Office of the Provost Staffing Updates – March 2023

By Michelle Foster, March 22, 2023

On behalf of Provost Melanie I. Stein we are pleased to share information on the following staffing changes within the Office of the Provost:

Associate Provost, Graduate and Professional Studies 

As was previously announced, Linda Petrosino will be retiring at the end of this academic year and Christina Moylan, the current Associate Provost, Graduate and Professional Studies, will serve as the Interim Dean for the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance for 2023-24. 

I am pleased to share that Christine (“Chris”) McNamara, a clinical associate professor in the department of Physical Therapy and Director of the on-campus Occupational and Physical Therapy Clinic, has agreed to serve as the Associate Provost, Graduate and Provost Studies during Christina’s absence beginning on July 1, 2023. She will assume responsibility for graduate programs, professional studies, the Office of Extended Studies, Center for Civic Engagement, the Office of International Programs including the Ithaca College London Center, International Student and Scholar Support Services, and the Honors Program.  

An Ithaca College alum (’81), Chris has been a faculty member for 17 years. She teaches courses in orthopaedic physical therapy at the undergraduate and graduate levels and provides direct patient-care experiences for physical therapy students. Chris’s research focuses on physical therapy interventions for individuals with Parkinson disease. Her service to Ithaca College includes long time service as an HSHP representative to Faculty Council (FC), including three terms as FC chair, and membership on a variety of search committees, including currently serving as co-chair of the search committee for the VP of Enrollment and Student Success. Professionally, Chris has held a variety of leadership and service positions within the American Physical Therapy Association and is a member of the Upstate Medical University Alumni Hall of Fame.  

Academic Coordinator 

To support the Associate Provost role as well as the office as a whole, I am pleased that Jessica Ford recently accepted our offer of employment and will be joining our team on Monday, April 3. Jessica has worked in K-12 education in various roles for the past nine years, including as a Literacy Specialist for grades 3-6; a classroom teacher for kindergarten, first grade, and a fifth-grade inclusion class; and as a substitute teacher for Pre-K through 12th grade. While in college, she was a paid intern at the Physical Plant Department at Hofstra University and was a Resident Advisor at SUNY Oneonta for three semesters. She brings a deep appreciation for academia, supporting diverse populations of students and faculty, and experience with student-centered event planning to the position.  

Executive Assistant, Provost and Academic Affairs 

Melanie Reyes recently returned to serve as the Executive Assistant for Finance and Administration at the college. I appreciate the administrative support and organization that she provided to me and the Office of the Provost and wish her well in her new position and am delighted that she will continue working with the rest of the staff on the third floor of PRW to collaboratively support all of our offices.  

Therefore, as of mid-February, Michelle Potter joined the office as the Executive Assistant to the Provost and Academic Affairs. An employee of Ithaca College since 2018, she most recently served as the Administrative Operations Coordinator for the Office of Facilities providing business and administrative operations support to the Associate Vice President of Facilities. She transitioned to that role from the Humanities & Sciences Dean’s Office where, as the Administrative Assistant, she provided administrative support for registration, orientation, and various student services and faculty functions, curriculum committee activities, and financial transactions. She brings to our team strong administrative support skills, including student supervision and support in higher education, customer service, account management, database administration, meeting coordination, and project support.