Office of the VP & Dean

Ann Bisantz is the vice provost and dean of undergraduate education. Through oversight of academic policies, curriculum management, student success and retention, Bisantz's leadership enables all UB undergraduate students to achieve academic excellence. 

In this role, Bisantz stewards the strategic vision for the governance and management of UB's 21st-century general education program, the UB Curriculum, as well as the university's retention initiatives. Bisantz also provides visionary leadership support to the University Honors College, Cora P. Maloney Center, undergraduate research, and experiential learning, and student academic support initiatives such as the Center for Excellence in Writing, EAB Navigate platform, Tutoring and Academic Support Services and the Proud to be First initiative. Campus-wide undergraduate advising, student success coaching, and the Exploratory and Pre-Professional Advising Center also fall under Bisantz's purview, which ensures a coordinated approach to student achievement and engagement.

Dean since 2018, Bisantz has led initiatives to address learning gaps and improve pedagogy in key courses; collaborated on student success initiatives, including summer bridge courses and success coach models; overseen the full-scale implementation of the UB Curriculum; implemented efforts to streamline connecting first-year students to majors; and has led undergraduate education units in updating and transforming programming to meet the needs of today's students. Bisantz co-chaired the Curriculum and Pedagogy Committee for the President's Advisory Council on Race, co-chaired the Middles States Higher Education accreditation effort and was the 2022 chair of UB's SEFA Campaign for the Community. Bisantz is a SUNY Distinguished Professor and past chair of UB's Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, where she led successful undergraduate accreditation efforts, developed new undergraduate and graduate programs, and expanded and diversified the ISE faculty.

Bisantz earned a PhD from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a master's and bachelor's degree from UB. Her research areas are cognitive engineering, human decision-making, human-computer interface design and complex work systems analysis. She received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Research and Creative Activity in 2015, the Paul M. Fitts Educator Award from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society in 2017 (where she was also named Fellow in 2013), the HFES WOMAN Mentor award in 2020, and has served on the executive boards of two professional societies. In 2024, she was appointed to the National Academie's Board on Human System 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 assistant vice provost for undergraduate education, overseeing undergraduate policy and curricular developments and 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 interim associate vice provost for student success and academic support, overseeing the Student Success Portal, Student Success Planning, Student Success Coaching Coordination, First Generation Initiative, Tutoring Services, the Center for Excellence in Writing, and the Cora P. Maloney Center (CPMC) and its associated offices. Additionally, she serves as the unit inclusion officer for academic affairs. 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. She 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 bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in human resources from UB and a master’s degree in education from Canisius College. Jacqui is currently pursuing her PhD in higher education at 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 assistant dean and chief student retention innovation 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 in 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 academic affairs. 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). 

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 academic initiatives, working on projects and partnerships that enhance the academic experience and support student success. Prior to this role, Hallman was the senior assistant director of UB Curriculum, where she focused on implementing and assessing UB’s innovative general education program. A proud UB alum, Hallman earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in higher education with a concentration in student affairs at UB. 

Danielle LaMarre-Smith is the director of curriculum for undergraduate education. In this role, she serves as the chief administrator of the university’s general education program, the UB Curriculum. She also coordinates day-to-day operations of undergraduate course and curriculum management. She holds a master’s degree from Canisius College and has been with UB since 2013.

Samantha Smith is the director of TrACE, a program for transfer students that aims to remove financial barriers to full-time study, provide structured pathways to help students gain and maintain academic momentum, and create connected communities through integrated support and engagement activities. Previously, she was the assistant registrar in the Office of the Registrar. She also served in the School of Management in advisement and enrollment, focusing on recruitment, admission and support of transfer, re-entering and subsequent student populations. She holds a master’s degree from Canisius University in college student personnel administration and a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Oswego in communication studies with a concentration in conflict management.