Buffalo, NY – Canisius University announces the promotion of Joseph Snodgrass ’90 to assistant vice president for operations, effective immediately. Snodgrass has served as director of facilities management since April 2023. His expanded responsibilities will include oversight of Campus Safety, the university’s Print Shop and the Young Adult Life Transitions (YALT) program.
Under Snodgrass’ leadership as director of facilities management, Canisius has completed several transformative projects that directly support student success and the university’s academic mission, while minimizing disruption to academic programs and classroom operations. Most notably, he is overseeing the development of the new Golisano Center for Student Success, a 30,000-square-foot renovation on the second floor of the Andrew L. Bouwhuis, SJ, Library. Named for the Rochester philanthropist B. Thomas Golisano, whose $5 million gift is helping support the project, the center will centralize academic, career and wellness services when it opens in spring 2026.
Snodgrass is also leading the multi-phase modernization of Old Main, converting approximately 45,000 square feet of the university’s primary classroom building into state-of-the-art HyFlex classrooms. When complete, the new space will be equipped for collaborative, technology-enabled learning and feature mobile furniture, interactive whiteboards and advanced audiovisual systems.
Additional projects under Snodgrass’ direction included the relocation of the Animal Behavior, Ecology and Conservation (ABEC) Program to Science Hall, complete with repurposed lab spaces and state-of-the-art facilities for research and teaching, and the establishment of new athletic facilities for the acrobatics and tumbling program.
In his new role, Snodgrass will oversee Campus Safety. The department is committed to providing a safe and secure campus environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors, with an emphasis on crime prevention and deterrence, personal safety education, and service to the university community.
Snodgrass will also assume responsibility for the university’s Print Shop and the Young Adult Life Transitions (YALT) program. YALT is a community-based program that offers young adults with developmental disabilities opportunities to experience life on a college campus while developing functional skills focused on independence and employment preparation.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
