Officer Bios

Nathan Ross (president)

Nathan Ross is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the General Studies Learning Community. He came to Adelphi from Oklahoma City University, where he was a Professor of Philosophy. He also served for three years as a President of the AAUP advisory chapter at that university. He does research on the history of philosophy, political philosophy and critical theory. He started service for the chapter when he was elected as a representative of the College of Arts and Sciences in 2022 and served on the negotiation team starting that summer. 

Elizabeth Palley (First Vice President for Collective Bargaining)

Elizabeth Palley has been a Professor in the School of Social Work for over 20 years.  She has researched and published extensively about disability policy, child and family policy and health policy.  She was on the Executive Committee and served as the chief negotiator for the 2016 contract negotiation and is returning to the Union leadership after taking a multi-year hiatus. 

Josh Hiller (Second Vice President for Grievances)

Josh Hiller is an Associate Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science specializing in stochastic processes, discrete mathematics, and mathematical epidemiology. He has previously been involved with the Adelphi Chapter of the AAUP, first on an Ad-Hoc basis helping with pay equity cases and then as a member of the Executive Committee from 2019-2024 where he served as the Chapter Secretary, President, and finally as Immediate Past President. He is a strong advocate for faculty rights and a true believer in the power of solidarity.

Cem Karatas (Treasurer)

Cem Karatas is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Finance and Economics at Robert B. Willumstad School of Business where he serves as the Director of AACSB Accreditation and the Chair of the Continuous Improvement Committee. Before joining Adelphi University, he worked in six different universities in the US either as an adjunct professor or as a teaching assistant. His professional experience includes working in a reserve bank, military, and an NSF affiliated research center. He contributes to the Finance Literature in the areas of Behavioral Finance, Climate Finance, and Initial Public Offerings.

Chana Etengoff (Secretary)

Chana Etengoff is an Associate Professor at the Derner School of Psychology. First arriving at Adelphi in 2017, Chana has been an active union member from the start. Her research focuses on LGBTQ+ rights, multiple minority stress and intersectionality. She brings this focus with her to our union work, collaborating with campus partners to make Adelphi a safer and more equitable workplace for all.