We are comprised of professionals who are trained in student success. We offer academic and career assistance and provide services tailored to address the diverse developmental stages of a student’s collegiate career. We possess the interpersonal skills needed to be able to help individuals with a wide range of support and resources.
Scroll down to read more information about our staff and locations!
Student Success Administration
Shana Richardson
Assistant Vice President, Student Success
willia23@canisius.edu
Shana serves as the Assistant Vice President for Student Success and manages the Center for Student Success and its holistic approach to a one-stop center focused on all aspects of undergraduate student engagement, academic, and career-related support. She also leads the Associate Dean of Students and Director of the Multicultural Student Center.
Shana is a proud Buffalo native, born and raised on the city’s East side. From an early age, Canisius University has been a part of her story. Shana grew up within walking distance of the Koessler Athletic Center and walked there every summer for five consecutive years to participate in the National Youth Sports Program, housed on the Canisius University campus. Shana is a double alum of Canisius, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in English in 2006, and a Master of Science in Higher Education Student Affairs Administration (HESAA) in 2019; she also holds a Master of Arts in English from the University at Buffalo, earned in 2008. Shana is also a proud Urban Leadership and Learning Community (ULLC) alum.
Canisius has always felt like home to Shana. She taught as an adjunct professor in the English department from 2008-2013. In 2013, Shana accepted the position of Coordinator for Academic Support Services for the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) at Canisius, a position she held until July 2019. At that time, Shana became the Director of HEOP at Medaille College in its inaugural program. Before her appointment to AVP for Student Success, Shana was also the Director of Student Support Services for the Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center, which supports historically marginalized adult learners, as well as the Director of the New Buffalo Institute here at Canisius. In addition to this new role, Shana continues to teach as an adjunct instructor in the HESAA program.
Shana resides in the historic Hamlin Park area with her husband, Marques, and their three children, Micah, Zoey, and Zaryah.
Jennifer Herrmann
Associate Dean, Student Success & Care Manager
Email
- Success Coach (College of Arts & Sciences: T-Z)
- Griff 201
- Academic Counseling & Care Manager
Jennifer serves as the Associate Dean for Student Success and oversees the Academic Achievement ares of the Griff Center for Student Success. She is responsible for the advisement and registration of incoming freshmen, transfer students and Pathfinders; she oversees the Student Summer Assistance Program, Mid-Semester Courses, progress reporting functions and also serves as a success coach, academic mentor and care manager. Jennifer is a member of various committees on campus such as the university-wide retention committee, academic affairs working group, APB, Cura Personalis Team and the Behavioral Intervention Team.
There are too many things she loves about Buffalo to choose just one, but the food is like no other which is how we ended up on National Geographic's list of Best Food Cities in the World. In addition to that, the people of Buffalo are of the kindest she has ever met; she love going to the mall, the grocery store, and restaurants and always seeing a friendly face of someone she knows.
As someone who completed her graduate education at Canisius, she feels very fortunate to now be able to work here and serve our students. The students and the people she is privileged to work with are her favorite parts of being here and a part of our community.
Office of Academic Achievement
The Academic Achievement team supports students through advisement of freshmen, undecided students, transfer students, and student-athletes. Additionally, the team is responsible for working with students to set academic goals and assist with their academic success.
Location: Old Main 013
General Contact: (716)888-2170 | @email
Rachel Massaro
Director, Academic Achievement
Rachel is a Buffalo native and loves all things Buffalo! Rachel has been in the field of education for over ten years in various academic, administrative, and teaching roles with experience in all education levels. In the fall of 2023, Rachel celebrated her five-year anniversary working at Canisius. Rachel earned her bachelor’s degree at a fellow Jesuit institution, John Carroll University, and has earned two master’s degrees at Canisius. Throughout her Jesuit education, the Jesuit values of being “people for and with others”, having a commitment to academic excellence, and caring for students as a whole person have become central to her personal and professional identity.
Lindy Feider '06
Associate Director, Academic Achievement and Student-Athlete Success
Email
- Success Coach (Student-Athletes)
- Athletics Management Team
- Study Center
Lindy serves as a student success coach and academic mentor to the student-athletes at Canisius. She works closely with the athetics staff, head coaches and Griff Center for Student Success to support student-athletes and assist them in successfully navigating through their college careers. She is also a member of the Cura Personalis Team.
As a Western New York native, Lindy loves that Buffalo is a city with a small town feel. Her favorite things about Buffalo include the delicious food and experiencing all four seasons. As a proud Canisius graduate, she feels fortunate to now be able to work at the college and support current students like the extraordinary staff that helped her through her undergraduate and graduate degrees! Lindy enjoys photography, traveling and attending athletic events. She is excited to cheer on the Griffs, both in the classroom and in their sport!
Lovelace Amos
Academic Achievement Coordinator
Grace Osei
Academic Achievement Coordinator
Thomas Shemon
Academic Achievement Coordinator
Office of Career Development
The Career Development team is responsible for assisting students with their career goals through strategic partnerships with our Canisius faculty and employers. This team supports our students through career coaching, alumni connections, on campus recruitment, and career events.
Location: Horan-O'Donnell 014
General Contact: (716)888-2174 | @email
Eileen Abbatoy
Executive Director, Career Development
Email | Calendly
Career Coach (Arts and Sciences/School of Education and Human Services)
Eileen manages the development and delivery of programs, services, coaching and advising designed to actively engage students and alumni in the process of career exploration and decision making. She collaborates with faculty to incorporate career programming into academic disciplines and provides career assessment tools for both students and alumni. As a career coach, Eileen loves to help Canisius students and graduates discover and clarify how their interests and talents relate to majors and careers, leading them to lives with purpose and meaning.
Eileen grew up on the west side of Buffalo, earning both her bachelor's and master's degrees from Buffalo State College. A lifelong "Buffa-lover," her favorite places include Delaware Park, North Buffalo, the Elmwood Village and the Buffalo waterfront. Her favorite thing about working at Canisius is incorporating the Jesuit value of Cura Personalis, care of the whole person, into her work as a career coach.
Carol Cullinan
Carol assists in overseeing the Career Development Office as the associate director. One of her responsibilities is organizing Canisius University’s flagship recruiting event open to students and alumni of all disciplines and degree programs. Griff Fair offers students the opportunity to meet with a variety of employers who are looking for Canisius students to fill full-time, part-time, and internship positions. As the associate director, she fosters relationships with employers across the Western New York region and beyond who are looking to hire Canisius talent. Carol enjoys building relationships with her students to ensure they feel a sense of belonging at Canisius.
Carol has a Master of Business Administration degree and over 20 years of experience helping students achieve their professional goals. When the flowers bloom in Buffalo, Carol enjoys being outdoors to work on maintaining her beautiful garden in West Seneca. You might find her at the Buffalo Waterfront with a book in her hand or her five grandchildren by her side.
Ellen Acquah
Career Development Coordinator
Ernest Adom
Career Development Coordinator
Wehle School of Business Career Development Staff:
Jennifer Patrick, Director of Executive Education and Leadership Development
Career Coach (Graduate Business Students)
Eric Redpath, Director of Student Careers & Employee Relations
Career Coach (Undergraduate Business Students)
Office of Support Services
The Support Services team offers individualized support to students through accessibility services, the testing center, the study center, tutoring services, and veterans affairs.
Location: Old Main 3rd Floor
- Study Center | 311
- Tutoring Center | 315
- Student Accessibility Services | 317
- Testing Center | 317
- Scuba Zone: Academic Mentoring Center | 318
- Veteran Resource Center | 320
General Contact: (716)888-2485 | @email
Sierra Bonerb '07
Director, Support Services
Email
- Success Coach (College of Arts & Sciences K-S)
- Student Accessibility Services
- Veteran Support Services
Sierra oversees Student Accessibility Services and Veteran Student Support. She is responsible for ensuring that students registered with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations and equal access to programs and services. In her role of overseeing veteran students on campus, Sierra is responsible for our Veteran Resource Center, as well as programming that helps create a sense of community for veteran students.
During the 2020-2021 academic year, Sierra celebrated her ten-year anniversary of working at Canisius, where she graduated with both her bachelor's and master's degrees. As someone who transitioned from being a student at Canisius to a staff member, she truly understand the journey that students can experience during their time here. She loves being able to meet students where they are and watch then develop to their full potential! Outside of Canisius, Sierra is a certified yoga teacher. She loves to share her yoga practice with students, and you may even see her teaching some yoga moves around campus!
Monika McFoy
Associate Director, Support Services
Program Director, Pathfinders: Academic Exploration Program
Email
- Success Coach (Wehle School of Business)
- Tutoring Center
- Academic Workshops
Monika is responsible for managing the Tutoring Center as well as Academic Workshops. She also advises for incoming freshmen and students in our Pathfinders program and serves as an academic coach and student success coach for students in the Wehle School of Business. Monika is on the Student Retention Committee, Cura Personalis Team and Intercollegiate Athletic Board.
Monika was born and raised in Buffalo, NY and completed both her undergraduate and graduate studies at Buffalo State College. Her favorite thing about working at Canisius is her ability to have a positive impact on student success.
Angela Bufalino '18
Assistant Director, Support Services
Email
- Success Coach (School of Education & Human Services)
- Student Accessibility Services
- Marketing Communications
Angela works in Student Accessibility Services, where she assists students with disabilities in receiving reasonable accommodations. In this office, she oversees the Testing Center for students with accommodations, as well as makeup exams. Angela also oversees marketing communications and works as a Success Coach for students in the School of Education and Human Services.
Angela was born and raised in Buffalo and has a passion for the area and all it has to offer. Outside of work, you can find her walking her dog at Delaware Park, trying a new local restaurant, or attending a Bills game. As a graduate of Canisius, she loves to see how our Canisius students are positively contributing to our city. Her favorite thing about working at Canisius is getting to know students on a personal level and feeling like she can truly make a difference in a student’s college journey!
Katara Willis '23
Academic Mentoring and Retention Coordinator
Enoch Atta-Sah Nimfour
Student Accessibility Services Coordinator
Kelvin Baah
Student Accessibility Services Coordinator
Melvin Mensah
Tutoring Center Coordinator
First Year Experience
The First Year Experience (FYE) course is a one-credit, optional course for first-year students at Canisius. FYE serves as a bridge, connecting academics with student services, creating a solid foundation that will lead to increased student success.
Rachel Massaro
Co-Director of First Year Experience
Director, Academic Achievement
Dr. Jennifer Desiderio
Co-Director of First Year Experience
Associate Dean, Arts and Sciences
Associate Professor, Department of English
Pathfinders: Academic Exploration Program
The educational experience at Canisius reflects a unique path tailored to your interests and ambitions. But what if you’re not entirely sure what you’d like your path to look like? What if you want to explore academic programs to help you identify a major? That is where the Pathfinders program comes into play!
Who: First-year undergraduate students who haven’t chosen an academic major
What: A dedicated support program that allows you to explore potential fields of study matching your unique strengths and interests
Why: Choose a course of study so you can create a meaningful academic path, stay on track to graduate on time, and begin a rewarding career
Monika McFoy
Director, Pathfinders: Academic Exploration Program
Student Support Specialists
Peter Bergenstock
Student Support Specialist/Professional Tutor
Email
Academic Associate Deans
The Academic Associate Deans are support student success within the individual colleges and schools. Below are the Academic Associate Deans for the 2023-2024 academic year:
Dr. Jennifer Desiderio
Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
@email
Dr. Lorrei DiCamillo
Associate Dean, School of Education and Human Services
@email
Ms. Laura McEwen
Associate Dean, Wehle School of Business
@email