Urgent need: The number of students turning to the Purple Apron Food Pantry has doubled this semester—and demand is expected to double again. Help ensure no Hunter student goes hungry while pursuing their goals. Give to the Purple Apron Food Pantry.

Our Team

Hillary SchrenellHillary Schrenell
Executive Director

Hillary Schrenell joined the Sorensen Center as Executive Director with two decades of experience working within and across local and federal government and institutions of higher education. She most recently served as senior advisor to the Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where she led key organizational change initiatives to modernize the Agency. Before USAID, Hillary was director of project development at Columbia World Projects, a university-wide initiative mobilizing research and scholarship to address a variety of global challenges in partnership with government, the private sector, and communities. Earlier in her career she served as Deputy Commissioner for International Affairs for New York City, where she developed new programs to leverage the United Nations as a resource for city residents, and a senior advisor to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, where she directed successful high-level diplomatic and public relations campaigns on a range of global issues. A product of New Jersey public schools and a graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School, Hillary began her legal career supporting access to justice programs in West Africa and southern Texas.

Maisie Haft 
College Assistant

Maisie Haft brings a broad variety of experience to the Sorensen Center, spanning media, education, and advocacy. Prior to starting at the Sorensen Center, she worked in the film industry for seven years, joining the Director’s Guild of America in 2021. Recognized for her strong organizational skills and commitment to managing teams in a way that promoted equity and safety, she worked on TV shows such as Law & Order, Blacklist, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Before working on film sets, she worked as an administrative coordinator for an educational summer camp in the arts. Born and raised in New York City, Maisie's commitment to advocacy began during high school when she interned for the New York Common Pantry and UNICEF’s Branding office.