The administration provides leadership and counsel on academic programs, policies, faculty recruitment and support, research and support for academic affairs.
Office of Academic Affairs
Lois Agnew has recently stepped into the role of Interim Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer. In this role, Agnew works with colleagues in Academic Affairs and across campus to support teaching, learning and student success.
Jerry Edmonds serves as the chief of staff for Academic Affairs. In this role, he represents the interests and priorities of the provost and academic affairs across the university. His portfolio includes oversight of Institutional Effectiveness, Institutional Research, Office of Retention and Student Success, and Project Advance.
Christina (Chris) Eiffe is associate vice president for academic operations. She brings nearly 25 years of experience in budget and operations, financial planning, accounting, and controls. Eiffe joined the University in 2008, where she most recently served as senior director of budget, operations and strategic initiatives in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
As associate provost for academic programs, Julie Hasenwinkel supports teaching, learning and student success. Her portfolio includes oversight of a wide range of University offices and programs in these areas, including the Center for Learning and Student Success, the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence and Retention and Student Success.
Enrollment Services
Ryan Williams is the University's vice president for enrollment services. In this role, he oversees the Office of Admissions, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Programs, the Enrollment Processing Center, the Office of Institutional Research and the Student Employment Office. Prior to being named vice president in 2018, Williams held several positions at the University, including senior associate vice president, interim senior associate vice president and associate vice president.
Faculty Affairs
Jamie Winders serves as associate provost for faculty affairs. In this capacity, Winders partners with Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter and other academic affairs leaders to support key faculty initiatives and advance the University’s vision and mission as outlined in the Academic Strategic Plan. A professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment, Winders was also the founding director of the Autonomous Systems Policy Institute.
Graduate School
Peter Vanable was appointed associate provost for graduate studies and dean of the Graduate School on January 6, 2017. He assumed the role of interim vice president of research on January 1, 2016. Vanable is a professor of psychology and adjunct professor of medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University. He served as chair of psychology for six years, an appointment that began in August of 2009.
Research
Duncan Brown is the vice president for research and Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics. He is an internationally recognized leader in gravitational-wave astronomy and astrophysics and was integral to the discovery of gravitational waves by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO).
Strategic Initiatives
Elisa Dekaney serves as associate provost for strategic initiatives, working to strengthen the academic experience through strong connections with campus and community-based programs. In this role, she oversees University-based cultural organizations like the Syracuse University Art Museum, La Casita Cultural Center and Punto de Contacto/Point of Contact, among others.
Syracuse Abroad
Erika Wilkens brings deep international experience to her new role as assistant provost and executive director of the University’s Syracuse Abroad program. In 2010 she was appointed the founding director of the University’s new study abroad center in Istanbul. She led operations at that center until 2017, when the center closed its doors due to political unrest in that region.
University Libraries
David Seaman is dean of libraries and University librarian at Syracuse University. He leads a talented library staff to deliver the services and collections necessary to drive 21st-century research, teaching and learning, and to provide innovative spaces for study, collaboration and innovation. He can be reached at 315.443.5533.