Meet the Team

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

Mark Harrington

Dr. Mark Harrington
Assistant Vice President, Student Success
Program Director, Higher Education & Student Affairs
Assistant Professor, Teacher Education & Leadership

Dr. Mark Harrington serves as a faculty administrator at Canisius by leading student development and academic success efforts and directing the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration program. He is responsible of the leadership and oversight of the following: academic achievement, career development, first year experience, pathways: academic exploration program, student accessibility services, Division I student-athlete academic services, veteran resource center, The Steven Leonard Academic Mentoring Center, tutoring center, study center, the cura personalis team (case management), and medical/personal leaves/returns. Dr. Harrington is the co-chair of the university-wide retention committee and chair of the first-generation student success taskforce. As a faculty administrator, he serves in the School of Education and Human Services in the department of graduate education and leadership. In 2020, Dr. Harrington was the recipient of the Ignatian Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Jesuit Student Affairs. Check out his faculty profile here.

  • Tri-Alpha First-Gen Honor Society
  • Retention Committee
  • SPARK Pre-Orientation Program
  • Cura Personalis Fund
  • Device Loaner Management

Dr. Harrington's favorite thing about Buffalo is the small-city feel, with big-city opportunity. As a Golden Griffin alumnus, he loves everything Canisius and the guiding Jesuit values that shape the student experience. Dr. Harrington and the student success division look forward to working with you in pursuit of your academic, career, and personal goals as well as supporting you from orientation to graduation!
 


Jennifer Herrmann

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. 


TBD
Assistant Dean, Student Success


Brenden Datema '23
Student Success Operations Coordinator


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 Massaro

Email

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

Lindy Feider
  • 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

Andrew Fron '22
Academic Achievement and Student-Athlete Academic Services Coordinator

Grace Osei
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

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 Cullinan

Associate Director, Career Development 

Email

  • Career Coach (Arts and Sciences/School of Education and Human Services)  

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. 


Jenna French '21
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 | 304

General Contact: (716)888-2485 | @email


Sierra Bonerb

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

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

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

Philip Reutter
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.

 

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

Peter Bergenstock
Student Support Specialist/Professional Tutor
Email


Brigitte Morency
Student Support Specialist/ESL Tutor
Email


Joanne Kohler
Student Support Specialist/ESL 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


Additionally, please visit the following webpages to meet additional student academic success staff:

  • Andrew L. Bouwhuis, SJ Library, visit here.
  • Writing Center, visit here
  • Study Abroad, visit here.
  • Wehle School of Business Program Advisors, visit here.
  • Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), visit here.
  • Urban Leadership Learning Community, visit here.
  • All-College Honors Program, visit here.