Diana (Benmergui) Chadi ’05S, ’10W has been the university registrar for Yeshiva University since 2011. Previously, she served as the associate registrar at the Beren Campus for five years and as a presidential fellow in 2005-2006. She received her BA from Stern College for Women in 2005, her MSW from YU’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work in 2010, and her Master’s in Education from Teachers College of Columbia University in 2015. She is currently working toward her doctorate in Higher and Post-secondary Education at Teachers College. She lives in Passaic, New Jersey, with her husband Ronny and their son, Rafi.
- What was it like being a student at YU and now a professional at YU?
At first, it was strange, but I adjusted soon enough and haven’t looked back since. The strangest part in the beginning was working with students who were my personal friends and maintaining my professionalism despite our relationship. Obviously, with time, this became less of an issue as my friends moved on and the new incoming students were no longer my peers. But my experience early on taught me the power of making a difference in someone’s life. I saw how a simple smile or lending an ear could catapult a student toward a reality they otherwise thought was unattainable.
- What does a registrar do, exactly?
Registrars are often described as the hub of a wheel in which various spokes meet at the hub to create the wheel. As a registrar, I interact with a variety of departments from deans and advisors, to facilities, housing and student life in order to help manage the academics of the institution. My goal is to serve the needs of the students, respond to requests from the faculty and administration for data and to safeguard the integrity of the institution’s records and degrees. From the time a student is admitted until they graduate, my office plays an integral role in their life on campus.
- What is your busiest time of year?
Our busiest times are typically the start and end of the semester as we get students settled into their courses for the term and prepare them for registration for the upcoming term. The month of May is particularly busy as we prepare for commencement in addition to our regular end-of-semester work.
- What do you like most about your job? What is the biggest challenge about your job?
My favorite aspect of the job is working with students as we help improve our services. I am always open to ideas and suggestions as to how we can better serve our student body. Students will often drop by my office just to chat and ask for advice about their future plans, and helping students achieve their goals is always exciting. I enjoy hearing from former students who have let me know how I made a difference; those notes and calls always push me to do more. The biggest challenge is juggling my personal life, which includes my husband and one-and-a-half year old son, my professional life, and pursuing my degree at Teachers. Thankfully, I have been blessed to have a wonderful husband who is always by my side and helps me juggle all of my responsibilities and reassures me, especially when I am thrown a myriad of deadlines at once. I am also lucky to have wonderful colleagues who have been instrumental in helping me pursue my goals. For example, Dean Karen Bacon encouraged me to pursue my degree in higher education when I was an Associate Registrar on the Beren Campus, and it was her guidance that helped me actualize my dream.
- If you could choose to hold any other career at YU, what would it be? And what it would be if you could choose any other career in the world?
I fell in love with the academic side of higher education and I often toy with the idea of becoming a professor where I could teach, do research and provide service to YU in that way. As a professor, I would be lucky to have a direct impact on students, which I would enjoy. In terms of any other career in the world, I joke with my husband from time to time about attending culinary school. I truly love cooking and entertaining and I would relish the opportunity to advance my skills and expertise in these areas, and perhaps start my own catering business.
