Dear Colleagues,
I am delighted to announce that Jane Savage will join Stony Brook University as our new Vice President for Human Resources, effective September 22, 2025. Jane was selected after a comprehensive national search, and we are confident that her extensive experience and strategic vision will be invaluable to our university community.
Jane comes to us from Yale University, where she most recently served as Associate Vice President for Human Resources, Organizational Effectiveness, Learning and Strategic Initiatives. In this role, she led significant HR transformation initiatives, including "Advance HR," which focuses on improving the community’s experience of HR’s service delivery, talent attraction and retention, and creating a more seamless one HR. Her work also included leading the successful implementation of Workday Learning and fostering constructive relationships with unions. Jane has also led labor relations and bargaining, and helped institute new labor-management practices.
Jane's career also includes substantial experience in organization development consulting on union-management cooperation and other change initiatives with the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University and also at Workplace Systems, Inc., where she advised leaders of Fortune 500 manufacturing locations to implement workplace improvements such as work redesign, process improvement and union-management cooperation. She holds a Master’s in Public & Private Management from Yale University's School of Management and a B.S. in Engineering from The Ohio State University.
As Vice President for Human Resources, Jane will be responsible for a wide range of critical initiatives to advance our HR services and support our campus community. Her key responsibilities will include:
- Best in Class HR Strategies and Practices: Developing cutting-edge recruitment, onboarding, and engagement practices.
- Continuing HR NOW Transformation: Fully implementing the HR NOW Transformation effort, a collaborative campus initiative aimed at enhancing the employee experience and positioning SBU for future success through improved HR systems and practices.
- Talent Acquisition: Overseeing an efficient and responsive talent acquisition operation, leveraging a new business partner service delivery model to recruit and retain top talent, and fully implementing a strategic and proactive talent acquisition model to enhance our recruiting capabilities.
- Total Rewards: Ensuring that Stony Brook's total rewards program, including compensation and benefits, is competitive.
- Well-being Resources: Overseeing programs such as the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Healthier U to support the health and wellness needs of our employees.
- Nurturing and Growth of Training and Organizational Development: Championing the Wolfpack Learning unit's commitment to continuous learning and professional development for all faculty and staff.
- ERP Implementation: Guiding the ongoing implementation of WolfieONE for human resources, ensuring a smooth rollout and optimal use of the new system.
I am particularly excited about what Jane will bring to Stony Brook. As I shared, "Jane's proven track record in leading complex HR transformations, coupled with her deep commitment to fostering a culture of trust and excellence, makes her an exceptional fit for Stony Brook. Her strategic approach to improving HR structures and her ability to build strong, collaborative relationships across diverse communities will be instrumental as we continue to enhance our HR services for all faculty and staff."
Jane is equally enthusiastic about joining Stony Brook. She shared, "I am incredibly honored and excited to step into the role of Vice President for Human Resources at Stony Brook University. I look forward to collaborating with the entire campus community to build on the strong foundations already in place, enhance our HR practices, and ensure that our services truly support the success and well-being of every faculty and staff member."
I also want to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to Jennifer Donnelly, who has served as our Interim Vice President for Human Resources since January 15, 2024. Jen stepped into this critical role with dedication and expertise, continuing to champion the transformation of HR practices, structures, culture, and programming at Stony Brook. Her leadership, particularly in initiatives like HR NOW, and her extensive experience in organization effectiveness, culture assessment, and employee and labor relations, have been invaluable during this transitional period. Please join me in thanking Jen for her significant contributions to Stony Brook University.
Finally, we extend our gratitude to everyone in the Stony Brook community who participated in the interview process. Your input was crucial, and we are thrilled to have Jane joining our team. Please feel free to forward this message to your staff, as appropriate, as we welcome Jane to Stony Brook.
Sincerely,
Jed M. Shivers
Senior Vice President
Finance & Administration
