Office of the VP & Dean

Ann Bisantz is the vice provost and dean of undergraduate education, leading university-wide efforts to strengthen the undergraduate academic experience and advance student success at every stage of the student journey. 

In her role since 2018, Bisantz has advanced institutional priorities aligned with UB’s mission as a leading public research university. Her leadership is focused on guiding and facilitating innovations in curriculum, cultivating a robust culture of faculty-mentored undergraduate research, strengthening retention and student success programming, and redefining support for transfer students. She has championed initiatives to enhance advising and success coaching coordination, align academic support with students’ needs and preparation, and use data and assessment to guide continuous improvement.

Her portfolio includes oversight of academic policies and curriculum management; UB’s 21st-century general education program (the UB Curriculum); and key student success and retention initiatives such as campus-wide undergraduate advising and student success coaching coordination, support for transfer students, and exploratory student advising. Additionally, she provides leadership to the University Honors College, the Cora P. Maloney Center, the Office for Undergraduate Research, and Student Success and Academic Services, which hosts university-wide tutoring and support for first-generation students. Her work reflects a deep commitment to academic momentum and ensuring all UB undergraduate students achieve success.

Bisantz has also contributed significantly to cross-campus efforts, serving as co-chair of the Curriculum and Pedagogy Committee for the President’s Advisory Council on Race, co-chair of the 2024 Middle States accreditation process, and chair of UB’s 2022 SEFA Campaign for the Community.

A SUNY Distinguished Professor and former chair of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Bisantz led successful undergraduate accreditation efforts, developed new undergraduate and graduate programs, and expanded and diversified faculty within the department. She holds a PhD from Georgia Tech and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UB. Her research focuses on cognitive engineering, human decision-making, human-computer interface design, and complex work systems analysis. She has received numerous honors, including the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Research and Creative Activity (2015), the Paul M. Fitts Educator Award from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) (2017), and the HFES WOMAN Mentor Award (2020). She was named a Fellow of HFES in 2013 and, in 2024, was appointed to the National Academies’ Board on Human-Systems Integration. Bisantz joined UB in 1997.

Rebecca Donoghue serves as director of human resources and business operations in undergraduate education, where she provides strategic leadership in human resources, budget and financial management, and operational planning. A dedicated partner in advancing the division’s goals, she is key in supporting staff and optimizing resources to ensure organizational success. Donoghue brings a diverse and extensive background spanning both higher education and the private sector. Prior to her current role, she held several positions at the University at Buffalo, including director of human resources and business operations in Academic Affairs, senior manager of academic programs in the School of Management and assistant dean of administration in the School of Law. Her private-sector experience includes roles in banking, pharmaceutical sales, and nonprofit event management. She has served as a branch manager at M&T Bank, a sales consultant at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, and managed fundraising and events at the American Diabetes Association. Donoghue earned both her bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in business administration from Canisius University.

Krista Krause is the associate vice provost for undergraduate education, overseeing the campus director of academic advising, the UB TrACE transfer initiative, undergraduate policy and curricular developments, while providing leadership for the development of strategic undergraduate initiatives. Krause has been in higher education for more than 20 years and at UB since 2008, contributing her expertise in curriculum development, management and assessment, strategic planning, student success and liberal arts education. In 2015, Krause received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service. She holds a master’s degree in higher education from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester.

Jacqueline Hollins is the associate vice provost for student success and academic support, overseeing Student Success Planning, First Generation Initiative, Tutoring Services, the Center for Excellence in Writing, and the Cora P. Maloney Center (CPMC) and its associated offices. Jacqui came to UB in 1998 as an academic advisor for underrepresented student populations. She served as the university’s pre-law advisor, overseeing the development of the Pre-Law Student Services Center, and as the director of Student Advising Services (now Exploratory and Pre-Professional Advising Center) before assuming her current role. Jacqui is a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service and also a recipient of the Friends of EOP award. She holds a PhD in higher education from the University at Buffalo (UB), a master’s degree in education from Canisius College, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in human resources from UB..

Patrick McDevitt is the associate dean of undergraduate education at the University Honors College. He has led the Honors College since 2022, overseeing the Honors student experience from admissions to graduation, coordinating the Honors Faculty Fellows, teaching the Honors College Think Tank, and mentoring the upper-class teaching assistants in the Honors College’s seminal first-year course, the Honors Colloquium. McDevitt is also an associate professor in UB’s Department of History. He is a cultural historian of Ireland, Great Britain and imperialism. His first book explored the relationship between sport and masculinity across the British Empire, and he is currently completing a book that examines the Great Irish Famine in a global context. McDevitt is a graduate of New York University. He was a 1993 Fulbright scholar to New Zealand, where he earned a graduate degree from the University of Canterbury before returning to the United States to earn his MA and PhD from Rutgers University.

Erin K. O’Brien is currently the chief student retention officer at the University at Buffalo, charged with developing and executing a comprehensive, university-wide Student Experience (SX) strategy, creating an effective student First-Year Experience (FYE), and improving student retention rates. From 2013 to 2023, Erin was the Chief Enrollment and Marketing Officer for the University at Buffalo School of Management, the senior leader in the school responsible for defining and leading a comprehensive, coordinated enrollment strategy. Her background includes a career working in technology and financial services prior to shifting to higher education. Erin earned a PhD in Management with a focus on management science and systems from the University at Buffalo. She holds an executive certificate from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, an MBA from the University at Buffalo School of Management, and a B.A. in Psychology from UB. Erin is also the recipient of a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service.

Dawn Reed is the assistant vice provost of the Office of Marketing, Communications and Digital Engagement, a unit dedicated to delivering best-practice, coordinated and focused communication services across a wide range of digital and print media. In her current role, Dawn oversees the strategic vision, development and deployment of elevated communications and is responsible for leading the development of a comprehensive digital strategy for Undergraduate Education. Previously, she led the marketing, communications and digital strategies for enrollment management, including recruitment marketing for undergraduate admissions. Dawn holds a master’s and bachelor’s degree from SUNY Empire State College and has been a member of the UB community since 1999. Her professional background also includes leadership roles in marketing, public relations and fundraising with collegiate and professional athletics teams and tech start-ups.

Jackie Rousseau serves as campus director of academic advising, spearheading strategic initiatives and coordinating efforts to enhance undergraduate academic advisement and student support. Prior to this role, Rousseau directed CUNY’s ACE program at York College and the ASAP program at Medgar Evers College, both aimed at accelerating students' completion of their baccalaureate and associate degrees. With a diverse background in social work, financial aid and advisement, Rousseau is dedicated to guiding students to and through college and beyond. Rousseau holds a baccalaureate degree and an MSW from Stony Brook University and is a proud alumna of its Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). 

Claire S. Schen is the associate dean for undergraduate research and scholarship in Undergraduate Education. She leads the university’s vision and support for undergraduate research at UB, working with faculty, staff and students from across the university to foster learning through research, creative activity and scholarship for all undergraduates. Schen joined UB in 2002 as an assistant professor and has held other administrative roles, including associate dean for undergraduate education in the College of Arts and Sciences (2016-19), where she was involved in numerous initiatives in support of curricular innovation, including committees that developed the UB Curriculum and UB Seminar. Schen is also an associate professor in UB’s Department of History. A social historian, Schen focuses on the history of Britain prior to 1800. She has published on the history of London, Reformation in England, women and religious change, poverty, charity, and old age, and more recently on piracy and captivity in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Her research on captivity has led her to digital scholarship involving mapping and social network visualizations. Exploring new research and platforms informs her approach to teaching and mentoring undergraduates through innovative research activities and projects. Schen is a graduate of Brown University (AB History) and earned her PhD in Comparative History from Brandeis University.

Kelley Bergman-Young is the administrative assistant in the office of the dean overseeing daily administrative operations. Bergman-Young prepares, coordinates and distributes executive communications, serves as a liaison between university administrative offices and assists in coordinating undergraduate education projects. Before her current role, Bergman-Young worked as the customer service coordinator in Student Accounts. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from the University at Buffalo.

Lindsey Hallman is the director of curriculum and academic initiatives, providing leadership for undergraduate course and curricular development, general education, and advancing projects and partnerships that enhance the student academic experience. Previously, she contributed to the development, implementation and assessment of UB’s innovative general education program as senior assistant director of UB Curriculum. A proud alum, Hallman holds a PhD in learning and instruction, a master’s degree in higher education with a concentration in student affairs, and a bachelor’s degree, all from the University at Buffalo.

Jennifer Zirnheld is the director of transfer student academic experience. In this role, she leads the university-wide strategy, policy and operations that support a smooth and equitable academic transition for transfer students to UB. She directs the TrACE program, serves as UB’s SUNY Transfer Liaison, and leads curricular efforts related to credit articulation and articulation agreements. Jennifer brings more than twenty years of experience supporting transfer students, having held progressively responsible roles in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Rochester Institute of Technology, most recently as co-director of the unit. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Binghamton University and a master’s degree in school counseling from Niagara University.