Our Team

Graham Hammill is the vice provost for academic affairs and dean of the Graduate School. A strong advocate for student success, Hammill provides dynamic academic leadership and a vision for undergraduate, graduate and professional education that advances the University at Buffalo as a premier public research university.

Hammill joined UB in 2008 as a faculty member and served as chair of the English department. He became vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School in 2015. In these roles, Hammill oversaw the development of innovative, interdisciplinary degree and professional development programs; streamlined and improved the university’s program review process; and led a comprehensive evaluation of UB’s doctoral education programs that provided key data used in departmental strategic planning efforts.

In 2017, Hammill assumed the role of vice provost for educational affairs. Under his leadership, the divisional units align program development and approval, assessment and program review, and academic support services across undergraduate and graduate education to enhance student access, support and success at all levels.

Hammill holds a PhD from Duke University and is an expert in early modern British literature. He has served as president of the International Spenser Society, chair of the MLA Executive Committee for the Division on Renaissance Literature and chair of the MLA Executive Committee for the Division on Psychological Approaches to Literature.

Ann Bisantz is the dean of undergraduate education. Through oversight of academic policies and curriculum management, Bisantz’s leadership enables all UB undergraduate students to achieve academic excellence. As dean, Bisantz stewards the strategic vision for the governance and management of UB’s general education program, the UB Curriculum; the Office of Experiential Learning and Research; and the University Honors College. Dean Bisantz also provides strategic leadership for campus-wide undergraduate advising and oversight of the Exploratory and Pre-Professional Advising Center and the university’s Finish in 4 program.

Bisantz was appointed dean of undergraduate education in 2018 and has overseen the full-scale implementation of the UB Curriculum, streamlined the process of connecting first-year students with majors and has led UGE units in updating and transforming programming to meet the needs of today’s students. Bisantz is a 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 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) and has served on the executive boards of two professional societies. Bisantz joined UB in 1997.

Sandra Flash is the associate vice provost for academic affairs and director of HUB & Student Systems Support. Serving in this role since 2018, she has provided leadership for university-wide academic policies and procedures for UB’s undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. In addition, Sandra oversees the offices of academic integrity and fellowships and scholarships, as well as graduate student services and graduate professional development. She earned her PhD and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from UB and has been with the university since 1993. Her professional background includes higher education leadership roles in international education and academic and student affairs.

Jacqueline Hollins is the associate vice provost for inclusion and student success. In this capacity, she serves as the unit inclusion officer for academic affairs, oversees the Cora P. Maloney Center (CPMC), and supports student success and retention efforts. 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.

Erin K. O’Brien is currently assistant dean, 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 into higher education. Erin is currently a PhD in Management (A.B.D.) with a focus in management science and systems. 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 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.
 

Kara Saunders is the university registrar, which supports the multifaceted academic needs of the university. In this role, Kara oversees the Office of the Registrar’s stewardship of programs and systems that support students, faculty and staff in reaching their academic pursuits. Kara holds a PhD from UB and a master’s degree from Harvard University. She has served as the university registrar since 2010 and has been at UB since 2000.

Cheryl Taplin is the senior associate vice provost and director of 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. In her current role, she collaborates with partners across campus to implement the strategies and services that create UB’s student-centered culture. Cheryl earned her PhD and master’s degree from UB and has been with the university since 1987.

Carol Van Zile-Tamsen is the associate vice provost of the Office of Curriculum, Assessment and Teaching Transformation (CATT). This new office opened in 2021 following the merger of two familiar campus resources, the Center for Educational Innovation and the Office of Educational Effectiveness, to provide the university community with a more efficient structure for instructional and programmatic support. In her role as director, Carol leads the collective efforts to achieve programmatic and instructional excellence and increased student learning and success. Carol earned her PhD and master's degree at UB and has been with the university as a staff member since 2001 and has been with academic affairs since 2014.