Brianna Ortega, CMT, Conflict Management Specialist
Brianna Ortega is one of the Conflict Management Specialists with Employee Partners for Conflict Transformation (EmPaCT) within the Office of Workplace Culture. Alongside her colleague Jeremy, she provides consultation, conflict coaching, mediation, training, and facilitation to support Rutgers staff and faculty in navigating workplace conflict and strengthening team effectiveness. Having served in multiple human resources and organizational development roles across Rutgers University, Brianna brings a wealth of knowledge of the institution's culture, systems, and organizational landscape.
Brianna is a certified workplace mediator and conflict management trainer, a certified Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness Instructor through the Search Inside Yourself (SIY) Institute, and is completing her final year in graduate school, earning a master's degree in Human Resource Management through Rutgers University's School of Management and Labor Relations. Beyond Rutgers, Brianna serves as President of the New Jersey Chapter of CUPA-HR, the leading professional association for higher education human resources professionals in the state. In this role, she collaborates with HR leaders across New Jersey to advance the profession through leadership development, networking, and the exchange of best practices. Brianna is passionate about helping people navigate difficult conversations with confidence, compassion, and practical strategies that strengthen relationships, develop employees, and create workplace cultures where people can thrive.
Jeremy Gombin-Sperling, PhD, Conflict Management Specialist
Jeremy is one of the Conflict Management Specialists with Employee Partners for Conflict Transformation (EmPaCT) within the Office of Workplace Culture. In his role, alongside his colleague, Brianna Ortega, he provides consultation, mediation, training, and facilitation for Rutgers staff and faculty who are seeking to improve their ability to navigate conflict within their workspaces, and to support leadership in promoting stronger work cultures.
Jeremy brings a unique combination of experience in conflict navigation, intercultural communication, higher education, and facilitation. Most recently, he served as the inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Liaison for the Fulbright Program's Western Hemisphere region, where he designed and facilitated workshops in English and Spanish on identity, intercultural growth, communication, and conflict management for participants across the Americas and Caribbean. He also worked closely with international staff and institutional partners to build training programs and resources that supported effective dialogue and relationship-building across cultures. Prior to his work with Fulbright, Jeremy facilitated with and for a time managed University of Maryland's intergroup dialogue program, where he trained facilitators, developed curriculum, and led educational dialogue initiatives focused on communication and understanding across difference.
Jeremy earned his Ph.D. in International Education Policy from the University of Maryland, where his research examined the role of dialogue and critical reflection in building stronger intercultural relationships. He also holds a master's degree in International Education Policy from the University of Maryland and a bachelor's degree from New York University.