MISSION
The mission of the SFA Recent Alumni Council is to advise the Dean and the Advancement Team on ways to keep recent alumni connected and engaged with SFA and its departments.
Emma Bocciarelli | SFA '23
Emma Bocciarelli is a dedicated musician and arts administrator who graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2023 with dual degrees in Business Management and Piano Performance. She studied under Dr. Angelina Gadeliya and participated in masterclasses with renowned artists such as Renana Gutman, Vladimir Valjarevic, Yoshi Akimoto, Yi-heng Yang, and the Takács Quartet.
Emma began building her arts leadership skills through a marketing internship at The Bushnell Performing Arts Center, focusing on audience engagement. In 2023, she joined the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra in New London as Executive Coordinator and now serves as Associate Director, supporting its mission to inspire, educate, and connect communities through live orchestral music.
An active performer and collaborator, Emma is Music Director at Putnam Congregational Church, Assistant Director of Community Voices with the Eastern Connecticut Performing Arts Association, and pianist for the Shoreline Chorale, the Tim Fiorvanti Jazz Orchestra, and numerous schools and theaters across Connecticut.
Giana DiNatale | SFA '20
Giana DiNatale, an electric and double bassist, graduated from New York University with a Master of Music degree, Focus in String Studies, studying Double Bass with Gregg August. At NYU, she was Principal Bassist of the NYU O1 Symphony Orchestra, and performed in orchestral and jazz ensembles. Originally from Connecticut, Giana graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. At UConn, she was a Principal Bassist in the University Symphony Orchestra, as well as the UConn Jazz Ensemble.
Most notably, Giana was a frequent substitute for Broadway’s The Phantom of the Opera, performed with Barry Manilow at Radio City Music Hall, is a member of the Fort Greene Orchestra, and was the principal bassist for the Sinfonietta’s performance of "Barbie The Movie: In Concert" and “Avatar, Live in Concert.” She enjoys playing in a variety of big bands and orchestras, spanning classical, Broadway, cabaret, and chamber music.
Yanniv Frank | SFA ‘23
Yanniv Frank is an artistic creative with a focus on telling elevating stories through puppetry. He holds an MFA in Puppet Arts from the University of Connecticut and a BA in Performing and Visual Arts from CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies. Yanniv is the creator of Boyish Charms, a film that challenges and expands young audiences’ understanding of masculinity. He created the original stories and characters for Feel Your Best Self which took home the 2023 Kidscreen Award for Best Original Web/App Series. Yanniv is a Sesame Workshop trained puppeteer and an alumnus of The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Puppetry Conference. Favorite performance credits include Off-B’way: Sesame Street The Musical, Exagoge. Nat’l Tour: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, AJR The Maybe Man Tour. Regional: Runaway Rue, Little Shop of Horrors, Food For The Gods. Yanniv has released two albums of original music and holds a certificate in Music and Video Production from Berklee College of Music. @yannivfrank | www.yannivfrank.com
Carlos Fruzzetti | SFA '24
Carlos Fruzzetti earned a BFA in Acting and is an actor, playwright, musician, and theatre educator based in New England. Since graduating, he has developed new plays both as a writer and through staged readings, while also teaching and directing young actors as they explore their own artistic paths.
As an actor, Carlos has worked with medical schools across the greater Boston area, using theatre in clinical simulations to help future clinicians strengthen their communication and diagnostic skills. In Fall 2025, he returned to the professional stage in Cry Innocent: The People versus Bridget Bishop, an interactive play about the Salem Witch Trials.
Chelsea Garth | SFA '15
Chelsea Garth grew up in a household steeped in creativity and fascination with history. From her father's hobby of restoring vintage cars, to her mother's obsession with painting and Old Hollywood, it wasn't until she took an Art History 101 course in her last semester at Housatonic Community College in CT before she found what clicked as a potential career path. When she transferred to UConn to complete her Bachelor's degree, she studied in more advanced art history courses, and knew she found her niche. With the help of her academic advisor guiding her toward the possibility of working in museums, Chelsea pursued volunteer and internship opportunities. These positions led to her serving as Curatorial Assistant and later, Assistant Curator, at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, CT.
In 2021, Chelsea completed her MA at Fairfield University in American Studies, honing her interest in American art and history. That same year she began in her current position as Curator at Fairfield Museum and History Center in Fairfield, CT. Her work focuses on telling local history in new and exciting ways that are accessible for a variety of museum visitors. She led the complete renovation and reinterpretation of the Fairfield Museum's flagship exhibition, "Creating Community: 400 Years of Fairfield Stories" that opened in 2023. Her work has focused on improving diversity in telling Fairfield's history, as well as improving accessibility. "Creating Community" has been awarded the American Association for State and Local History's Award of Excellence and CT League of Museum's Award of Merit in 2024.
Michael J. Melnik | SFA '20
Michael is an Educational Program Assistant II in the Department of Communication at the University of Connecticut. In this role, he supports departmental operations including budgeting, graduate admissions, and event planning, while supervising student staff. Additionally, he serves as an adjunct professor in the Music Department teaching audio production.
A graduate of UConn’s School of Fine Arts, Michael earned dual Bachelor of Music degrees in Percussion Performance and Music Composition, graduating magna cum laude, before completing a Master of Music in Media Scoring and Production at the University of Miami. In addition to his administrative work, Michael is an active musician and arts leader.
He serves in leadership and performance roles with the Connecticut Symphony Orchestra and contributes to independent short films, community-based music initiatives, and nonprofit arts organizations.
Emma Romano | SFA ‘15, '18
Emma Romano, a Connecticut native, grew up in a household brimming with the creations of her family: wooden birds whittled by her grandfather, serene watercolor seascapes painted by her mother, and blooming gardens grown by her father. When the time came to select a college major, Emma was naturally drawn to the arts, and chose to study Art History. She interned at the Wethersfield Academy for the Arts and the Wadsworth Atheneum, and also worked on campus at the William Benton Museum of Art and the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry.
Upon graduation, Emma applied to be an inaugural member of UConn’s Master of Fine Arts in Arts Administration program, and was honored to be offered a graduate assistantship. During graduate school, Emma supplemented her studies with internships at Real Art Ways, the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Her graduate research centered on evaluating and improving art museum experiences for adults aged 65+, specifically how the arts can be a catalyst in combating social isolation amongst this demographic.
After briefly working in the nonprofit sector, Emma pivoted her career to the tech industry. She has worked in sales and sales coaching at numerous successful tech companies, including Artsy, CreatorIQ, Toast, and currently, Pontera. Emma now lives in Queens, NY. In her spare time she enjoys exploring all the city has to offer (especially the food, art, and music scenes), cooking, reading, and spoiling her cat, Sealy.
Tyler Shuster | SFA '19
Tyler Shuster is a Designer and Animator currently working for WWE. In his day to day, he creates promos, show branding, and graphic templates for all weekly domestic and international live broadcasts.
After graduating from UConn DMD, he started his career in the entertainment industry at Disney/ABC Television. He then transitioned to sports marketing for Octagon; helping to bridge brands and sports teams through experiential events and media campaigns. His most notable work was during his time at Perception, where he has featured credits in multiple Marvel, Netflix and Paramount films.
Bridget Smith | SFA '19
Bridget is a professional storyteller working in the sports television industry. As a Junior Designer in the On-Air Graphics department at NBC Sports, she helps bring the narratives of the sports we love to life through motion graphics and design. Her work has contributed to some of the world’s biggest sporting events, including the 2022 Beijing and 2024 Paris Olympic Games, earning her two Sports Emmy Awards. She has also worked on iconic franchises like NASCAR, the NFL, and the Premier League.
Bridget graduated summa cum laude from UConn School of Fine Arts in 2019 with a BFA in Digital Media & Design, concentrating in 2D and 3D Animation. While in SFA, she also explored her creativity through classes in printmaking, design thinking, and technical theatre. A proud Connecticut native, she was a Nutmeg Scholar, a Babbidge Scholar, and an active member of Alpha Phi Omega, where she served as a handler for Jonathan XIII and Jonathan XIV.
In her free time, Bridget enjoys baking, traveling, scrapbooking her adventures, and attending concerts.