鈥淭his year鈥檚 award recipients reflect the very best of 榴莲app官方网站入 commitment to global engagement,鈥� said Nick Gozik, dean of global education. 鈥淭hrough their leadership, service, scholarship and care for others, they help create a campus culture where internationalization is not simply an aspiration, but a lived experience. Their efforts strengthen our community and remind us that global education is essential to preparing thoughtful, engaged citizens in an interconnected world.鈥�

Courtney Smith, senior associate director of financial aid, received the staff award for her outstanding support of study away students. Her work, particularly in the area of financial aid and literacy, has played an important role in helping students thousands of students access global opportunities and navigate the financial aspects of studying away.

鈥淐ourtney鈥檚 contributions have been pivotal to the university鈥檚 efforts to make international experiences more accessible and manageable for students,” said Allegra Laing, executive director of global programming.

Jeff Carpenter, William S. Long Professor and professor of education, received the faculty award in recognition of his leadership in global education, including as chair of the Global Education Curriculum Committee; support and leadership of overseas programs, including the joint GEC/Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education program in New Zealand; and strong record of scholarship and teaching with a global focus. It was noted that Carpenter鈥檚 work as a teacher educator, scholar and mentor has helped strengthen 榴莲app官方网站入 global learning environment, and his teaching overseas reflects a sustained commitment to international and intercultural education.

Huria Tahiry, recipient of 榴莲app官方网站入 Commitment to Democracy Scholarship, received the international student award for her contributions to 榴莲app官方网站入 campus community since arriving in fall 2022. Tahiry has served as an International Student Ambassador and has been involved in the Muslim Student Society, Eco-Reps, the Asian Pacific Student Association and other campus organizations. She also founded Caravan Club focused on Central Asian countries and culture, worked as an environmental justice intern and served as a SOC analyst for the Information Security Office. In addition, she is president of Women in Computer Science (WiCS).

Most recently, Tahiry worked with campus partners to bring Habiba Sarabi to Elon, helping foster dialogue about the global impact of Afghanistan鈥檚 ban on women鈥檚 education and the ongoing fight for educational rights and gender equality. Denise Teeters, director of international students, said Tahiry stands out not only for her accomplishments but for her character, noting that she is consistently among the first to offer support to others.

鈥淗er presence has made a meaningful and lasting impact on our campus, and we are stronger because of her,鈥� Teeters said.

Mya Lee received the Study Away Student Award for exemplifying 榴莲app官方网站入 commitment to global learning through academic excellence, leadership and meaningful engagement abroad. An Odyssey Scholar, Global Ambassador and student-athlete, Lee brings a thoughtful and inclusive perspective to global education.

鈥淢ya鈥檚 study abroad experience in Florence further reflected her dedication to cultural exchange, learning and community, while inspiring her peers through her leadership and engagement,” said Danthon, program coordinator.

One of those teams, purchasing & technology, shows how sustainability can fit naturally into the work people already do by working towards 1) reducing the campus printing footprint by digitizing self-service options and encouraging electronic resources, 2) sourcing technology that uses environmentally conscious best practices and manage its lifecycle responsibly, and 3) educating and engaging the campus community about sustainable technology practices.

Those strategies might sound complex, but the team says most of the work builds on existing processes and collaborations. Adding sustainability often means asking one more question or making one small adjustment.

鈥淲e regularly partner with purchasing on contract management and business agreements,鈥� said Pat Donohue, one of the team leads and the university鈥檚 deputy chief information officer. 鈥淎dding a request for sustainability transparency from our vendors is a natural improvement of existing processes to align with university strategic objectives.聽 This is an example of how bold strategy can often be a minor adjustment in organizational behavior.鈥�

Patrick Schwartz is the assistant director of procure to pay at Elon and one of the team leads for the purchasing & technology implementation team. He added, 鈥淛ust by being part of this team, the collaboration between our two departments was already strong, and it strengthens every day.鈥�

When IT evaluates vendors, the team already asks about data security, storage and compliance. Now, they also ask vendors to disclose their carbon footprint and energy consumption. It is a simple step that helps Elon make informed decisions about the products and services it uses.

In addition, Schwartz said the purchasing team can see the purchasing trends on the backend and, leveraging their strong relationship with IT, work together to assure that vendors are providing products to campus that are environmentally and fiscally sustainable and responsible.

Collaboration creates momentum

Collaboration has been key to success. Conversations about sustainability often uncover other opportunities to improve processes, strengthen partnerships and share resources.

Edith Smith shared one of those ideas. She serves as a purchasing agent at Elon and is a member of the purchasing & technology implementation team. She worked with Amazon to ensure that the first products displayed when employees search for a product are those that have sustainable qualities. In addition to this, Smith and others are looking into ways to encourage the university to increase its partnership with local vendors to reduce environmental impact and support the local economy.

鈥淚t can be difficult to put a list of vendors together for a campus with decentralized purchasing, but for me, it鈥檚 important to ask how we can encourage our colleagues on campus to use local vendors more regularly and to work with vendors that will cut emissions,” said Smith.

鈥淭he focus on sustainability gave us a framework to accelerate improvements we were already pursuing,鈥� said Donohue. 鈥淚t has been a clear example of how bringing together diverse mindsets with a shared purpose can improve service delivery, streamline business processes and create long-term value for the university.

Schwartz agrees with this sentiment and adds that the team is educating people to consider which sustainable products are offered by vendors.

鈥淣one of us can do this work on our own,鈥� he added.

Fiscal responsibility meets sustainability

One of the most significant changes was extending the lifecycle of university-owned laptops and desktops to five years.

鈥淲e ensure an extended lifecycle by applying updates and doing necessary maintenance on the equipment throughout its usable lifecycle,” said Rebecca Black,聽director of campus technology support and member of the purchasing & technology implementation team.

When the lifecycle of the technology ends for us, it goes through a chain of disposal through an agreement with ethically responsible vendors, who repurpose the equipment or its components.

鈥淭he equipment we recover doesn鈥檛 just go into a waste facility. It has another, purposeful life afterward,鈥� she added.

Donohue added that the proceeds from selling depreciated equipment is reinvested to subsidize advanced support of Elon computers.

鈥淭his benefits our community through faster repairs and maintenance while allowing campus technology support specialists to focus on high-value service delivery than hardware break/fix efforts. It鈥檚 a win-win,鈥� he said.

The same principle applies to reducing the number of printers on campus. Fewer devices mean less energy consumption and less paper use, but the change also reflects a cultural shift. Convenience often competes with sustainability, and the team acknowledges that change takes time.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a fine line between doing what鈥檚 easy and convenient and making an extra, impactful effort towards sustainability,鈥� Beck said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e in the moment where this is a necessary priority.鈥�

Schwartz added, 鈥淭his is one of the best examples of how our work aligns together. We evaluated paper processes on campus and moved purchase card request forms and Adobe signatures to digital processes.鈥�

In addition to the paper and cost-savings, Schwartz and Smith say that these processes also simplify and better organize employee workflows.

鈥淲hen we thoughtfully scale technology resources in ways such as consolidating printers and encouraging digitization, we also reduce costs and free-up resources that can be reinvested into new innovations that benefit the university,鈥� Beck said. 鈥淭hese efforts will also help us operate more efficiently and enhance the quality of services for our Elon campuses.鈥�

榴莲app官方网站入 the Sustainability Master Plan

The Boldly Elon Strategic Plan calls on 榴莲app官方网站入 to 鈥淓ngage the campus in sustainable practices to become carbon neutral by 2037 鈥� invest in renewable energy, reduce campus energy consumption 20 percent, purchase offsets to make the global study program carbon neutral and continue to build LEED certified buildings 鈥� and prepare students to lead lives that build a sustainable future.鈥� The 10-year Sustainability Master Plan 2025 is a roadmap for that bold commitment.

Acorn Academy was awarded a five-star rating by the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education following a comprehensive evaluation of the program. The on-site child care and early learning facility opened in August 2025 and has expanded to offer a summer camp, classrooms for pre-schoolers and backup care.

The rating affirms the care, intention and dedication that define Acorn Academy. 鈥淓arning a five-star rating required consistent commitment from our entire team, ongoing professional development, strong classroom practices, thoughtful curriculum implementation and a shared belief in doing what鈥檚 best for children,鈥� said Cherelle Sharpe, head of school for the child care facility.

Jason Husser, professor of political science and public policy and director of the Elon Poll, said, “Elon cares about people being able to work while not worrying about whether their child is safe and growing and learning.”

Sharpe said that, for families, the rating provides reassurance that their children are in a program that prioritizes safety, growth and meaningful relationships every day. Children are learning and growing in a nurturing, high-quality environment designed to support their development.

鈥淐hildren deserve the highest quality care during their most critical developmental years,鈥� said Sharpe. The new child care benefit for employees offers excellence in early childhood education that supports children鈥檚 growth and the families鈥� peace of mind.

鈥淲hen parents know their children are safe, valued and thriving, they are better able to focus on their work and responsibilities with confidence,鈥� added Sharpe.

Ty Goss, program assistant for Arts and Music, says that having an onsite child care facility eases the burdens of drop-off and pickup times to the work commute. “Just knowing that [my daughter is] right across campus… I can focus on my work knowing that she is safe.”

Acorn Academy offers both year-round child care and early learning for ages six week to five years and summer camp for ages five through 12 during Elon’s Planning Week. Visit the to learn more and enroll.

Longtime Elon administrator Jeff Stein was reintroduced to the campus community this winter as the university鈥檚 new chief integration officer and executive vice president. A key advisor to Elon President Connie Ledoux Book and a member of the university鈥檚 senior staff, Stein will collaborate with students, faculty and staff to support the creation of a fully integrated institution through the merger of 榴莲app官方网站入 and Queens University of Charlotte. Stein, who built a career at Elon and later served as president of Mary Baldwin University, answered questions about what drives his work and why he is excited for the historic merger.

Who is Jeff Stein and what are his responsibilities as 榴莲app官方网站入 chief integration officer and executive vice president?

I鈥檓 a product of this community 鈥� a passionate advocate for students and access to mentored opportunities that empower students to launch great lives. For 21 years, Elon provided me the opportunity to work in and out of the classroom with students, faculty, staff, alumni, families and local communities to design the residential campus, community-based learning, Jewish Life, Boldly Elon and more. This community has always supported [my wife] Chrissy and me and our kids, and I鈥檓 thrilled to be back to help guide this innovative merger.

You led the development of the Boldly 榴莲app官方网站入 strategic plan. How will that experience help inform your work in Charlotte and what are effective ways to build strong relationships and develop trust during this type of organizational change?

It鈥檚 all about listening. The voices of thousands of students, faculty, staff, alumni, Elon families and local community members were needed to shape the Boldly 榴莲app官方网站入 strategic plan. Similarly, the Queens and Elon communities 鈥� your questions, your ideas and your values 鈥� will be integral to shaping the future of the merger.

What are some of the pleasant surprises you鈥檝e encountered as you鈥檝e begun your role in Charlotte?

It鈥檚 been fun to reconnect with the Elon community and to begin getting to know members of the Queens community 鈥� smart, talented and dedicated faculty and staff, who put students first and believe in engaged and mentored learning. Charlotte is full of top-notch restaurants, arts, breweries, sports and rapidly expanding industry. Come visit 榴莲app官方网站入 beautiful Tremont building (thank you Holly Hodge and Jenny Gonzalez), and we鈥檒l show you around South End or Uptown.

What does success look like at Elon and at Queens one year from now?

Back in 2022, as part of Boldly 榴莲app官方网站入 implementation, a group of us on the regional learning centers team worked to identify Charlotte as the next location in 榴莲app官方网站入 national campus work 鈥� for students, community, alumni and 榴莲app官方网站入 brand.

What鈥檚 exciting about how this groundbreaking merger accelerates that work 鈥� and the reason people all over the country are watching 鈥� is that two strong, world-class, student-centered institutions are engaging to expand opportunities for students, and for and with Charlotte.

While much of the next year鈥檚 tasks are regulated by guidelines from the federal government and accreditors, our success will come from planning for integration of our operations and services, imagining new opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, and developing relationships across Elon and Queens.

榴莲app官方网站入 dedicated a bench in memory of longtime employee Rena Leath on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.

Leath worked at Elon for 30 years, starting as a dining hall supervisor and then moving to Environmental Services. On Thursday, she was remembered as “dedicated, reliable and deeply kind,” as friends and family gathered for the dedication in the Collonades, between Story Hall and Moffitt Hall.

“She made others feel cared for, seen, and respected, often without words 鈥� simply through the way she moved through her work,” said Rev. Kirstin Boswell, university chaplain and dean of multifaith engagement, who led Thursday’s dedication. “Rena was not only a devoted member of this campus 鈥� she was a woman whose life was shaped by love, joy, and connection outside of these walls.聽She loved to travel, to be with friends, and to gather with her family around meals, stories and laughter. She understood that joy is a practice, and she embraced it fully.”

Raymond Fletcher, senior director of facilities management, acknowledged how many lives Leath touched in her work at Elon. Friends and loved ones also shared words of remembrance during the dedication, describing Leath as someone who “left a little bit of light wherever she went.”

“This bench is more than just a place to sit, it’s a place to pause, reflect, and remember her kindness, her laughter, and her generous heart,” said Nicki Elliott, a friend of Leath’s and a distribution services associate with Elon’s Environmental Services. “I hope that everyone who stops here will feel even a small part of the warmth and love she gave so freely.”

• Granted聽tenure聽to: Douglas Jurs.
• Granted聽tenure聽and聽associate professor to: Heather Barker, Dan Burns, Nicholas Bussberg, Yanica Faustin, Keshia Gee, Jeanine Hill, Katrina Jongman-Sereno, Dinidu Karunanayake, Waseem Kasim, Travis Maynard, Drew Peabody, Travis Phillips, Jonathan Poquette, Devin Proctor, Tony Reyes, Ilyssa Salomon, Alex Traugutt, Elizabeth von Briesen, Khirey Walker, and Long Xia
• Promoted聽Rosa Newman and Srikanth Reddy聽to associate professor.
• Promoted Adam Aiken, David Bockino, Oliva Choplin, Jennifer Hamel, Chris Harris, Heidi Hollingsworth, Baris Kesgin, Patricia Perkins, Federico Pous, Chris Richardson, Andrea Sinn, Tracey Thurnes, Jen Uno, Kate Upton, Scott Windham, and Rena Zito聽to full professor.
• Promoted Binnan Gao, David Moura, Brittany Riggs, Jacob Rutz and Staci Saltz-Spieker to associate teaching professor.
• Promoted Polly Cornelius, Paula Patch, Randy Piland, Clay Stevenson, Amanda Tapler and Marna Winter to teaching professor.
• Promoted聽Shaunta Alvarez and Alison Van Norman聽to associate librarian.

• Continuance in a continuing track appointment was approved for Russ Dailey and Jeanmarie Koonts.
• Continuance in a teaching track appointment was approved for Larry Cantwell, Micah Daw, Richard Dutton, Emily Elrod, Devon Hawkins, Jeremy Hohertz, KC Kasserman, Laura Lacy, JP Lavoie, Mena Marino, Craig Morehead, Ben Murphy, Scott Oakes, Jasmine Powell, Karen Wirth and Deidre Yancey.
• Continuance in a continuing appointment was approved for Ellen Cline.

Royal鈥檚 office is warm and welcoming and offers a window into her past, present and future. Her space honors the values she carries and the people and milestones that have shaped her journey.

Royal serves as 榴莲app官方网站入 associate director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity, & Diversity Education, where she brings faculty, staff and students of all backgrounds together through workshop facilitation and mentorship.

After graduating from 榴莲app官方网站入 in 2017 with a psychology degree, Royal taught fourth and fifth grade at a charter school in Washington, D.C., where she discovered her favorite part of teaching was building trust with students and their families and supporting their academic, social and emotional growth. In 2021, she returned to Alamance County and reconnected with 榴莲app官方网站入 staff she had worked with as a student.

As an undergraduate, Royal worked four years with the dean of students and three years with CREDE, sung in the Elon Gospel Choir and served as an executive intern in admissions. She proudly displays her Elon graduation cap framed in her office next to one she wore from her master鈥檚 graduation at George Washington University.

These experiences, along with others in childhood, shaped Royal鈥檚 understanding of self and built her confidence. At age nine, she became the youngest person in North Carolina to earn a black belt in karate and later won national championships in sparring. Royal鈥檚 mother enrolled her in the sport when she was only four years old and it proved to be an outlet for her to develop and grow when her mother tragically passed when Royal was only five.

Royal鈥檚 formative years instilled in her a dynamic understanding of relationships, families and identity, all of which she leverages in her work today.

Royal offers members of 榴莲app官方网站入 community workshops, mentorships and events that help others grow their self-confidence and understand their values. She offers a variety of workshops to help students, faculty and staff identify and understand the core and unique identities each participant holds.

鈥淧articipants are offered an hour in their day to think about who they are and how they show up in spaces,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese moments are hard to come by and are so rewarding.鈥�

Royal is also a passionate mentor and a champion of student success, as evidenced by her collection of photos in her office.

One student she is currently working with is Madison McCrainey 鈥�26, a cinema and television arts major.

鈥淭hroughout every interaction, Simone has been someone who has encouraged me to be more involved within the Black community and pushed for me to become more confident,鈥� McCrainey said.

Royal said that many of her connections with students have extended past their graduation. 鈥淚 love continuing relationships with students from undergrad to postgrad. I think it shows how strong the relationships are and how mentorship can be carried over through the years.鈥�

Blake Mobley 鈥�27, a sports management major, is appreciative that Royal is someone he can confide in and who can keep him grounded. Royal is someone he could look up to as a professor in the 1010 class, an Elon alumna and a former member of Greek life.

鈥淪imone has helped and guided me and was one of the first people to really listen to how I was feeling and what I had to say,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he will never truly know the positive impact that she has had on my college experience and on my life.鈥�

Royal says that people are more similar than different and that it is her mission to open the door for everyone to feel comfortable sharing their heritage, culture and personal self.

鈥淲e all are here to help each other in some way or format,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want to contribute to making the world a greater place to live in.鈥�

Black History Month

As part of Black History Month, 榴莲app官方网站入 is sharing stories through Today at Elon that highlight Black students, faculty and staff who actively contribute to a campus environment where cultural histories and identities are celebrated year-round. In February, 榴莲app官方网站入 is also recognizing the month through a series of events and programming.

The transition planning phase reflects a clear institutional decision and does not聽represent聽an immediate change to how courses are taught or delivered. Moodle will remain fully supported;聽no Spring 2026 courses are affected,聽and no action is聽required聽from faculty or staff at this time.

Why now?

Over the聽fall semester, Teaching and Learning Technologies, in partnership with academic and IT colleagues, conducted a comprehensive review of the university鈥檚 learning management system. That process included open forums,聽surveys聽and structured feedback from more than 125聽faculty and staff members and more than 400聽undergraduate and graduate students.

The evaluation highlighted聽the importance of聽adopting聽a learning management system to support聽current and聽evolving approaches to learning and engagement.

Beginning the transition planning now allows the university to move forward deliberately, ensuring the transition is well supported and aligned with 榴莲app官方网站入 broader commitment to engaged learning and student success.

Why Canvas?

Canvas was selected following a careful review of faculty and student input,聽market聽analysis聽and platform capabilities.

鈥淭his decision was guided by the needs and hopes of our faculty and students,鈥澛爏aid Rebecca Kohn, provost聽and vice president of academic affairs.聽鈥淥ur community asked for a system that is reliable and flexible; one that can adapt to diverse approaches to teaching and learning. Canvas聽emerged聽as the platform that best aligns with those priorities as we look ahead.鈥�

What this means and what鈥檚 next

As planning moves forward, a few key points may be helpful to keep in mind:

• Moodle聽remains聽fully supported聽through the transition.
• No action is required聽from聽LMS users聽at this time.
• No change will be made to how courses are taught or delivered for Spring 2026.

Teaching and Learning Technologies will lead the transition聽process in close partnership with academic and IT colleagues. TLT will coordinate training, support and future communications, ensuring faculty,聽staff聽and students聽have clarity and guidance well in advance of any changes.

As details take shape, including a clearer transition timeline and answers to聽frequently聽asked questions, TLT will share updates with the campus community.聽Additional聽information is expected before March.

鈥淭ransitioning to a modern, user-friendly platform like Canvas supports engaged learning and student success,鈥� said Kelly Reimer, senior director of Teaching and Learning Technologies. 鈥淥ur goal during this early phase聽of work聽is to establish a strong foundation for both the technical transition and how we will support faculty and students in ways that minimize聽disruption聽to teaching and learning.鈥�

Faculty engagement & Next Steps

Faculty involvement聽remains聽central as the transition planning continues. Opportunities for faculty engagement, support and training will be communicated by Teaching and Learning Technologies as plans are refined.

鈥淎s a member of the LMS evaluation project team, I was grateful for the聽quantity and聽depth聽of feedback we received from colleagues and students,鈥� said Eric Bauer, faculty fellow for technology and assistant professor of biology. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to see how聽my colleagues creatively use the many new tools within Canvas to make their classes even more engaging and easy for students to聽navigate聽and聽look forward to exploring with them the possibilities of the new LMS.鈥�

The transition to Canvas will be implemented over time, with ongoing communication and support as the university moves through the next academic year.

For the past 12 years, the Faculty/Staff Health & Wellness Clinic聽has聽organized聽a challenge聽for聽Elon employees each fall to walk a聽set distance聽of miles to build community, have fun and win prizes. A spring challenge was recently added. Each challenge is themed and, in聽fall聽2025, the theme was, 鈥淟et鈥檚 Go Racing Elon 200,鈥� inspired by NASCAR.

The challenges are organized by Belinda Day, wellness coordinator for the Faculty/Staff Health & Wellness Clinic. She loves聽coming up with聽new themes for the challenges and being creative with the prizes.

鈥淚 do the Fall and Spring聽walking聽challenge because it keeps me moving, keeps me accountable and reminds me to take time for myself聽amidst聽the hustle and bustle of daily life,” she said.

Day added that the challenge聽provides聽employees聽an easy way聽to聽practice wellness,聽both聽mentally and physically.聽She coordinates with leadership to schedule the challenges and to ensure the events are aligned with overall wellness goals to foster a more active and engaged work environment while fostering team collaboration and reducing stress.

鈥淚 put on the聽spring and聽fall聽walking聽challenge to give our employees a simple, fun and accessible way to support their health, reduce stress聽and stay connected as a team.”

-Belinda Day,聽wellness coordinator for the Faculty/Staff Health & Wellness Clinic

In spring 2025, the walking challenge theme was 鈥淕rand Slam Tennis,鈥� which saw a similar number of walkers聽participating聽in聽teams. This year, 118 teams out of the 151 who entered completed 180 cumulative miles. An聽additional聽71 teams finished the challenge with each team reporting a minimum of 360 miles walked.

鈥淚t’s a fun and simple way for everyone to step away from their screens and connect with each other,鈥� said Day.聽鈥淧lus, I love seeing how these programs not only improve physical health but also build a sense of community in the workplace.鈥�

A new walking challenge will be announced during the spring semester.

Auxiliary Services at 榴莲app官方网站入 is raising the bar for professional excellence through the achievements of Carrie Ryan, assistant vice president for auxiliary services, and Chad Conville, director of auxiliary services. Both recently earned the Certified Auxiliary Services Professional (CASP) credential from the National Association of College Auxiliary Services.

For Ryan and Conville, the certification recognizes years of experience and a commitment to continuous learning.

鈥淓arning the certification was a great way to challenge myself and measure my experience and abilities gained over nearly 18 years in Auxiliary Services,鈥� Conville said.

鈥淲ith 23 years in higher education, earning the CASP designation is a meaningful milestone,鈥� said Ryan. 鈥淐ASP is the premier certification in our field, recognizing expertise in operational

excellence, strategic leadership and student-centered services. It reflects my commitment to advancing 榴莲app官方网站入 mission through innovative and student-focused operations.鈥�

Ryan said the certification process deepened her understanding of campus operations and strengthened relationships that shape 榴莲app官方网站入 student experience.

鈥淚t brings value to the work we do and helps us see where we can deepen the work we鈥檙e already doing,鈥� she said.

Since earning the credential, she has developed a departmental vision grounded in the theme “One Team, One Purpose,” while also adopting five value pillars for Auxiliary Services: excellence, connection, progress, pride and leadership. These new values guide and align Auxiliary Services to the university strategic plan and strengthen partnerships with athletics, admissions, student life, Loy Farm and more.

鈥淵ou can work for a partner, you can work at Elon, but ultimately we are here for one reason: the students,鈥澛�

-Carrie Ryan, assistant vice president for auxillary services