Meet Our Staff
Art Thomas
Director
apthomas@syr.edu
Art is the Co-founder and Director of the iConsult Collaborative at Syracuse University and the Executive Director for the Office of Professional Acceleration and Microcredentials in the College of Professional Studies. He has been teaching at SU since 2001, and has been a Professor of Practice since 2009. Prior to his current role, Art had been the Associate Dean for Career Services and Experiential Learning, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and the Director of two information technology Master’s degree programs, all at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies (the iSchool). Positions on the corporate side of his career have ranged from Programmer to Chief Information Officer, and from Trainer to Chief Learning Officer. With more than 30 years of added consulting experience, his contracts have taken him from the USA to Europe and the Middle East, where he led two projects for the Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman.
Allison Roth
Staff Advisor
amroth@syr.edu
Allison is the Staff Advisor for the iConsult Collaborative at Syracuse University, and the Operations Specialist for the Office of Professional Acceleration and Microcredentials at the College of Professional Studies. Allison previously served for over 6 years on the staff of Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and Management from SU’s iSchool, where she also earned a Master of Science in Information Management and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Data Science.
Raveena Gangurde
Student Program Manager
rvgangur@syr.edu
Raveena recently graduated from the Master’s in Information Systems at the School of Information Studies, and will be assisting in project transitions. Originally from Mumbai, India, she completed her undergrad in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering at Mumbai University. With an interests in the advertising and media domains, as well as data analytics, Raveena also brings experience as a Quality Assurance Analyst.
Shweta Rane
Student Program Manager
srane01@syr.edu
Shweta recently graduated from the Master’s in Information Systems at the School of Information Studies, and will be assisting in project transitions. Originally from Mumbai, India, she completed her undergrad in Information Technology at Mumbai University’s Xavier Institute of Engineering, and then worked as a Test Analyst for three years. Specializing in both functional and non-functional testing with SDLC practices, she has functioned in different environments, each of which has demanded a specific skill set. So, she is used to collaborating with clients to gather requirements and accomplish milestones in an adaptive approach to projects that solve complex problems.
Sushma Deshmuk
Student Program Manager
sudeshmu@syr.edu
Sushma is in her second year of the Master’s in Information Systems at the School of Information Studies. She completed her undergrad in Information Science from PDA College of Engineering in India, and worked first as an AWS Technical Intern and then as a Business Analyst. She became a Project Manager for Quantum ‘CUSE at Syracuse University, and then moved into the role of Project Manager for iConsult in May of 2023. She was promoted to iConsult Program Manager in September of 2023, where she focuses on Customer Relationships, Quality Assurance and Agile Methodologies. Sushma is a PMI Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) and a Certified Scrum Master (CSM).
Ritesh Ghorpade
Student Program Manager
rghorpad@syr.edu
Ritesh is in his second year of the Master’s in Information Systems at the School of Information Studies. He completed his undergrad degree at the University of Mumbai in Electronics Engineering, and worked as a research and development intern where he automated workflows and established other performance improvement approaches through the application of technology. Ritesh became a Consultant and Web Developer at iConsult in 2022, where he focused on SEO analysis, website development and social media consultation. He was promoted to iConsult Program Manager in August of 2023, and specializes in projects that involve User Interface and Experience, Data Analysis, Visualization and Market Research.
Manushri Gowda
Student Program Manager
mmgowda@syr.edu
Manushri is in her second year of the Master’s in Information Systems at the School of Information Studies. Prior to this, she earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Telecommunication from the University of Mumbai, SEIS Graduate School in India. Manushri has worked in India as an engineering intern focusing on Quality Assurance, an Assistant Manager in business operations and customer service quality, and a product manager, where she coordinated a team to ensure proper functioning of customer-facing technologies and staff technology training. In addition to her role as a Program Manager for iConsult, Manushri also serves on the E-Board of Nanhi Kali Syracuse University, a group raising funds to send underserved girls in India to school.
Shruti Rao
Student Program Manager
srao19@syr.edu
Shruti is in her second year of the Master’s in Information Systems at the School of Information Studies. She earned a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance, as well as a Master of Commerce with a specialty of E-Commerce, both from Mumbai University in India. She has engaged in projects involving database management, marketing strategies, financial and business strategies, product management and marketing, and data analytics. Shruti is also the Treasurer of Nanhi Kali Syracuse University. As a Project Manager at iConsult, she oversees a special project to enhance the website for Nanhi Kali, and she also serves as a Business Analyst for the Office of Professional Acceleration and Microcredentials, where she assists in the documentation of new workflows and data systems for enrollment management.
Rutika Gangurde
Student Program Manager
rgangurd@syr.edu
Rutika is in her second year of her Master’s in Engineering Management at SU, and brings with her an undergraduate Bachelor of Engineering degree in Engineering Management from Atharva College of Engineering at the University of Mumbai, India. Following the earning of her Bachelor’s degree, she became an Associate Software Developer – Product, at Accenture Solutions in Mumbai. Rutika also earned a certification from Accenture in SAP Business Warehouse/Business Intelligence Stream, and she brings numerous skills in project management, user design, analytics and cloud systems.