a world where kindness, growth, vulnerability, and authenticity are prioritized and embraced. Everything I do aligns with this goal - especially CuPID. We are so grateful for your presence here.

Karthik Hariharan

Hello, thanks for your interest in CUPID and our team. I am Karthik Hariharan and my pronouns are he/him. I moved to Pittsburgh to attend graduate school in 2008. I found my passion in teaching / higher education and have been a faculty member at Pitt since 2013. Things that fulfill my life are traveling, experiencing and being immersed in new cultures, binge watching reality TV with my wife and our two dachshund mix puppies. I love cooking, hosting friends and family and trying new recipes. I truly believe in being the change I want to see in the world. I enjoy being authentic and true to myself and strive to create an environment where everyone around me feels safe to do the same. To quote Confucius ‘Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it’, I strongly hope that CUPID allows you to view the beauty in the world around you with a different perspective as it has for me.

John Guinane

I’m John Guinane and I’m a filmmaker. I’ve been making videos for the University of Pittsburgh Center for Teaching and Learning since 2013, and have been behind a camera since the early 90s. I focus my energy on becoming the person I want to be. I work out regularly, I play VR, I’m fascinated by AI, and I enjoy learning about and connecting with people. CUPID is one of the most important projects I’ve been involved in. I truly believe it can help people understand each other better and bring communities together.

Robin Albright

Hello! I'm Robin Albright (she/her). I am Hispanic, outgoing, and very active! When I'm not designing online courses, I love to get outdoors and hike or run, or head inside for a CrossFit or yoga class. I'm a registered yoga and group fitness instructor, and I love to teach classes that empower adults and help them feel stronger, inside and out. I’m so grateful for my roles as a daughter, a sister, a spouse, an aunt, and an obsessive owner of a pitbull and a beagle. And I’m grateful to you for your interest in CuPID!

Santa Pastorius

Hello. I’m Santa Pastorius, a wife, daughter, sister, aunt, dog mom, and instructional designer. I love reading, walking in the woods with my dog, and whipping up delicious meals in the kitchen with my family. I also cherish spending time with my four nieces and four nephews. I'm incredibly proud to be a part of the Cupid Project and all it represents.

Alyssa Holtz

Hi! My name is Alyssa Holtz and I am a mom to two beautiful children, three wild dogs, and many plants. I am an avid reader and art-lover. I am obsessed with organization, work relaxes me in my otherwise hectic life with two toddlers, as it gives me a sense of control while in other areas, I have none. I love talking with and learning about others but talking about myself is not my strong suit as I am quite shy. I appreciate you taking the time to read a little about myself and the quirks that make me, me!

Bernardo Vieira

Hello! My name is Bernardo Modesto Vieira. I am Latino, originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but grew up in Western PA. Somehow, instead of playing soccer, I was drawn to the sport of ice hockey and have played for 20 years now. I graduated from North Allegheny High School, where I played Varsity hockey for all four years, and then studied at the University of Pittsburgh, where I played on the Men’s D1 hockey team until my college career ended after four great years in 2022. I now live in New York City and work for a wonderful nonprofit organization, Ice Hockey in Harlem, which connects the BIPOC youth in Harlem with the sport of ice hockey providing free equipment, ice time, and instruction for the kids in the program. I'm incredibly proud to be a part of the CuPID Program and have assisted in organizing the project since its inception with the Pitt First Gear Entrepreneurship program

Susan Graff

Hello. I’m Susan Graff (she/her). I am a healer, a teacher, a friend, and a mother. I am a deeply feeling person. To borrow a phrase from one of our first CuPID interviewees, I carry a fire in my belly. I often find this fire hard to contain and worry that it will swallow me with its intense burning. But I know this fire also feeds my soul and lights my path. It has led me here, to this space, with you. Thank you for being here and for sharing your fire with me.