- 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 Meet the Provost 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 Office of Undergraduate Studies, 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.
	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. 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).
	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.
Roberta “Bobbi” Jones is the Assistant Provost for Interdisciplinary Programs. Her primary responsibility is to work with the Vice Chancellor on strategic organizational and interdisciplinary initiatives and to serve as a member of the Responsibility Center Management (RCM) committee. She can be reached at (315) 443-2055 or by mail at 700 University Ave, 4^th floor, Syracuse, NY 13244
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 underrepresentted 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.
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 Executive Assistant 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. Suzie can be reached at (315) 443-2494, smbarch@syr.edu, or by mail at 500 Crouse-Hinds Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244.
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 coordinator of the University Lectures with the Associate Provost, support of dean searches, Vice Chancellor initiatives and task forces, and event planning for the Provost. Esther can be reached at (315) 443-2941, eegray@syr.edu, or by mail at 500 Crouse-Hinds Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244.
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 responsibility is to assist the executive assistant for budget as well as counsel Academic Affairs budget personnel on questions and concerns regarding budget issues. Renee can be reached at (315) 443-4069, rmroth@syr.edu, or by mail at 500 Crouse-Hinds Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244..
Denneva Sopp is the Administrative Assistant in the Office of Academic Affairs. Her primary responsibility is to provide secretarial support and assistance to the Vice Chancellor and Provost and the Vice Chancellor’s Executive Assistant. Other responsibilities include the exchange of information with internal departments and external organizations as well as coordinating travel arrangements and meeting schedules for the Vice Chancellor. Denneva can be reached at (315) 443-1728, dpsopp@syr.edu, or by mail at 500 Crouse-Hinds Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244.
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 Psychology. She can be reached at (315) 443-9095.