Our People
The Division of Academic Affairs is proud to introduce the team driving our mission forward during this pivotal time of transformation and growth. Guided by our values of engagement, efficiency, and effectiveness, our people are central to advancing student success, inclusive excellence, and academic innovation. With the recent realignment of the Office of the Provost, we’ve clarified leadership roles, streamlined operations, and strengthened our infrastructure to better serve our faculty, staff, and students. Explore the sections below to meet our dedicated staff, view the updated organizational chart, and learn more about the new roles and responsibilities of our vice provosts and associate vice presidents.
Amy Thompson, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
[email protected]
(248) 370-2193
Aimee Symington
Executive Special Assistant to the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
[email protected]
(248) 370-2193
Amy Banes-Berceli, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Academic Operations
[email protected]
(248) 370-4836
Neil Baumgartner
Associate Vice President for Student Success and Advising
[email protected]
(248) 370-4482
Elizabeth Beebe
Events Coordinator
elizabethbeebe@oakland.edu
(248) 370-4681
Theawiana Bracewell, Ph.D.
Director of Academic Events
[email protected]
(248) 370-4682
Jamie Czarnota
Provost Office Staff
[email protected]
(248) 370-3234
Peggy Cooke
Chief of Staff and Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs
[email protected]
(248) 370-2192
Kathy Dailey
Provost Office Staff
[email protected]
(248) 370-4955
Ann Forsyth
Provost Office Staff
[email protected]
(248) 370-2974
Linda Gamage
General Education Coordinator
[email protected]
(248) 370-3810
Patricia Johnson Georgevich, M.A.
Provost Communication Specialist
[email protected]
Amy Gould
Student Achievement and Persistence Specialist
[email protected]
(248) 370-4480
Theresa Hardnett
Provost Office Staff
[email protected]
(248) 370-2191
Kristin Landis-Piwowar, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
[email protected]
(248) 370-2190
Nivedita Mukherji, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
[email protected]
(248) 370-2190
Alicia Nott
Financial Analyst
[email protected]
(248) 370-2192
Michele St. Denis
Director of Business Operations
[email protected]
(248) 370-3035
David Stone, Ph.D.
Vice President for Research
[email protected]
(248) 370-2762
Diane Underwood
Director, Academic Compliance
[email protected]
(248) 370-2571
Song Yan, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President for Institutional Research, Assessment, and Data Analytics
[email protected]
(248) 370-4146
Margaret Zech
IT Project Manager
[email protected]
(248) 370-4609
Academic Affairs has adopted a new organizational structure designed to strengthen support for faculty and staff, enhance student success, and align resources more effectively across the division. This updated organizational chart shows our new structure and reporting lines within Academic Affairs, providing a clear view of how the division is organized to advance student success.
Academic Leadership—Vice Provosts
Global and Digital Learning
- Global Engagement (ESL, ISSO, International education)
- International agreements
- International student experience
- Global recruiting strategies with Enrollment Management
- Online strategies, marketing, and recruitment
- E-learning
- Online course design
- Academic compliance
Faculty Affairs
- Faculty recruitment and hiring
- Faculty retention, engagement, development (teaching, scholarship, mentoring)
- Faculty promotion and tenure
- Sabbatical review
- Review of faculty policy - merit, workload, and review statements
- New faculty orientation
- Department chair orientation / training / meeting
- Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
- AAUP contract lead
- Faculty grievance liaison
Academic Operations
- Academic space allocation and master planning
- Senate coordination
- Board of Trustees office liaison
- Community engagement
- Emergency preparedness
- Events / Commencement
Academic Affairs
- Institutional accreditation & Higher Learning Commission liaison
- MASU liaison
- Program accreditation support
- Academic program review
- Program prioritization
- Curriculum management (General Education Program, UCUI)
- Academic policies
- Academic Council
- Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies
- Liaison to Office of the Registrar
Academic Leadership—Associate Vice Presidents
Student Success and Advising
- Academic advising
- Retention and completion strategies and institutional performance gaps
- Academic performance and time to graduation
- Student success programming
- Gateway course redesign
- Co-curricular programming
- Writing Center
- High Impact Practices (HIPs)
- Committee on Academic Recovery and Success
Academic Affairs and Chief of Staff
- Academic resource management
- AA budget development and planning
- Faculty / staff compensation
- Staff HR liaison
- Academic IT project management
- Liaison to Finance and Administration
- Faculty bargaining (resources)
Office of the Provost
