Liliana Polley joined our team in summer 2022 as the HMTCA-Trinity Partnership Program Manager. In July 2023, she will take on the new role of Director of CHER Strategic Partnerships. In this role, she will work closely with our colleagues in the HMTCA-Trinity Partnership, Office of Community Service and Civic Engagement, and Trinfo.Cafe. Liliana was a 2021 IDP graduate and recently completed her Master’s Degree in Public Policy at Trinity. Apart from her role in CHER, Liliana serves on the executive committee of the Trinity College Alumni Association, is a member of the Trinity Club of Hartford, and has previously worked with Professor Serena Laws as site coordinator of the VITA clinic at Trinfo.
What is your current position at Trinity, and what are you most looking forward to in your new role?
I am the incoming Director of CHER Strategic Partnerships. In my new role, I will co-lead the Center for Hartford Engagement and Research (CHER) and will co-coordinate the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the College’s efforts to strengthen academic and co-curricular partnerships with Hartford. I look forward to leading CHER’s co-curricular community engagement programs, continuing to lead the HMTCA – Trinity Partnership, and supervising Trinfo and the Office of Community Service and Civic Engagement. I am also very excited about connecting with Hartford and its community in meaningful and mutually beneficial ways.
What past connection do you have with Trinity?
I am a proud Trinity College graduate. I received a bachelor’s degree as an IDP student in 2021 and a master’s in public policy in 2023. I was always very involved as an IDP student at Trinity and served as the IDPA co-president. I am also a member of the Trinity College Alumni Association Executive Committee. Trinity has been a part of my life for the past five years, and I have a strong connection to the college and to what it represents.
What made you want to take this role?
Trinity’s commitment to engagement with Hartford. This is an exciting time for the college, and I would like to see its connection to this beautiful city continue to grow. I believe in the importance of strong partnerships with community organizations, and I am excited about being able to provide engaging and meaningful connections between Trinity College and Harford.
What are your favorite books or podcasts?
I like to listen to Planet Money, Runner’s World, and Active Travel Adventures. My favorite book is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Colombian author and 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature Gabriel García Márquez.
What are your interests and passions?
Wow, I have many. Spending time with my family is always my number one. I love the outdoors, running, traveling, dancing, gardening, hiking, and exploring new restaurants with my friends.
What is your favorite place in Hartford?
I love spending time in Bushnell Park and the Carousel, the Wadsworth Atheneum, and watching a play at Hartford Stage.
