Meet the Provost



Meet the Provost - Office Administration
Eric Spina is the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost of Syracuse University. He has served as the Douglas D. Danforth Dean of Engineering & Computer Science at Syracuse University and a Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. Dr. Spina received his B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in mechanical & aerospace engineering from Princeton University; he has been on the Syracuse faculty since 1988. Prof. Spina has 20 years of research experience in experimental fluid mechanics ranging from fundamentals of simple canonical flows to flow control methods. His most important work has been on the physics of high-speed turbulent boundary layers, which culminated in a paper in the Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics. Spina holds two U.S. patents, has published more than 30 refereed archival and conference papers, and has edited one book and one conference proceeding. You can contact him by calling (315) 443-1728. For more information on Eric Spina, visit the Vice Chancellor's section.
 
Karen "Kal" Alston is the Associate Provost for Academic Administration. As Associate Provost, Kal is responsible for a variety of administrative and academic matters, including tenure and promotion protocols, academic personnel issues and accreditation processes. In addition, she plays an integral role in the University's transition to the Responsibility Center Management (RCM) budgetary system. Kal also holds the position of Professor of Education and Women's Studies. She began at the University in August of 2005 after serving as the director of the Gender & Women’s Studies program and as associate professor of philosophy of education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Kal can be reached at (315) 443-2744.
Sandra “Sandy” Hurd is the Associate Provost for Academic Programs. She is responsible for promoting and strengthening undergraduate curricula, instruction, and advising, as well as developing innovative interdisciplinary, inter-college and all-University Programs through collaboration and cooperation among campus units. Sandy has direct oversight for the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, Project Advance, the Academic Integrity Office, the Tutoring and Study Center, and the Office of Disability Services, as well as the University’s Learning Communities academic programs.  Sandy also holds the position of Professor of Law and Public Policy and is a core faculty member of the Renee Crown Honors Program. She has a B.A. in English from Wells College and a J.D. in Law from Syracuse University. Sandy can be reached at (315) 443-1899.
Mary Ann Fraser is the Assistant Provost for Budgetary Affairs. Her primary responsibility is to oversee all aspects of budget planning within Academic Affairs. She has been with the University since July 1980 and has held various positions in the College of Arts and Sciences up until 1985 when she moved to the Office of the Vice Chancellor and Provost. Mary Ann can be reached at (315) 443-3691.
Odie Brant Porter is the Assistant Provost for Planning and Analysis. In this role since August 2003, Odie's primary function is to develop analysis for various academic units that focuses on more effectively utilizing University resources. Her initial assignment is in the Graduate School.Prior to joining Syracuse University, Odie was Sr. Advisor for Provost Operations at the University of Iowa, where she was responsible for strategic planning and analysis, which is preceded by her appointment as budget director for the University of Kansas.  She has been working in the finance and analysis area for 13 years. She can be reached at (315) 443-2543.
Patricia Stith is the Assistant Provost for Equity and Inclusion. Patricia has served as an academic advisor and administrator for most of her career in academia. Prior to becoming Assistant Provost for Equity and Inclusion, Stith served as Associate Dean of the Graduate School at Syracuse University and was Project Manager for the Central New York Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (CNY-PR AGEP). Before coming to Syracuse, Stith was Director of Retention Studies at Florida State University, a position she held for 17 years. She also has directed and coordinated several National Science Foundation projects designed to promote increased participation of underrepresented minorities in the STEM subjects—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Stith earned a bachelor's degree in history from Norfolk State College in Norfolk, Virginia. She holds master’s degrees in history from Carnegie-Mellon University and instructional technology from Syracuse University. She earned her Ph.D. degree in instructional systems at Florida State University. She can be reached at (315) 443-0287.
Bruce Kingma is the Associate Provost for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and a Professor in the School of Information Studies (iSchool). As associate provost, he is responsible for leading the Syracuse Campus-Community Entrepreneurship Initiative, a collaborative partnership made possible by a five-year, $3 million grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. As a professor and associate dean in the iSchool, Kingma has worked with the faculty, staff, and students to start the award winning Web-based Information Science Education (WISE) consortium; the Preparing Librarians for Urban Schools (PLUS) program; the Women in Technology (WIT) student group; and the Orange Council for Leadership in the Information Professions (Orange CLIP) employer advisory group.  Kingma's research has focused on the economics of information, including the economics of online education, digital libraries, scholarly publishing, and library and nonprofit management. He has published 5 books, numerous articles, and frequently presents at national and international conferences in economics, distance education, and information and library science.  He has published in The Journal of Political Economy, Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, D-Lib Magazine, College & Research Libraries, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, and other professional journals in economics and information science.  Kingma received a Ph.D. degree in economics from the University of Rochester (1989) and a B.S. degree in economics with honors from the University of Chicago (1983).
Harlan London is advisor to the Vice Chancellor and Provost for the development of strategies to integrate issues of diversity into the curriculum and the educational process. He was appointed in 1997 by Chancellor Shaw to facilitate discussion of diversity in existing and future curriculum development across campus. Professor London served as professor and chair of the department of child and family studies in the former College for Human Development. He can be reached at (315) 443-4291.

Bronwyn Adam is the Director of Faculty Development. She is responsible for coordinating activities and services for faculty including new faculty welcome and orientation, support for faculty success in teaching, scholarly and creative work, and on-going professional development opportunities for faculty, including department chairs, and recognition and celebration of faculty work through University award programs. Bron’s experience at Syracuse includes teaching in the University Writing Program and work as a teaching and evaluation consultant in the Center for Support of Teaching and Learning—now the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Syracuse. Her scholarly work has focused on faculty cultures and institutional and organizational change. She can be reached by calling (315) 443-5413.

Suzanne Barch is the senior administrator for the Vice Chancellor and Provost. She serves as the principal administrative coordinator for the Vice Chancellor's office as well as liaison to internal and external constituencies. Suzanne began at the University in 1988 as a temporary clerical employee and shortly thereafter became the secretary to the Vice Chancellor. She can be reached by calling (315) 443-2494.

Kristen Lynn Day is administrative assistant for Associate Provost Kal Alston. Kristen began at the University in 2001 after moving from the University of Alaska Anchorage.  She worked in the School of Education and the Graduate School before moving to Academic Affairs.  She can be reached by calling (315) 443-5525.

Esther Gray is the special assistant to the Vice Chancellor and Provost. Her main responsibilities include coordination of the University Lectures with the associate provost, support of dean searches, and event planning for the Provost. Esther began working at the University in 1976 as a secretary in the Center for Policy Research, received her B.S. in 1999. She can be reached by calling (315) 443-2941.
Cynthia (Cindy) Nieman is the administrative specialist for the Director of Academic Human Resources and the Director of Faculty Development in the office of the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs. Her responsibilities include support for a wide variety of faculty issues including faculty appointment letters, faculty leave procedures, new faculty, and Meredith Professorship events. She began at the University in 1994 and previously worked at the School of Management, the Economics Department, the Syracuse CoE & the CASE Center. Cindy may be reached by calling (315) 443-2744.
Renee Roth is a budget analyst for the Office of Academic Affairs. Her primary responsibilities are to assist the executive assistant for budget as well as counsel Academic Affairs budget personnel on questions and concerns regarding budget issues. Renee began working in academic affairs in 2001 after service as an accountant in the University's contract accounting department. She can be reached at (315) 443-4069.
Denneva Sopp is the administrative secretary in the Office of Academic Affairs. She provides secretarial support and assistance to the Vice Chancellor and Provost as well as the Vice Chancellor's senior administrator. Denneva began working in the Office of Academic Affairs in 2000 after 20 years of work in the legal and corporate environments as well as a part-time employee in the Carrier Dome ticket office. She can be reached by calling (315) 443-1728.
Sonya Williams is Director of Academic Human Resources in the Office of Academic Affairs.  This position was created to work in collaboration with the Associate Provost for Academic Administration to support faculty.  Sonya acts as the liaison between Academic Affairs and the Office of Human Resources on matters relating to employment policy, training, benefits, faculty conflict resolution and the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC). She received her B.S. Psychology from Fordham University and attended New York University for a M.A. in Industrial/Organizational PsychologyShe can be reached at (315) 443-9095.
© 2002 - 2007 Syracuse University | OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Suite 500 Crouse-Hinds Hall, 900 S. Crouse Ave., Syracuse, NY 13244 | Tel. 315-443-1728 | Fax: 315-443-1839
If you have any questions, comments or problems contact: eegray@syr.edu