About Sharon Discorfano

A graduate of Rice University, I have an M.A. in Literature from Georgetown and an M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from New York University, with my initial post-baccalaureate work in Psychology at Columbia University.

In May 2012, I received my J.D. from the James E. Rogers College of Law at University of Arizona, with a personal focus on Animal Law issues. At the law school, I served as Co-Director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund student chapter and as Student Representative on the Executive Council of the Animal Law Section of the State Bar of Arizona. In addition, I’ve worked as a legal intern for Compassion Over Killing, and for the past few years have been working with The Humane Society of the United States on its Cage-Free Campus campaign.

My personal experiences in the workplace range from academic settings to the music industry to Wall Street. My first career was as a child model, actress, and singer in New York; I resurfaced on the NYC blues scene years later, performing in venues such as The Bitter End, Manny’s Car Wash, Chicago B.L.U.E.S., and Tribeca Blues. Other cities I’ve hung my hat for a while: Houston, Rome, Austin, and Washington D.C.

I live in New York with my husband Seth and two dogs, Otis and Galileo. Prior to my recent return to NYC, I was the Founder and Executive Director of Lyric Yoga and Wellness, a yoga center that extended its services to numerous off-site facilities including schools, hospitals, resorts, and corporate settings. After five years at Lyric, I created Riverside 105 Media, a company focused on projects related to animal welfare and wellness.

Articles I’ve written have appeared in numerous publications, including The Center for Creative Leadership’s Leadership in Action, The Wilson Quarterly, Arizona Yoga (Managing Editor, 2005-08), and an article for Animal Wellness magazine on practicing yoga with a companion animal. I also was a contributor to the Encyclopedia of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (Sage, 2006). More recent publications: Veg News (March/April 2013) and articles for the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Hills Of Africa Travel web sites. Letters to Pushkin, a collection of letters I wrote to my beagle Pushkin after his passing, is available for Kindle, iBooks, NOOK, and in print on Amazon and Lulu. 50% of author’s royalties goes to the NYC humane organization Bideawee. My second book, Stellar Vegan Salads, will be available in Spring 2013.

I keep busy (!) but enjoy when I get to listen to other people’s stories, or to someone playing a saxophone or cello or guitar (or my six year-old nephew trying to play our piano)… or when I can just hang out with my family, especially on rainy “pajama” days.