Cohort 3 - Women in Leadership

Michelle M. Blum

Michelle M. Blum earned dual B.S. degrees in physics and mechanical engineering from the State University at Albany and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before going on to earn her masters and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Notre Dame. She is currently an Associate Teaching Professor, Director of the mechanical engineering undergraduate program, and Dean’s Faculty Fellow for Assessment at the SU College of Engineering and Computer Science.

She has focused on teaching, engineering education and assessment for almost a decade and has taught multiple classes across mechanical and aerospace engineering undergraduate curriculums, ranging across all levels. She is deeply passionate about providing students with educational material that enables them to learn by actively engaging with course content, as well as creating streamlined materials for instructors, including authoring the textbook An Inquiry-Based Introduction to Engineering. She has also been highly active in program accreditation. She has led MSCHE and ABET accreditation for the mechanical engineering undergraduate program for over seven years and serves as an ABET PEV for ASME to evaluate the quality of mechanical engineering programs at other institutions.

For her work, she has received numerous awards including the 2016 Syracuse University Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professorship Teaching Award, 2017 TACNY College Educator of the Year, 2017 SU Dean’s Award for Excellence in Engineering Education, the 2018 The Filtertech, Pi Tau Sigma and Sigma Gamma Tau Award for Excellence in Education in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, 2022 One University Assessment Award for Outstanding Assessment for College of Engineering and Computer Science for the Mechanical Engineering BS Program, and the 2023 ASEE St. Lawrence Section Outstanding Teaching Award.

Renate Chancellor

Renate Chancellor is Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility at the School of Information Studies. She received her Master’s and Ph.D. in Information Studies from UCLA. Dr. Chancellor is affiliated faculty at the Syracuse Lender Center for Social Justice. She has published widely in the areas of critical cultural information studies, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), and social justice in Library and Information Science. 

She serves on the editorial boards of Library Quarterly and Education for Information. She also serves on the American Library Association’s Publishing Committee. Dr. Chancellor received the Association for Library and Information Science Education’s (ALISE) Excellence in Teaching Award in 2014 and was recipient of the ALISE Norman Horrocks Leadership Award in 2012.

Dr. Chetna Chianese

Dr. Chetna Chianese is the Senior Director of Research Development in the Office of Research at Syracuse University. In this role, Dr. Chianese leads the Office of Research Development (ORD), which assists faculty across the University with the development of new research priorities and proposals. She provides research development leadership for the university-identified research priorities, facilitates multi-million-dollar and inter-school/college proposal submissions, and leads internal funding programs provided by the Office of Research.

Prior to her appointment, Dr. Chianese served as the Associate Director of Research at SyracuseCoE, a Syracuse University research center, aiding faculty on research proposals and projects related to energy and environment. Before arriving at Syracuse University, Dr. Chianese spent three years as a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Jenn DeMarchi 

Jenn DeMarchi is the communications director for the division of Business, Finance and Administrative Services. She has worked at the University since December 2009, first as the Public Information Officer for the Department of Public Safety, and then as the marketing manager for Syracuse University Abroad. She began her current role in April 2018 and enjoys the challenges of working with departments with vastly disparate marketing and communications needs.

Jenn is an extremely proud Syracuse native, a self-described “townie” who received two degrees from SU: a bachelor’s degree in magazine journalism and political science in 2008 and a master’s degree in public relations in 2014. She loves the state fair, snow, and the Buffalo Bills. She lives in Syracuse with her husband, Kevin, and Great Pyrenees, Fallon.

Sharon Dotger

Sharon Dotger is a Professor of Science Education and the Faculty Director of Teacher Education and Undergraduate Studies in the School of Education at Syracuse University. She currently serves as the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Lesson and Learning Studies. Her most recent scholarship will appear in a forthcoming volume within the World Association of Lesson Study book series published by Routledge, in which she is the lead editor and co-author of several chapters.

Dr. Dotger teaches courses in K-12 science methods and curriculum, scientific modeling and argumentation, and curriculum studies. She is actively involved in science teaching and learning projects in school districts, applying her lesson study knowledge in collaborations with teachers to study their students' learning.

Cheryl Fabrizi

Cheryl Fabrizi is the associate vice president of Auxiliary Services. She  oversees a wide range of mission-critical services aimed at enhancing campus life for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests. Auxiliary Services provides a comprehensive list of services at Syracuse University, including residential, retail and athletic dining, housing, meal plans, ID cards, Food Services warehouse/ commissary/purchasing, bakery, vending, concessions, catering services, Drumlins Country Club, University Sheraton, Lubin House, Minnowbrook Conference Center, and Campus Store.  

Cheryl, who joined Syracuse University in May 2023, seeks to leverage her experiences to enhance and grow services, partnerships and collaborations. She has more than 15 years of experience in collegiate hospitality, food services, strategic and capital planning, and undergraduate/graduate student marketing communications. She spent the last five years as assistant vice president of Housing and Food Services for The Pennsylvania State University. During her service, Fabrizi oversaw a nearly $300 million annual housing and food services budget and a $21 million annual capital deferred maintenance plan, in one of the largest collegiate housing and dining programs in the U.S. and the largest in Pennsylvania that supported 21 Penn State campuses across Pennsylvania. Her portfolio also included supervision of the $780+ million East Halls/Pollock Halls capital renovation project and leadership of over 700 full-time employees and more than 1,800 student employees.

Additionally, she has held leadership roles with many globally recognized brands, including Sodexo, QVC, State University of New York (SUNY), Caesars/Starwood, and Gentex Corporation.

Fabrizi earned her M.Sc. of Direct and Integrative Marketing from Mercy College, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Penn State. She also served as an adjunct faculty member throughout her career, teaching courses in entrepreneurship and marketing at Binghamton University, Broome Community College, and Mercy College. Fabrizi has earned recognition from the National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS), the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS), the Association of College & University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO-i) and served as a Big10 Senior Housing Officer. 

Yoanna Ferrara

Yoanna Ferrara is the Director for Research Development at the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and provides services to faculty advance research and build capacity for large and complex proposals. Ferrara monitors and evaluates emerging funding opportunities to align with investigators’ research interests and career stage.

Ferrara also provide services to foster collaboration among diverse faculty and helps enhance broader impact strategy by building and facilitating partnerships. Prior to Syracuse University, Ferrara was director of the research administration service center at Cornell Engineering. Ferrara holds a master’s degree in public administration from Cornell University.

Heather K. Gaines 

Heather K. Gaines joined Syracuse as the Deputy General Counsel in January 2023. In this role she provides strategic legal advice and counsel to executive leadership and other business and academic units across campus. Her work includes advising on affiliated entities, complex strategic acquisitions and projects, real estate development, land use and zoning, procurement, contracting, construction and global initiatives. In addition, she works closely with the General Counsel to lead the Office of University Counsel team that advises campus clients on a wide range of matters including litigation, employment, labor, student affairs, real estate, procurement, data privacy and security, development and philanthropy, and a broad range of intellectual property matters. Prior to coming to Syracuse, Heather served as Senior Associate General Counsel at the University of Arizona supervising the business and transactional team in the Office of the General Counsel.

Heather earned her J.D. from the University of Arizona College of Law and B.A. from the University of Arizona. She is licensed to practice law in Arizona and New York.  She is active in the National Association of College and University Attorneys, is serving on the Syracuse University Senate and looks forward to working with campus colleagues in the Women in Leadership Experience.

Deanna Grannis

Deanna Grannis, hailing from Rochester, NY, is a skilled Project Director with a proven track record of overseeing successful enterprise-level marketing projects. Her expertise in delivering exceptional results, coupled with a background in event management, particularly in the dynamic world of radio, adds a unique perspective to her professional endeavors.

Currently pursuing a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Project Management at the College of Professional Studies, Deanna's commitment to ongoing professional development keeps her at the forefront of industry best practices. With a passion for driving successful outcomes, she brings valuable insights and leadership to every project she undertakes.

Shannon A. Hefti, MPH, CHES

Shannon A. Hefti, MPH, CHES (she/her/hers) joined Syracuse University in 2021 as the Assistant Director for Health Education and Outreach in Health Promotion, Barnes Center at The Arch. In this role she oversees the strategic vision for key areas such as the peer education program, thriving initiative, educational workshops, outreach and engagement, and overall content. Prior to her time at Syracuse, Shannon worked for a local non-profit where in her progressive roles at the agency she implemented comprehensive sexual health education to individuals of all ages in Onondaga County and then went on to oversee the health education team. However, the best job she has ever held is "mom" to her two sons, Weston and Wyatt.

Shannon earned her undergraduate degree in health care studies with a focus in community health and health care administration from Daemen University and later went on to earn her Master of Public Health in health education and promotion from the University of Alabama. She is also a Certified Health Education Specialist. Fighting for reproductive and social justice does not just limit itself to the professional realm and Shannon can often be seen advocating and marching for policy change in her spare time. She is an avid sports fan and loves spending time outdoors. Shannon is a life-long learner and seeks any opportunity to broaden her understanding and perspective to improve herself as a leader and a person.

Tanisha M. Jackson, Ph.D.

Tanisha M. Jackson, Ph.D.  (she/her/hers) joins the Department of African American Studies in the College of Arts & Sciences as an assistant professor and the Community Folk Art Center’s executive director.  She teaches classes in African Diaspora Art, including Art of the Black World and Contemporary Black Film.

Jackson’s research focuses on Black women’s wellness in contemporary art and popular culture in multimedia and community spaces. She is currently working on a single-authored manuscript. She has also published peer-reviewed articles internationally and nationally, including Me-Telling: Recovering the Black Female Body Through Digital Narratives and Mixed Methods” Visual Culture and Gender Journal v.8. 2013, and “Visual Images and Worldview in a Self-Reflective Millennial Space” in The Journal of GEARTE, 2018.

Concurrently, Jackson’s other research focuses on community-based arts and arts education as a form of liberation and social activism. To which she evaluates applied strategies specific to African Diaspora community spaces. This area of interest connects her role as an arts administrator to scholarship. She published the article In Conversation with Jaleel Campbell: Cultivating Pleasure Through Community-based Art in the City of Syracuse in the Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education, 2020. Along with publishing, Jackson is the founder of a short film series, Black Arts Speak (BAS), that highlights the work and praxis of contemporary Black artists and their impact within their respective communities. 

Jackson earned her Ph.D. in Art Education in 2010, an M.A. in African American Studies in 2006, and a B.A. in English in 2003, all at The Ohio State University. She earned an Executive Master of Business Administration in 2013 from The University of Toledo.

Abby Kasowitz-Scheer

Abby Kasowitz-Scheer is Head of the Department of Learning and Academic Engagement at Syracuse University Libraries. In this role, she leads a department that provides in-person and virtual information, reference and patron technology support services; user experience initiatives; displays and activities in Bird Library’s Miron Learning Commons; and library student success and outreach programs. Abby has been with the Libraries for 22 years, originally serving as Head of Instructional Services and then Learning Commons Librarian (later called Reference and Academic Engagement Librarian).

Abby has been actively involved in the library profession over the years. She is currently a member of the Virtual Reference Services Committee of the Reference and User Services Association (a division of the American Library Association). Abby also serves on the Board of Directors for Temple Adath Yeshurun and has served on several other boards and committees in the Central New York community. Originally from the Syracuse area, Abby received her master’s degrees in Library Science and Instructional Design, Development & Evaluation from Syracuse University and her bachelor’s degree in English and American Literature from Brandeis University.

Beverly Kirk

Beverly Kirk is Director of Washington Programs and Professor of Practice at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications. She is based in Washington and is also affiliated with the SU Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship. She previously served as executive director of JOURNEY to Lead, a nonprofit women’s leadership initiative. Prior to JOURNEY, Kirk was fellow and director for outreach for the CSIS International Security Program and director of the Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative. Before joining CSIS, Kirk spent more than two decades as a journalist working for local and national news organizations including NBC, NPR and PBS covering domestic and international politics and government. She is a member of the national advisory board of the University of Kentucky Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues and secretary of the board of the Leadership Council for Women in National Security (LCWINS). She is also a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Kirk holds an M.A. in diplomacy and international commerce with a concentration in international politics and national security from the University of Kentucky and is a summa cum laude graduate of Western Kentucky University with degrees in history and broadcast journalism.

Moon J. Lee 

Moon J. Lee (Ph.D., 2001, University of Florida) is Professor in the Department of Public Relations at Syracuse University. Lee is an esteemed professor and accomplished scholar in the field of public relations. She earned her master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Florida, where she honed her expertise in the realm of strategic communication and research methodologies.

With a passion for teaching and research, Lee embarked on an academic career that spans several prestigious institutions. Lee began her journey as an assistant professor at Washington State University (2001–2009), where she made significant contributions to the field through her research and mentorship of students. She then returned to her alma mater, the University of Florida, leaving an indelible mark on the department and the students she guided (2009–2021).

Lee was awarded the prestigious University of Florida Term-Professorship (2017–2019) and was President of the Korean American Communications Association (2019–2021). Recognized for her exceptional leadership and expertise, Lee was appointed as the Chair of the PR Department at the Newhouse School of Communication at Syracuse University. During her tenure (2021–2023), she oversaw the growth and development of the department, fostering a vibrant academic community dedicated to excellence in public relations education.

Lee's scholarly contributions and thought leadership have been widely recognized and published in reputable academic journals and books. Her research explores the intersection of public relations, technology, and society, with a focus on strategic communication, ethics, and emerging trends. As an esteemed professor, she has mentored countless students, inspiring them to excel in their academic pursuits and make meaningful contributions to society. Her teaching areas include public relations, digital communication, health communication, communication theories and applications, public empowerment, and media processes and effects. 

Lisa Manning

Lisa Manning is the Kenan Professor of Physics and was founding director of the BioInspired Institute for Material and Living Systems at Syracuse University. She is an interdisciplinary scientist studying the mechanical properties of biological tissues and the failure of disordered materials. Her work to understand how the global mechanics of tissues impact cell migration and pattern formation provides new insight into embryonic development, wound healing, and cancer. Her work to understand fundamental excitations in disordered solids generates better predictive models for flow and failure in materials from glasses to earthquake faults.

Prof. Manning has given over 160 invited talks and published 65 peer-reviewed articles. She is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, was highlighted as one of Science News “Top 10 Scientists under 40”, and has received additional honors and awards including the 2018 APS Maria Goeppert Mayer Award, the 2016 IUPAP Young Investigator Prize, a Simons Investigator award, a Sloan Fellowship, a Scialog award, as well as several teaching awards.  

As an NSF CAREER awardee and a Cottrell Scholar, she has also developed innovative programs to help recruit and retain a diverse group of scientists in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields. 

Dawn S. McWilliams

Dawn S. McWilliams is currently the Director of Marketing and Communications at the Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University. Previously she served as the director of marketing and communications with Cornell University's College of Engineering for 10 years. Prior to Cornell, she was the executive director of marketing and communications at the UR’s Simon School of Business for 21 years. She is a past president of the Rochester chapter of the American Marketing Association, and in 2002, was named by the Rochester Business Journal as one of its 2002 "40 Under 40" award winners.

She is a sought-after speaker for national organizations on the topics of branding and marketing in higher education. She has a BFA in Medical Illustration and an MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She currently serves as the Membership chair on the RIT Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Dawn currently resides in Cicero, NY with her husband. Her son Adam McWilliams is a 2015 graduate of the College of Engineering and Computing Science at Syracuse University.

Suzette Meléndez

Suzette Meléndez is the Faculty Fellow to the Office of Diversity and the Office of Academic Affairs. In this role, she supports the implementation of the University’s Academic Strategic Plan leads and guides the University’s strategy for collaborations and partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions. She is involved in the research and preparation of policy and recommendation reports on DEIA priorities and topics and also supports the development and facilitation of programming for faculty of color recruitment and retention initiatives.

Professor Melendez provides programming and operational leadership to faculty and staff affinity groups, participates in Office of Diversity and Inclusion personnel searches and other campus DEIA-related searches, supports the analysis and recommendations report for DEIA structure across all schools and colleges, and creates as well as supports DEIA opportunities for faculty and staff development.  Prior to assuming the Faculty Fellow role, she was the Associate Dean for Equity & Inclusion at the law school where she also has served as Director of the Children’s Rights & Family Law Clinic. Professor Meléndez has taught Domestic Violence, Family Law and was one of the founders of the Syracuse Medical-Legal Partnership, an interdisciplinary collaboration designed to provide legal services within the medical setting together with health providers for children and families to improve health outcomes for lower income populations in the community. 

She regularly participates on diversity initiatives both within and outside of the judiciary which strive to dismantle racist systems and disrupt biased practices which lead to unjust outcomes for Black and brown communities and other marginalized groups.  She has conducted cross-cultural seminars for academics, lawyers, health providers and law students designed to enhance professional and educational experiences using multicultural and anti-biased perspectives. She currently chairs the University Senate Committee on Race, Ethnicity, Equity and Inclusion for SU. She is a gubernatorial appointee to the Board of the New York State Indigent Legal Services Office and Vice-chair of Arriba, the first Latine bar group in Central New York. She is a member of the Central New York Women’s Bar Association and of the Friends of Central Library Literary Series. In her capacity as Associate Dean at SUCOL, she, in collaboration with many faculty, administrators, staff and students, developed a program for the May 2022 Inaugural Consortium Summer Residency for students from the Atlanta University Center HBCU institutions and implemented a DEIA graduation requirement.

Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern

Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern is an Associate Professor and the Graduate Director of Food Studies at Syracuse University. Dr. Minkoff-Zern’s research and teaching broadly explores the interactions between food and migration, labor movements, and transnational environmental and agricultural policy. Her forthcoming book, Will Work for Wood: Labor Across the Food Chain (UC Press), looks at intersections between social movements in US food systems and labor organizing. 

In addition to her monograph, The New American Farmer: Immigration, Race, and the Struggle for Sustainability (MIT Press), she has also published in journals such as Geoforum, The Journal of Peasant Studies, Food, Culture, and Society, Antipode, Agriculture and Human Values, and Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems,among others. She earned a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of California, Berkeley.  

Leonese Nelson, Ph.D.

Leonese Nelson, Ph.D., is the Program Director and Principal Investigator for the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) and the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP). Funded by the New York State Education Department, STEP and CSTEP prepare middle and high school students and undergraduates for STEM, health, and professional licensure careers.

Dr. Nelson started with the STEP Program as a graduate student pursuing her doctorate. Over the years, she held various leadership roles in the Program, rising to STEP Director in 2005 before taking on the directorship of CSTEP in 2011. As STEP and CSTEP Program Director, Dr. Nelson oversees all program operations, budgetary oversight, and academic services. Along with her program management responsibilities, Leonese simultaneously chairs two annual STEP and CSTEP Student Conferences, which draw over 400 students and staff annually from over 45 New York State colleges and universities. After serving in this capacity for over twenty years, Leonese recently stepped down from the chairmanship role and was presented with the Dr. John Staley Award for Outstanding Service.

Dr. Nelson has held numerous leadership positions in community organizations, including Board of Trust Vice President and Treasurer for a local K-8 charter school, New York State STEP/CSTEP Steering Committee, Executive Committee/Treasurer for the Association for Program Administrators of CSTEP and STEP, Inc. (APACS), and peer grant reviewer. In 2019, she was honored by APACS for her 18 ½ years of service and received the Grady Edge Person of Distinction Award for Contributions to the Syracuse Community.

Dr. Nelson earned a bachelor of science in Political Science from Tuskegee University and master's and doctorate degrees in Political Science from Syracuse University. She is from Charleston, South Carolina.

Alison E. Patteson

Alison E. Patteson is an Assistant Professor of Physics at Syracuse University. Alison is originally from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She received her B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pennsylvania in 2011 and her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA) in 2016, studying active and complex fluids with Prof. Paulo Arratia. Her postdoctoral research was with Prof. Paul Janmey at UPenn on the vimentin cytoskeleton and confined cell motility.

Professor Patteson took a faculty position in 2019 at Syracuse University, where she leads the Focus Group Mechanics of Development and Disease in the BioInspired Institute. Her research focuses on the soft matter physics of cell motility and biofilm development. She has won numerous awards, including the Sloan Research Fellowship, Cottrell Scholar Award, NSF CAREER award, and the APS Dissertation Award in Statistical and Non-linear Physics. 

Kira Reed 

Kira Reed is an Associate Professor of Management in the Whitman School of Management, a Senior Research Associate at the Lender Center for Social Justice, and the Project Manager for the $2.7 million MetLife Foundation grant to the Lender Center to address the racial wealth gap in the United States. As part of her University service she chairs the Agenda Committee of the University Senate (thus presiding over the meetings) and is the University Marshall for New Student Convocation and Commencement. One of her professional roles is to serve on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Managerial Issues.

Natalie Russo

Natalie Russo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, currently serving as the Associate Chair for Research as well as the Director of Clinical Training for the School Psychology program. Russo’s research focuses on understanding how sensory, perceptual, attentional, and cognitive mechanisms differ, unfold, interact, and change over the course of development among persons with autism and among those with other developmental disabilities. In so doing, Russo adopts a multidisciplinary, multimethod approach that spans clinical, developmental and experimental psychology, as well as neurophysiology. Russo is also a licensed psychologist and provide diagnostic evaluations for autism as part of her research. 

Jenny Saluti

Jenny Saluti is director of recruitment and admissions for the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA). Saluti is committed to helping young artists and performers understand that art and scholarship can affect change, that their creative voices have value, and that they can find personal and professional success with a post-secondary degree in the arts. Saluti started her career in admissions in 2003 as a field recruitment representative with the VPA Office of Recruitment and Admissions and held several positions in the office until taking over as director in November 2015.

Prior to her work in admissions, Saluti taught foundation art and design courses at Louisiana State University, Syracuse University, and Cazenovia College. She has taught art courses off and on through the years and most recently returned to the classroom to teach printmaking for non-majors in VPA. Saluti earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in printmaking from VPA and a master of fine arts degree from Louisiana State University. She currently serves as Membership Committee Chair for the National Portfolio Day Association (NPDA) while in a second term on the NPDA Board. In addition to her work with the NPDA, Saluti is an active member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and the New York Association for College Admission Counseling (NYSACAC).

Katie Scanlon 

Katie Scanlon joined Syracuse University in December of 2011 as an academic Coordinator in the athletic department. She currently serves as the Director of Academics, acting as a liaison between the department and many units across campus. She also oversees academic support for women’s soccer, volleyball, and field hockey. Those duties include developing, implementing and evaluating academic support plans, monitoring tutoring, coordinating with advisors and faculty, and assisting with NCAA academic certification. Prior to Syracuse, Katie served in a similar capacity at the University of New Mexico (2008-2011) and University of Dayton (2006-2008).

Katie received her bachelor’s degree in physical education from Canisius College where she was a student-athlete for four years. She then completed her master’s degree in higher education from the University of Dayton, certificate of advanced study from SU and recently completed her PhD as well. She is a member of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics and Women Leaders in College Sports, serves on the department DEIA committee, and serves on the Women in Athletics Affinity Group. Katie is also a volunteer with Special Olympics and a swimming and diving official.

Heather Tamurian 

Heather Tamurian has been with Syracuse University since 2014. She is currently a Senior Budget Analyst in the Energy Systems and Sustainability Management department. Heather is responsible for all the University’s utility bills and the Orange Automation, ESSM, and Carbon Neutrality budgets. She successfully implemented paperless billing for the University’s 1,500 utility accounts to increase sustainable practices and efficiencies. She earned her M.B.A., with a concentration in Business Analytics from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from Le Moyne College.

Outside of work, Heather likes to read, listen to live music, and travel. She enjoys attending Syracuse University athletic events with her family and friends. She resides in Manlius, NY with her husband Pete and two children, Isabella (10) and Christopher (7).