Ann Damiano is Utica University’s new provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs and will hold this role until December 2027, when she then plans to retire after being with the university since 2017.
Damiano started at Utica as the Dean of Assessment nearly a decade ago, but she has been working in higher education for more than 40 years. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in English at SUNY Buffalo and earning a master’s degree in Writing Theory, Damiano worked at Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh for 30 years.
Damiano takes on the role of Provost, no stranger to dealing with challenges universities face.
“When I went to Mount St. Mary College, I was young, the college was young,” Damiano said. “So you just sort of did what you had to do for the college to grow and develop.”
Damiano recognized that Utica University, like most institutions around the country, is dealing with enrollment and financial difficulties, as the importance of higher education is diminishing. For the financial piece, she said emerging technologies are important for the university to stay updated on, so that students in technology-based majors have adequate learning opportunities as artificial intelligence continues to grow.
However, she also recognized that the strength at Utica University is its people. People make the place, and Damiano praises the loyalty of the faculty and staff here. They have stayed with the institution, even when unhappy, making themselves the backbone of the university.
“I always think any organization, institution, business, its strength will always be in its people,” Damiano said. “We have a very, very dedicated faculty in staff at this institution who are very loyal to the institution.”
During her two years as provost, Damiano wants to prioritize three key things. One is carrying through the accreditation process, which is making sure Utica University meets a quality of standards as an institution and self study. Her second priority is improving faculty and staff morale. She wants to work on those relationships and give faculty and staff a bit more attention after COVID seemed to isolate people. Lastly, she wants to work with the dean to advance high impact experiences for the students.
She defines student success as someone finding their passions. Discovering what keeps them going and makes them want to learn more.
“I also would define student success as a willingness to step outside your comfort zone,” Damiano said. “I notice, I would not necessarily define [success] by grades, although obviously grades are a measure of success, but if we become too conscious of our grades, we are less inclined to risk failure. And without risking failure and, you know, there can be no growth.”
Damaino wanted the students to know that she is accessible to them and she cares about what they want to see changed or continued at the university. She may not be in the classrooms, but she values healthy interactions with students.
“The higher you get in administration, it seems like the less interaction you get to have with students, meaningful interaction,” Damiano said. “But I want students to know, you know, that I’m here to work with them as well.”
