CATALANO ADVISING
EXPERT MEDICAL SCHOOL, HEALTH
PROFESSIONS SCHOOLS, AND COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ADVISING
ABOUT US
John Catalano, DrPH, MPA
Founder and President
Dr. John Catalano is the Founder of Catalano Advising. After spending 30+ years as a senior academic healthcare executive, he chose to pursue his passion for higher education by working with clients seeking admission to medical school, dental school, and other healthcare professions programs. Over the years, Dr. Catalano's faculty appointments have included Vice Dean at New York University School of Medicine, Adjunct Professor at University of North Carolina, Adjunct Professor at New York University, as well as Associate Dean and Professor of Healthcare Management at Molloy University. John is deeply involved as a Board member at New York University Grossman Long Island School of Medicine where he is a member of the admissions team responsible for reviewing applications and conducting admissions interviews. He is also a member of the Doctoral Admissions Committee for the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. As such, Dr. Catalano knows full well those factors necessary to achieve success in the ultra-competitive admissions process. John is dedicated to providing a structured and caring approach for his clients who are seeking healthcare professional education.
An active member of the community, John is a proud member of the Board at NYU Langone Long Island Hospital where he has served on the Medical Education and Research Committee. He also holds an appointment on the Advisory Board of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. His previous Board appointments include Make-a-Wish of Metro New York, South Nassau Communities Hospital, Grenville Baker Boys and Girls Club, and The Heart Council of Long Island where he was Chairman of the Board.
John holds a doctorate in Public Health from UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. His research is focused on mental health disorders among college and healthcare professional students. He earned his Master of Public Administration degree from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, where he graduated first in his class and earned the prestigious Lepesqueur Award for highest academic standing. His professional affiliations include the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the International Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC), and the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).
Lori Souther, MBA
Director, College and MBA
Lori Souther is a seasoned sales and management professional with 20-years of leadership experience in consultative sales, business development, and management with Fortune 500 companies. She earned a BA in Economics from Stony Brook University and holds an MBA from the Darden School, University of Virginia.
Lori has served as Vice President of Client Services for a consultative staffing firm working with clients assessing their strategic staffing needs and coaching independent consultants and job seekers on conducting successful interviews, editing resumes, making career choices, and managing successful engagements. After helping her daughter apply to college, Lori developed a passion for working with students and decided to take her decades of experience and applicable skills to the field of higher education. She’s excited to be working with students to help them successfully navigate the college and MBA application processes.
Previously, Lori worked as Director of Sales for Autodesk overseeing the East Coast sales efforts for Autodesk’s Buzzsaw division. She and her team helped to introduce clients to new technology as a means of managing their real estate and construction projects. Prior to that, Lori worked for United Technologies’ Otis Elevator Company in New York City managing a cross-functional team of field personnel in maintenance and repair as well as managing relationships with large corporate real estate and hospitality clients. She began her career as a financial analyst with Northrup Grumman.
Lori is an active community member and regularly volunteers for the Grenville Baker Boys and Girls Club and her children’s schools. She has a passion for bringing arts programming to public schools and has served as VP and President of her local school district’s Parents’ Council. She fundraised and worked to institute a sustainable arts program for grades K through 5. In addition, she introduced and spearheaded a thriving theater program which has grown to include more than a hundred students participating each term across all schools within the district.
Kristina Gsell
Director of Tutoring
Kristina Gsell graduated Magna Cum Laude from Columbia University in 2012 with a degree in Earth and Environmental Engineering. Kristina is a member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and received the prestigious King’s Crown Leadership Award for 2010-12. She excelled in her academic studies at North Shore High School in Glen Head, NY, graduating third in her class. At Columbia, Kristina continued to hone her math and science skills as part of her rigorous engineering training and while tutoring Columbia students in Math and Engineering.
Her research and demanding coursework provided invaluable experience in collaboration, organization, and innovative thinking. Adding to her tough academic and tutoring schedule, Kristina joined an a cappella group and served as President of the Columbia University Food Sustainability Project, which helped her become an expert in working efficiently and effectively, managing time for herself and her students.
Kristina connects to her students by conveying advanced subject matter in simple, straightforward terms. She works hard to both identify and address gaps in her students’ comprehension. Her subject areas of expertise include Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics, and Environmental Science. She is also trained and experienced in helping students prepare for standardized tests such as the SSAT, ISEE, SAT, ACT, and GRE.
While she has a strong work ethic, she is also a fun-loving person and hopes to exude this attitude in all her tutoring lessons. A bit of an over-achiever, Kristina doesn’t have much downtime. But when she does, she can be found gardening, practicing yoga, or cooking with friends.