Patience Whitworth, Ph.D.
Patience Whitworth serves as the senior associate vice provost for academic engagement and student success at Carnegie Mellon University. In this role, Whitworth provides leadership for formulating and advancing university-wide initiatives that promote student academic engagement, retention, and success across undergraduate and graduate programs at CMU. She works closely with academic leaders, faculty, and student-facing units in the development and execution of academic engagement initiatives, ensuring alignment with the provost’s priorities and institutional goals. Whitworth works with the Student Success Steering Committee and working groups, ensuring that student success programs are innovative, impactful and sustainable. Additionally, Whitworth serves on the Provost Cabinet and the Provost Leadership Council.
Previously, Whitworth was the assistant dean of students in the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Vermont (UVM) where she led divisional assessment and strategic planning and coordinated the graduate assistantships in partnerships with the Higher Education and Student Affairs program. Prior to UVM, she served as assistant director of student life research and planning at The Ohio State University.
Whitworth’s research focuses on the application of restorative practices in higher education, and she currently serves on the International Institute of Restorative Practices board of trustees. She currently serves as president-elect of the national council of the Mortar Board National Honor Society.
Whitworth earned both her master’s degree in educational policy and leadership and her bachelor’s degree in business administration at The Ohio State University. She also holds a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Leadership from the University of Vermont.
Kathleen Flanigan
Kathleen Flanigan was named associate vice provost for finance at Carnegie Mellon University in 2024. Prior to this appointment, she served as the assistant vice provost for finance beginning in 2019. Prior to that, she served as the director of finance for the Office of the Provost – following her time serving as director of business management for Campus Design & Facility Development.
As associate vice provost for finance, Flanigan is responsible for planning and executing the financial analysis and accounting operations for the department. She manages financial planning, analysis and accounting activities to identify risks and opportunities and contributes to the achievement of the organization’s short- and long-term financial goals. She manages and oversees the multi-year university budget process, including budget allocation and revisions, forecasting, financial review and financial reporting and analysis.
Prior to joining Carnegie Mellon in 1991, Flanigan held a financial analyst position at Giant Eagle Inc.
Flanigan holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in Accounting from Robert Morris University and graduated Magna Cum Laude. She is also a member of the Alpha Chi National College Honor Society.
Becky Culyba
Rebecca Culyba serves as vice provost for strategic initiatives and chief of staff to the provost. Culyba is responsible for the central coordination of all functions and activities of the Office of the Provost and provides broad oversight of administrative support services, executive communications, and financial and business operations within our team. She provides counsel and management support to the provost and chief academic officer, primarily at the intersection of the provost's initiatives and academic administrative operations.
Culyba is a member of the president's executive management team and serves on a number of university committees that further academic initiatives for CMU, including serving as co-chair for the university's Data Stewardship Council and the university liaison to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. She has chaired several key leadership searches, including the searches for the vice provost for enrollment management and dean of admission, vice provost for institutional effectiveness and planning, executive director of the CMU Rales Fellows Program, as well as several dean searches.
During her time in this role, she has been instrumental in furthering the work of the Provost Priorities, including her involvement in establishing the Student Success Steering Committee, co-chairing and launching the Data Stewardship Council, advancing CMU's commitment to growing student access and affordability, and furthering our global education strategy as an institution. Dr. Culyba had an integral role in establishing CMU's Artists and Scholars at Risk program, which welcomes threatened scholars and practitioners — connecting them to Pittsburgh-based opportunities, enrollment and on-campus housing at no cost. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she served as a subject matter expert member of the university's COVID Coordination Team and the Emergency Operations Core Team in the development and implementation of return to campus and hybrid learning plans for the university.
Culyba first joined CMU in 2015 as director in the Office of the Vice President for Research. Previously, she served as a senior program administrator at the UPMC Center for High Value Health Care and Director of Research and Evaluation at the Southeast AIDS Training and Education Center in Emory University’s School of Medicine, where she was also a senior associate faculty.
Within the community, Culyba volunteers with the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) for the Allegheny County Health Department and is the alumnae admissions coordinator for the Smith College Club of Greater Pittsburgh.
Culyba holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Smith College, a master’s degree in communication, culture and society from the University of London’s Goldsmiths College, and a Ph.D. in sociology from Northwestern University.
Daryl Weinert
As vice president for Operations, Daryl oversees multiple university units focused on facilities, infrastructure and risk management. Under his leadership, the division and its partners work together to support our campus community and foster an exemplary learning and working environment.
Weinert arrived at Carnegie Mellon in 2018, initially serving as chief of staff and vice president for Strategic Initiatives. In these roles he was an advisor to the president, helping to implement the university's priorities and goals in close collaboration with senior university leadership and external stakeholders. He facilitated, coordinated, and when appropriate, provided leadership for a broad set of university-wide initiatives, with a focus on those cutting across multiple administrative and academic units.
During the pandemic emergency Weinert guided CMU’s response, serving as COVID coordinator from 2020-2022. He also served as the interim vice president for Research from 2021-2023, overseeing the Center for Technology Transfer and Enterprise Creation, Center for Business Engagement, Government Relations, Research Operations and the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship.
Prior to joining CMU, Daryl served as associate vice president at the University of Michigan’s Office of Research where he oversaw budget and finance, human resources, shared services and communications. Additionally, he provided leadership for research administration, co-chairing the Research Administration Advisory Council and providing strategic oversight of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
Previously Weinert founded and served as the first executive director of Michigan’s Business Engagement Center, the focal point for corporate interactions at the University of Michigan.
He joined Michigan in 1999 as director of corporate relations for the College of Engineering. In 2006, he was promoted to senior director of corporate and government relations. Before joining the university he served as the director of procurement strategy for Aon Corporation at their worldwide headquarters in Chicago. Prior to his work at Aon he was vice president of commercial banking with JP Morgan Chase & Co.
In 1992, Daryl volunteered for a year of service abroad with the National Service League, coordinating the Joint Energy Efficiency Project. This project brought together resources from the U.S. Department of Energy; the City of Pécs, Hungary; and the Pollack Mihály Müszaki Föiskola (Mihály Pollack Technical College) to promote energy efficiency within Hungary and East Central Europe. Daryl also served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal from 1987 to 1989, working on the Appropriate Technology program of the Agricultural Development Bank.
He received a B.S. in industrial and operations engineering and a B.A. in economics from the University of Michigan in 1986. In addition to his CMU duties, Weinert currently serves as a member of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Stan Waddell
Stan Waddell serves as the vice president for information technology and chief information officer at Carnegie Mellon. In his role, Stan provides vision, leadership and management to CMU’s entire computing enterprise, including the development and implementation of a university-wide IT strategy.
Stan also serves as a member of the university’s executive management team, providing support and counsel regarding the role of technology in advancing university-wide priorities and leading the development of a comprehensive technology and data management strategy that meets CMU's long-term goals.
Before joining Carnegie Mellon, Stan served as the associate vice president for Information Technology and CIO at the University of New Hampshire. He was the assistant vice chancellor and chief technology officer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and spent nine years at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Stan also served in the U.S. Navy as an aviation electronics technician for nine years.
Stan holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Old Dominion University, a master's degree in management and administration sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas, and a doctorate in information systems from Nova Southeastern University. He has Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) credentials, and a graduate certificate in information assurance from Nova Southeastern University.
Tricia O'Reilly
As Chief of Staff, Tricia O’Reilly works in partnership with faculty, students and staff across campus to help meet the strategic goals of the president on behalf of the University. A strategic advisor to the President and to the Executive Management Team, she plays a critical role in planning, decision-making, and execution of decisions and provides leadership for a broad set of university-wide initiatives.
Tricia joined the university in 2016 and has held a number of roles supporting Dr. Jahanian during his tenure as provost and president. Prior to being named deputy chief of staff, she was senior director for executive communications, overseeing all communications for the Office of the President and serving as a liaison with campus partners on communications priorities and messaging on behalf of the President.
Prior to joining the university, Tricia worked at Stern, an advertising and communications agency based in Pittsburgh and Cleveland, where she developed public relations campaigns for global brands. She previously spent six years in the Twin Cities, where she led communications and publicity for the arts non-profit Coffee House Press, one of the nation’s leading independent literary publishers.
Tricia holds a B.A. in English and History from Williams College.
Theresa Mayer
Theresa S. Mayer is Carnegie Mellon University’s Vice President for Research, providing leadership for the University’s research enterprise and advocating for the role that science, technology, and innovation play nationally and globally.
Theresa holds joint faculty appointments in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering.
Theresa was previously Purdue University’s executive vice president for research and partnerships and a professor of electrical and computer engineering. There she oversaw Purdue’s research enterprise.
Mayer served as vice president for research and innovation and a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Virginia Tech. Prior to her role at Virginia Tech, Mayer was at Pennsylvania State University for more than 20 years, where she served as a distinguished professor of electrical engineering, associate dean for research and innovation in the College of Engineering, the site director of the National Science Foundation’s National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network and director of the Materials Research Institute Nanofabrication Laboratory.
She is internationally recognized for her research in applications of nanotechnology to electronic and photonic devices with new and previously unexplored functions. Her work in directed and self-assembly of nanoparticles has been used to expand the types and complexity of materials that can be integrated into devices beyond standard lithographic approaches, enabling a wide range of novel structures from low-power integrated nanosensor circuits to nanostructured gradient index optical components.
She has more than 350 technical publications, invited presentations and tutorials, and holds eight patents. Several of her co-inventions have been transitioned into commercial products. She is a fellow of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and has received numerous awards for her teaching and research, including the NSF CAREER award. Throughout her career, she has supported the advancement of women in science and engineering.
Mayer earned her bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Purdue.
Charles A. Kennedy
Charles Kennedy joined Carnegie Mellon University's Investment Office in 2007 and was promoted to lead the investment program in 2010.
As chief investment officer, Kennedy leads the efforts in the management of the university's long-term financial resources, most significantly, gifts made to the university that comprise the endowment. Given the endowment's importance in enabling the university to achieve its research and education mission, the Investment Office's mission is to grow and protect this impactful financial resource. Kennedy has worked with the investment team to develop all facets of the university's investment program, including its shift to a more global, private investment-centered portfolio.
While chief investment officer, Kennedy has served Carnegie Mellon in additional capacities, including as interim treasurer and as chairman for a number of CMU spinout companies. Kennedy is a frequent guest lecturer at The Tepper School of Business, where he had the opportunity to teach "Venture Capital and Private Equity."
Immediately prior to joining Carnegie Mellon, Kennedy served as a member of the Finance faculty at the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business, where he received the MBA "Teacher of the Year" award his last year.
Kennedy began his career in corporate finance and investment banking. During this time, Kennedy worked with leading venture capital and private equity firms, underwriting many of the country's top performing IPOs and advising management teams and boards on various types of transactions.
Kennedy received a B.S. from Duquesne University and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Tysen Kendig
Tysen was appointed Vice President for University Communications and Marketing in July 2024, overseeing media relations, internal communications, issues management, social media, integrated marketing, digital strategy, and creative services and production. In his role, Tysen is responsible for leading the development and execution of Carnegie Mellon University's cohesive, comprehensive, and multidimensional communications and marketing strategy to enhance the reputation and further the goals of the entire university, including its schools, colleges, units, campuses, and locations worldwide. Reporting to President Farnam Jahanian, Tysen serves as a member of the president's executive management team and the university's leadership council.
Before joining CMU, Tysen was Vice President for Communications at the University of Connecticut for more than 11 years, directing all aspects of the university's central communication efforts, including marketing and promotion, outreach, media relations, public information, alumni engagement, online and digital communication, multimedia and print design, executive communications, and stewardship of the organization's brand. He also administered all aspects of clinical marketing and communications for UConn Health, provided oversight of the university's public records coordination and compliance, and developed new digital communications initiatives for UConn Athletics.
Previously, Tysen held similar leadership positions as Vice President for Strategic Communication at the University of Iowa and as Associate Vice Chancellor for University Relations at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, in both instances serving as the institution's senior communications administrator. Prior to that, he held an appointment at Penn State University as Assistant Director of Public Information and university spokesman for nearly seven years.
Tysen holds a bachelor’s degree from Penn State. He is the founder of the Southeastern Conference Communicators Association and former vice president of CUPRAP: The Association of Communicators in Education.