President's Cabinet

Jeremy Colby, 96′

General Counsel

Jeremy A. Colby has been the general counsel at Niagara University since 2019. He is a cum laude graduate of Boston University School of Law, and a summa cum laude graduate of Niagara University, where he received the Niagara Medal and was named to USA Today’s Collegiate All-American Academic Team.

Before rejoining Niagara, Jeremy worked in both the public and private sectors, including positions as a town justice; the Erie County attorney; a law clerk in the Western District of New York; with the international law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP; and with the Buffalo firm of Webster Szanyi LLP, where he focused on federal court matters.

As general counsel, Jeremy reviews contracts, manages litigation, and advises staff concerning all manner of legal questions ranging from FERPA and student conduct issues to employment issues and real estate.

He currently serves on the board of the Niagara Area Habitat for Humanity.

Dr. Stephanie Dimech

Dean and Campus Principal, NUO

Dr. Dimech began her career in the Ontario college sector following a career as a Social Worker and then Police Officer. In 2004, Dr. Dimech started as a faculty member at Sheridan College, a position she held for 9 nine years prior to moving into the roles of Associate Dean, Public Safety and then Associate Dean, Teaching and Learning before progressing onto academic leadership roles at Humber College and Georgian College as Dean, Human Services and Community Safety and Campus Principal. Stephanie has gone onto to hold senior leadership roles that included overseeing programming, governance, institutional research, quality assurance processes and supporting various academic units and teams across the institution.

Stephanie has extensive experience in teaching, learning, policy oversight/ development and
quality assurance, and has initiated and developed successful internal and external partnerships to support teaching and learning excellence, equity, diversity and inclusion, assessment and evaluation, and pedagogy.

Under Dr. Dimech’s leadership, her teams have brought forward a variety of new programs to
help advance the college’s strategic goals, including participating and leading quality assurance audit processes (CQAAP), and leveraging an inquiry, data and evidence informed practice to support decision making with an emphasis on the learner experience. More than anything, Stephanie is well known as a relationship builder and team player who has built high performing teams and lead through change while being collaborative and inclusive.

With a PhD in leadership, equity, inclusion and policy, from the University of Toronto, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Stephanie is a highly regarded leader and an advocate of equitable and inclusive practices across all facets of institutional operations.

Jaclyn Rossi Drozd, ’08, M.S.Ed.’10

Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Jaclyn Rossi Drozd was named vice president of Institutional Advancement at Niagara University in May 2022, after serving in an interim role since September 2021. She is responsible for the management of the sector, and oversees and implements fundraising metric goals for the annual fund, major gifts, planned giving, stewardship, prospect research, and alumni relations.

Before being appointed as the interim vice president, Jaclyn served as the director of alumni relations and managed all alumni relations initiatives including alumni events, programs, and communications designed to increase engagement with Niagara’s constituents and connect alumni and friends to the life of the university. She also managed, planned, and directed all activities of Alumni Weekend and was responsible for providing direction and oversight of the Niagara Fund.

Jaclyn first joined Niagara in 2010 as the assistant director of Alumni Relations and was named associate director of leadership giving in 2013. In 2016, Jaclyn was appointed associate director of alumni engagement and government relations, continuing her work to increase engagement by encouraging alumni to attend events, support initiatives through monetary gifts, and volunteer for programs, while managing the university’s government relations initiatives.

She holds both master’s and bachelor’s degrees in education from Niagara University.

Michael Freedman, MBA’15

Vice President for Undergraduate Enrollment & Marketing

Michael Freedman has held the position of vice president of undergraduate enrollment management and marketing at Niagara University since June 2021. In this role, he oversees five departments (marketing, freshman and transfer admissions, financial aid, and operations) that are charged with developing a sustainable enrollment blueprint focused on enhancing the academic vitality and diversity of the student body.

Freedman originally joined the university in 2010 as assistant director of public relations and manager of online content and has served in several roles since then, from public relations and social media to admissions/enrollment and marketing. In 2019, he was named associate vice president for marketing and first-year enrollment in the Office of Enrollment Management, where he has played a key role in the management of the admissions and marketing teams and building the university’s prospect management system and strategic enrollment planning. He has also taught introductory and capstone courses on public relations, marketing, and advertising.

In 2015, Freedman was named to Niagara County’s inaugural 12 Under 40 class, a group of the community’s most promising young leaders, and the Buffalo Niagara Partnership recognized him in 2013 with its Spotlight Professional Award. He is also a member of Leadership Niagara’s Class of 2015, and has served on several area boards and committees, including the Buffalo-Niagara chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, for which he served as board chair in 2020, the Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Niagara, the Taste of Buffalo, the Heart, Love and Soul food pantry and the Center of Renewal at Stella Niagara.

Freedman earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from SUNY Geneseo and an MBA in strategic marketing from Niagara University.

Simon Gray

Associate Vice President for Athletics

Simon Gray, who has been at the helm of the Niagara University Athletics Department since 2014, was appointed associate vice president for Athletics in July 2022.

Simon has maintained a keen focus on the student-athlete experience for nearly 350 student-athletes in NU’s 18 Division I sports programs and has built a vision within the department that emphasizes excelling in the classroom, in competition, and in service to the community.

Under Simon’s leadership, the Purple Eagles have achieved both academic and competitive success. Since he joined the Niagara University community, the student-athlete cohort has had greater than a 3.0 GPA each year and 152 student-athletes have earned all-conference honors. The Purple Eagles have had 21 major award winners.

Simon also serves as chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Committee, and he just completed a year as president of the I-AAA Athletics Directors Association.

Simon came to Monteagle Ridge with over 15 years of college athletic administration experience, including nine years at Eastern Kentucky University, where he served in a number of roles in the athletic department; at his alma mater, the University of Richmond, where he was the director of athletics public relations; and at East Tennessee State. Simon began his career as an athletic media relations intern at Boston College, where he was the media contact for the nationally ranked ice hockey team.

The Pittsburgh, Pa., native earned a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from Richmond and a master of science degree in sport administration from Eastern Kentucky.

Averl Harbin

Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs

Christina Hoven

Vice President of Finance

Christina serves as Interim Vice President of Finance at Niagara University, a role she assumed in January 2025. In this position, she oversees the university’s comprehensive financial operations, including investment portfolio management, institutional risk management, and all accounting and purchasing functions.

Her leadership journey at Niagara University began in January 2019 as Assistant Controller, followed by her appointment to Controller in September 2019. Prior to her current role, she successfully led the university’s accounting operations and financial reporting initiatives as Controller for over five years.

Christina holds a master’s degree from Niagara University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Canisius University.

Timothy Ireland, Ph.D.

Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs

Dr. Timothy O. Ireland has held the position of vice president of Academic Affairs since February 2017. He is also a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Niagara University and served as the chair of that department from 2002 through 2012. He also served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 2013- 2016.

For more than 20 years, Dr. Ireland was affiliated the Rochester Youth Development Study—a longitudinal research project that has followed a sample of adolescents from about age 14 into their early 30s. He has published with colleagues on a variety of topics, including the causes and consequences of family violence. Dr. Ireland also oversees an ongoing program housed at NU and directed by Dave Whalen that is designed to train first responders and emergency managers in disability awareness in New York state as well as other jurisdictions around the country.

Dr. Ireland has been recognized for outstanding teaching, service, and research at Niagara. He is also recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Criminal Justice, University at Albany, as well as the NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council Forging Pathways Award with Dave Whalen.

He received a bachelor of arts degree in English literature from St. Bonaventure University, a master of science degree in criminal justice from Northeastern University, and a Ph.D. from the University at Albany.

Karen Kwandrans

Vice President of Government and Community Relations

Robert Morreale, ’87

Chief Financial and Innovation Officer

Robert Morreale was appointed chief financial and innovation officer at Niagara University in December 2018.

Morreale’s extensive career in accounting, fiscal management, and financial analysis includes positions as vice president of finance and human resources at Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd., chief financial officer at Secure Products International, division controller at Quebecor World Buffalo, and accounting manager for the Sherwood Division of Harsco. He began his career as a senior accountant with Freed Maxick CPAs, P.C.

A 1987 graduate of Niagara University and New York State Certified Public Accountant, Morreale is also actively involved in the community: He was a board member with the former Niagara Catholic High School, is a member of the Niagara County Community College Accounting Advisory Board, and participates with numerous youth athletic organizations.

Rev. Gregory Semeniuk, C.M., ’85

Vice President for Mission Integration

Rev. Gregory Semeniuk, C.M., ’85, was appointed vice president for mission integration in June 2022.

Father Semeniuk previously served as the executive director of the Vincentian Solidarity Office, which provides support and financial resources for project-based fundraising. Under his leadership, his team managed 40 projects and more than $1 million in project activity. These projects are focused on works of the Congregation of the Mission in the developing world.

Before joining the solidarity office, Father Semeniuk served in a number of roles and ministries, including vicar for multicultural ministries for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, superior of Vincentian Theologate in Philadelphia, and dean of students and member of the faculty in the area of systematic theology at the St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, Calif. Additionally, he held positions as director of the Vincentian theology residence in Queens, N.Y.; as assistant formation director for the Vincentian community in Oyster Bay, N.Y.; as director of Casa San Vicente House of Discernment in West Hempstead, N.Y.; and as superior of the Vincentian House/director of the Hispanic Evangelization Team of the South Fork, in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y.

Father Semeniuk earned his bachelor of arts degree in chemistry from Niagara University in 1985. He returned to Monteagle Ridge in 1992 to serve as a campus minister.

Christopher Sheffield, ’98, M.S.’02

Vice President for Student Affairs

Christopher Sheffield is Niagara University’s chief student affairs officer, responsible for key aspects of holistic student success and the student experience. He leads the Student Affairs sector, which includes the Dean of Students office, Residence Life, Multicultural Affairs, Campus Activities, Veteran Services, Recreation, Health and Counseling Services, the Office of Violence Prevention and Education, and Campus Safety. He also serves as accreditation liaison officer to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the university’s regional accreditor.

Christopher joined Niagara University in 2001 in the role of assistant dean of students and subsequently served as university planner, executive director of planning and assessment, and associate vice president of Student Affairs. He is a doctoral candidate in Niagara University’s leadership and policy program. He holds a master of science in criminology and criminal justice and a bachelor of arts in communication studies, both from Niagara University.

Rolanda Ward, Ph.D.

Endowed Faculty Director, Ostapenko Center for Race, Equity & Mission

Dr. Rolanda L. Ward has been an associate professor at Niagara University since 2015. In August 2017, she was named endowed faculty director of Niagara University’s Rose Bente Lee Ostapenko Center for Race, Equity, and Mission. She also serves as director of the university’s Vincentian Scholars Program.

Dr. Ward earned her doctorate in social work and sociology from Boston University. As a macro-trained practitioner and a research scholar, she has been the lead investigator or research associate on a number of studies focusing on society’s most vulnerable, underserved, proven-risk, and oppressed populations and communities. In addition, Dr. Ward has led projects in communities and within organizations that shift status quo outcomes. Additionally, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Ward is leading and or has served on several task forces in order to advocate for community needs. These task forces include The Niagara Falls Health Equity Task Force; the New York State Health Equity Task Force: Western New York Vaccine Hub; The Western New York Digity Equity Coalition; the Niagara County Suicide Prevention Coalition Training and Education Subcommittee; and the Western New York COVID-19 Collaborative.

Dr. Ward is also a member of the board of directors at MENTOR New York, The Aquarium of Niagara Falls, Community Missions, Inc., Peaceprints of WNY, the Education Collaborative of WNY, and Catholic Health Systems. Dr. Ward co-led the university’s Identifying and Dismantling Racial Injustice Task Force. As a teacher-scholar, Dr. Ward is committed to helping students identify community injustices and also helping students discover how they can partner with stakeholders to promote real solutions.

Stefanie Wichhart, Ph.D.

Professor of History

Stefanie Wichhart, Ph.D., has been a member of the history faculty at Niagara University since 2007. A historian of the modern Middle East and British Empire, she teaches courses on the Middle East, British history, terrorism, and world history. She is the author of “Britain, Egypt, and Iraq during World War II: The Decline of Imperial Power in the Middle East,” as well as numerous articles and book chapters on World War II in the Middle East and the history of political cartoons.

In addition to her role as faculty representative on the President’s Cabinet, Dr. Wichhart also serves as secretary of the Senate Executive Committee, a position she has held since 2019. She served as faculty mission director from 2018 to 2021, and as chair of the history department from 2016 until 2020.

Dr. Wichhart is the recipient of the 2022 College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Scholarship Award and the 2014 Niagara University Innovation in Teaching Award.

Dr. Wichhart earned her bachelor of arts in history and French at the State University of New York College at Geneseo, and her MA and Ph.D. in history at the University of Texas at Austin.