Our Leadership

Laura E. Hubbard is responsible for the oversight of strategic financial planning and analysis of resource use and development. Named vice president for finance and administration in early 2012, she oversees UB Business Services, Emergency Management, Human Resources, Internal Audit, Parking and Transportation Services, Policy and Operational Excellence, Office of Real Estate and Property Management, Resource Planning, Office of Sustainability, University Facilities, and University Police. 

Chris Austin, PTMP, leads and directs operations, communications, and strategic planning for UB Parking and Transportation Services. With more than 25 years of progressive leadership experience in the parking and mobility industries, he oversees a team responsible for managing over 16,000 surface parking spaces across UB’s three campuses. Under his leadership, the office delivers transportation solutions that serve more than 2 million transit passengers annually, supporting efficient, accessible, and sustainable alternatives to single-occupancy vehicle travel. Chris has a combined fifteen years of service on the Board of Directors of the International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI), City of Buffalo, and the New York State Parking and Transportation Association. He currently serves as a member of IPMI’s Accredited Parking Organization (APO) Board, and is a certified Parking, Transportation, & Mobility Professional (PTMP).

As Chief of Police, Kimberly Beaty leads the department and makes strategic judgments and decisions to chart UB’s law enforcement, safety, and security plan. She is responsible for evaluating and refining the department’s different strategies to engage the campus community. She works to ensure a relationship-based approach to community policing to effectively connect the police with students, faculty, staff, and other community partners. Beaty was the director of public safety at Canisius University, where she developed an Inclusive Crisis Response Team for activation, on-scene response, intervention, and post-crisis review. She is known for her approachability and positive interactions with the Canisius community. Before joining Canisius, Beaty was a member of the Buffalo Police Department for more than 30 years, including four years as deputy police commissioner.  She also serves as a law enforcement training consultant for the Erie County Law Enforcement Training Academy, providing professional training for police recruits and veterans. Beaty is past chair and current board member of the Erie County Law Enforcement Foundation Board of Directors, a member of New York Women in Law Enforcement, and a member of the Erie County Chiefs of Police.  She has a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs and a bachelor’s degree in communication from Canisius.

Bruce Buerger, as associate vice president for University Facilities, leads an organization dedicated to maintaining a safe, healthy, and attractive campus environment. Under his leadership, University Facilities delivers both direct and advisory services across its many functional areas, ensuring reliable operations, strategic stewardship, and responsive support for the university community. Bruce has over 25 years in management and technical roles within University Facilities and has played a central role in the university’s physical transformation. Most recently, he served as Director of Capital Planning, and previously held key positions in Design & Construction, where he advanced projects from concept to completion with a focus on quality, efficiency, and long-term value.  Bruce has developed strong relationships with the State University Construction Fund and other state and local partners to support the university’s strategic goals. An alum of the UB School of Engineering, Bruce brings a systems-oriented perspective to the management of the university’s physical infrastructure.

Beth Corry is a strategic finance and operations leader serving as Associate Vice President for Business Services and Controller at the University at Buffalo. She leads the transformation and delivery of enterprise business services that support UB’s academic, research, and operational missions.

Beth oversees a diverse and integrated portfolio, including Business Reporting and Systems, Financial Management, Policy, Compliance and Internal Controls, Print and Mail Services, Purchasing and Contract Services, and Student Accounts. Her leadership is grounded in innovation, operational excellence, and cross-functional collaboration, ensuring that business services are modern, efficient, and aligned with institutional priorities.

With over 30 years of progressive leadership experience in higher education, Beth brings expertise in financial management, compliance, and institutional strategy. She is a trusted advisor to university leadership, partnering with Resource Planning, Research and Economic Development, UB Foundation and other key stakeholders to align financial strategy with institutional priorities and enable sustainable growth and innovation.

Under her leadership, Business Services has advanced key system implementations that modernize the university’s business infrastructure and enhance the user experience. These include Jaggaer, Concur, iLabs, ISOS, Nelnet Marketplace, U.S. Bank card program, and AI-enabled chatbot solutions. She also co-chaired the implementation of UPlan, the university’s all-funds budgeting platform, strengthening financial planning capabilities and institutional transparency.

Beth is a recognized leader within the higher education community. She serves as Chair of the SUNY Business Officers Association (SUBOA), contributing to system-wide collaboration and strategic alignment. She has also presented at regional and national conferences, including EACUBO and NACUBO, where she shares insights on business transformation and operational strategy.

Christopher Delello, Associate Vice President for Human Resources (HR), oversees UB State and Research Foundation employee benefits and wellness/work-life services, payroll, compensation and classification, employee relations, employee engagement and success, and talent acquisition and workforce development teams.

Before joining UB, Chris was the Chief Human Resources Officer at the University of Connecticut, where he provided overall strategic human resources vision and leadership for the university, all of its academic campuses, and the UConn hospital. Prior to joining the University of Connecticut, Chris served as Director of Benefits, Compensation, and HRIS for Columbus McKinnon Corporation in Western New York.

He previously served as Vice President of HR and Total Rewards for the Yankee Candle Company and its retail locations in the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. He also held a variety of HR leadership roles at Aetna, CIGNA, Lincoln Financial, and Hartford Healthcare in CT, PA, IN, and CA.

Chris works closely with colleagues across the university, surrounding communities, SUNY, the Research Foundation, and New York State to develop a vision that promotes organizational excellence through the identification, recruitment, and development of diverse talent, as well as HR operational efficiency.

Kara Kearney-Saylor is the Ethics Officer and Director of Internal Audit at the University at Buffalo and brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education. She leads comprehensive internal audit programs encompassing operational, financial, information systems, compliance, and risk-based audits, with a strong focus on governance, accountability, and continuous improvement. In her role as Ethics Officer, Kara advises University personnel on compliance with New York State ethics laws and oversees key requirements including ethics training, financial disclosures, and approvals related to outside activities, gifts, and other regulated matters. Kara is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and holds the Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA).

Kara is highly active in the internal audit profession. She has served the Association for College and University Auditors in various roles for more than 15 years and volunteered for six years as Academic Relations Committee Chair for the WNY Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), engaging in outreach to current and prospective internal audit students.

As Assistant Vice President for Resource Planning, Joe Lewandowski leads the university’s strategic resource and budget planning efforts in support of institutional priorities, plans and goals. He works closely with senior leadership and academic and administrative units across the university on budget planning and implementation, financial analysis, budget policy, and the administration of UPlan, the university’s budgeting, planning and forecasting system. Joe has held several roles in the Office of Resource Planning, including Senior Resource Analyst and Resource Analyst from 2014 to 2018. Prior to that, he served in business operations roles in the Division of Athletics, including Associate Director of Business Operations from 2011 to 2014 and Business Operations Staff Assistant from 2006 to 2011.

As the University at Buffalo’s inaugural Chief Sustainability Officer since 2011, Ryan has worked to build a culture of innovation and collaboration around sustainability and climate action. He leads strategies that position UB as a leader locally, statewide, nationally, and across higher education. Central to this work is advancing 10 key priorities through UB’s climate action plan, which achieved climate neutrality for direct emissions in 2026. He has also championed the integration of the UN Sustainable Development Goals across campus and throughout New York State, helping to cultivate the next generation of change agents. Ryan previously served as UB’s Associate Vice President for Government and Community Relations and Chief of Staff for External Affairs, and earlier worked in Washington, D.C., and New Hampshire advocating for environmental protection and democratic participation.