A dynamic and experienced higher education leader, Stephen coordinates with fellow members of Senior Leadership at Dartmouth to orchestrate and implement high-level strategic initiatives across the institution while ensuring legal compliance and institutional integrity. In this role, Stephen serves as a liaison and partner to a variety of stakeholders, on and off campus, building support and shared direction for key institutional priorities. Since her arrival in August 2023, Stephen has advanced Dartmouth’s holistic focus on health and wellness and new efforts to foster campus dialogue, among other projects.

As the top strategic and legal advisor to President Sian Leah Beilock, Stephen anticipates and plans for emerging issues, as well as identifying new opportunities to fulfill Dartmouth’s mission, accelerate its impact as a local and global leader, and support ongoing efforts to build excellence and innovation. She organizes the collaborative work of the Senior Leadership Team and plays a central role in identifying and recruiting Dartmouth’s next generation of administrative leaders.

Stephen oversees a broad range of offices that serve essential operational and compliance functions across the entire institution. The offices are each charged with serving as area experts, as well as strategic thought partners to individuals, offices and schools throughout the institution to ensure compliance with our mission, institutional values and strategic priorities while at the same time assessing associated risks and meeting the obligations imposed by federal and local laws, and institutional policies.

Prior to her arrival at Dartmouth, Stephen was Executive Vice President for the College and General Counsel at Barnard College in New York City, where she had served three presidents for more than 20 years in a variety of leadership positions, including as Chief of Staff. During her time at Barnard, Stephen was instrumental in pioneering new strategic initiatives, from Beyond Barnard—a lifelong career support and education network for students and graduates—to CARES, a holistic approach to fostering a safe and welcoming residential community. She steered a variety of institution-wide efforts, from spearheading Barnard’s Pandemic Response Leadership Team, to planning state-of-the-art facilities in support of Barnard’s STEM education, to building new leadership structures for community inclusion and engaged learning.

Stephen, who is Puerto Rican and broke ground as the highest-ranking Latina at Barnard, grew up in New York City. She majored in Russian language and literature at Barnard, graduating magna cum laude, and went on to earn her JD from Columbia University School of Law. She began her legal career as an associate in the commercial real estate divisions of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP and Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal LLP.

Stephen serves on the board of the Fund for the City of New York and is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, where she has served on the Membership Committee and is part of the Latino Lawyers Affinity Group.