Carolina Avellaneda is the vice president and general counsel. As general counsel, she manages the institution’s legal and regulatory affairs. She provides strategic counsel to the President, Board of Trustees, and senior leadership, shaping the College’s legal strategy and ensuring compliance, governance, and risk management across all institutional operations, including Emerson’s international campus in the Netherlands and its Emerson Los Angeles program. In addition, she oversees the Human Resources Department, the Police Department, and the Office of Equal Opportunity.
Avellaneda brings a wealth of experience in higher education, legal strategy, and institutional leadership. Before joining Emerson, she served for three years as the first chief strategy officer and strategic counsel for the University of Massachusetts’ five campuses, where she spearheaded transformative initiatives, including establishing UMass Global, the university’s nonprofit online college.
Her prior roles include serving as general counsel and vice president of operations at Fisher College in Boston and 16 years as a partner at McCarter & English, LLP.
Avellaneda is an independent director of MassHousing. She is also a founder and former chair of the Advisory Board for My Life My Choice, a program of the Justice Resource Institute. Additionally, she is a founding member of the Latino Equity Fund at the Boston Foundation.
A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Avellaneda brings a global perspective to her work. Her fluency in Spanish and international background have shaped her approach to fostering inclusive, equitable, and innovative environments throughout her career.
Avellaneda earned a JD from Boston University School of Law and a BA in political science and psychology from Wellesley College. She also holds an Executive MBA for Lawyers from Boston University’s School of Management.
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- Department General Counsel