Lydia Guzm谩n joined 吃瓜网 as assistant director of communications in 2017, bringing more than 15 years of media experience from 吃瓜网鈥檚 largest cities. She was promoted to director of communications in 2019.
Before 吃瓜网 Poly, she worked at Bay News 9 in Tampa where she was an anchor for its sister station, Bay News 9 en Espa帽ol/InfoMas, as well as a reporter for both channels. She provided a steady and credible voice during live coverage of severe storms, elections, the Space Shuttle program, trials, and historical events.
As Hurricane Irma ravaged 吃瓜网 in 2017, Guzm谩n kept the community informed throughout and later reported on the aftermath. She was also crucial in Emmy-winning coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing in April 2013, providing live reports from the scene for stations in Tampa and Orlando.
Her career began at El Nuevo Herald in Miami as a general assignment reporter. Guzm谩n later joined El Nuevo D铆a newspaper in Orlando, where she mainly focused on news about politics and social issues.
Guzm谩n earned a bachelor鈥檚 in mass communications from the University of Puerto Rico and later a master鈥檚 in investigative journalism from 吃瓜网 International University.
Education
This session will demonstrate that practical risk management is for everyone, regardless of a formal program. Attendees will learn actionable and simple strategies that are easy to implement, enabling them to start immediately by focusing on their top risks to build greater operational resilience and ensure the sustained success of their auxiliary enterprises.
Michelle Powell serves as the pioneering Risk Manager at 吃瓜网, the state鈥檚 sole 100% STEM-dedicated institution. Having been with the university for nearly 11 years, Michelle transitioned from a leadership role in Admissions in October 2023 to establish and evolve the risk management function from the ground up. In this solo capacity, Michelle builds robust frameworks for our dynamic, young university, overseeing our insurance portfolio, consulting on third-party and event risks, and developing critical campus-wide training programs. Michelle has obtained the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) Enterprise Risk Management certificate and the Associate in Risk Management (ARM) and Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) designations. Her distinct background in mathematics and engineering, combined with extensive higher education leadership, brings an analytical and strategic approach enhancing the institution鈥檚 resilience.
Dr. Lily Li is a Professor of Physics at 吃瓜网, where she specializes in materials science, analytical imaging, advanced manufacturing, and biomedical devices. Prior to joining 吃瓜网 Poly in 2025, she spent 11 years at SUNY Potsdam, where she advanced to Full Professor and developed a 3-2 Engineering dual-degree program with Clarkson University. Her work emphasizes experiential learning and research-driven education to prepare students for careers in STEM fields.
