HTI Staff

Joanne Rodríguez

Joanne Rodríguez

Executive Director

Rev. Joanne Rodríguez is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, since 2011. From 1999, she has worked collaboratively with students, faculty, deans, directors of non-profit educational programs, and presidents to ensure that HTI doctoral students complete their doctoral studies and become leaders that make an impact in theological and religious education as well as in the larger landscape of education. Rev. Rodríguez received her Th.M. (2002) and M.Div. (1999) from Princeton Theological Seminary, and her B.A. (1986) from Pace University.  She is a teaching elder at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Trenton, New Jersey.

Email: Joanne.Rodriguez@ptsem.edu

Ángela Schoepf

Ángela Schoepf

Associate Director for Operations

A native Colombian, Ángela joined HTI in 1999, after a career working for multinational companies. The transition required a bit of adjustment, but soon Ángela developed a deep passion for HTI’s mission, through the stories of the now more than 160 scholars she has worked for. Ángela is a graduate of Universidad Colegio Mayor de Cundinamarca and Institución Universitaria Politécnico Grancolombiano, with Bachelor’s degrees in business and languages and computer sciences. She sees in each one of the graduates a role model for her daughter.

Email: Angela.Schoepf@ptsem.edu

Vanessa Ríos Valentín

Vanessa Ríos Valentín

Assistant Director for Programming

Vanessa Ríos Valentín is a Humanist Chaplain & Celebrant with over two decades of experience as an educator, conference speaker, and training instructor. Additionally, she has worked as a hospice chaplain as well as a crisis counselor. Vanessa received her B.A. in psychology from Montclair State University; M.Div. with specialization in Chaplaincy from Claremont School of Theology; and is currently a Ph.D. student in Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute. Vanessa aspires to carry out HTI’s mission of cultivating Latine leadership with a holistic approach in the areas of community, education, and mental health.

Email: Vanessa.RiosValentin@ptsem.edu

Suzette Aloyo

Suzette Aloyo

Office Coordinator

Suzette Aloyo, a descendent of Puerto Rican parents, grew up in the Bronx, New York.  The majority of Suzette’s career was spent in the legal field.  First as a paralegal in corporations then 13 years in a prominent NY law firm working on trusts & estates, corporate and labor law.  Moving to the Princeton area in 2000, Suzette has been aware and a part of the Princeton Theological Seminary community through her husband, Rev. Dr. Victor Aloyo, Jr.  Over the past seventeen years, Suzette has also served as administrative assistant and office manager at a couple of area organizations. She looks forward to bringing to HTI her talents and skill set to further the objectives of the program.

Email: Suzette.Aloyo@ptsem.edu

Noreen Santos

Noreen Santos

Database Research Assistant

Noreen Santos, who is Puerto Rican, was born and raised in the Bronx, New York.  Graduating with a BS in Business Administration, Noreen worked as a programmer/analyst, 13 years in NYC’s Financial District. Always involved in church from young, she accepted God’s calling on her life to enter Princeton Theological Seminary obtaining her MDiv in ’02. Afterward, she served the Presbyterian Church of the Redeemer of East Brooklyn as pastor for 16 years. As the church experience ended, seeking God’s guidance brought her back to familiar ground, Hispanic Theological Seminary where she worked as a student aide while enrolled at PTS. She looks forward to working with the HTI in meeting their goals.

Email:  Noreen.Santos@ptsem.edu

Isabel Gonzalez

Isabel Gonzalez

Communications Coordinator

Isabel Gonzalez, a senior in her MDiv program at Princeton Theological Seminary, is originally from Reading, Pennsylvania. She earned her Bachelor of the Arts in Biblical Religious Studies and English at Messiah University in 2020. Driven by her passion for research and writing, Isabel strives to honor and celebrate the stories of Latine leaders and scholars in higher education! She hopes to fulfill this work through her role as Communications Coordinator at HTI and her own pursuit of a PhD in the future. 

Email:  Isabel.Gonazalez@ptsem.edu

Johanna Romano Matos

Johanna Romano Matos

Student Aide

Johanna Romano Matos is a middler in her M.Div. program at Princeton Theological Seminary. She was born in New Brunswick NJ, however, raised in Somerset, NJ. Johanna obtained her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Kean University. Johanna has grown a strong bond with HTI and is looking forward to working with HTI during M.Div. program.

Jasmin Gonzalez

Jasmin Gonzalez

Student Aide

Jasmin Gonzalez is a middler in her MDiv program at Princeton Theological Seminary. She was born and raised in the Central Valley of California and attended Azusa Pacific University in Southern California. Jasmin has her BA in Biblical Studies and Theology and hopes to continue in higher education through research and teaching. She aspires to bridge her context, including her Hispanic heritage, with the world around her and is excited to acquire new skills for doing so while working at HTI.

Christian Silva

Christian Silva

Student Aide

Christian Silva is a first-year candidate for the Master of Theological Studies at Princeton Theological Seminary. As a Chicano, he values the intersection of social justice, theology, and the Mexican-American experience, seeking to do theology and studies pa’ la gente. Silva is heavily influenced by some of our very own HTI scholars and wishes to give back through his time as a student worker at HTI.