Job Posting: Cornell University

The Ivy League university in Ithaca, New York, has reopened a search for an Assistant Ombuds. (The position was not filled after a search in late 2025.) The new, full-time position will join the University Ombuds, Bruce Lewenstein, and Assistant Ombuds, Ati Alipour. This is a new position and not a replacement for the role held by Linda Falkson, who retired last yearposition. The Assistant Ombuds is an on-campus position that serves faculty, staff, and students (excluding Weill Cornell Medicine).

ADB Ombudsperson Reports Rising Complexity in 2024 Cases

The Asian Development Bank’s Office of the Ombudsperson reported handling 474 cases in 2024, involving 1,828 issues, an increase in overall issue volume despite a decline in the number of cases and individuals served. ADB's Ombuds, Wayne Blair said the data reflects a shift in case complexity, with the case-to-issue ratio rising to 1:4 from 1:3 in 2023. (This is Blair's last report as his term as Ombuds is ending.)

Vermont Legislature to Consider Statewide Ombuds Program

Earlier this week, Xusana Davis, the State of Vermont’s Executive Director of Racial Equity, submitted her annual report to the state legislature assessing progress on racial equity efforts. In that report, Davis proposes creating an independent, state-level Office of Collaborative Action and Ombuds Services. According to the report the new program would "fill an unserved gap between the portfolios of the Ethics Commission, the Human Rights Commission, the Chief Performance Office, the Chief Operating Officer, and the Department of Human Resources. 

Journal of IOA: Managing Professional Conflicts Between Ombuds

The latest article in the Journal of the International Ombuds Association is "We’re Human, Too: Conflict Among Ombuds." The authors are Tessa Tompkins Byer, the University Ombuds at Clemson University, and Scott B. Cantor, an Ombuds for The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. They explore the underexamined issue of conflict between Ombuds professionals and provide practical strategies to normalize and manage these disputes effectively. The full article is now available online.

Job Posting: Simon Fraser University

The public university in Burnaby, Vancouver is recruiting its next Student Ombudsperson. The search will fill a full-time, permanent position previously held by Laura Reid for eight years. The SFU Ombuds reports administratively to the University Secretary via an advisory committee and practices consistent with ACCUO and FCO standards.

Austrian Student Ombuds Reports on 2024–25 Cases

Austria's national Student Ombuds Office (Ombudsstelle für Studierende headed by Anna-Katharina Rothwangl) received 775 inquiries during the 2024–25 academic year, according to its annual report to Parliament. The independent office serves 440,000 students across 77 higher education institutions and emphasizes information-sharing and student empowerment as its primary functions, with mediation used in selected cases.

Davis Technical College Unveils Ombuds Program

Davis Tech, a public college in Kaysville, Utah, has created an Ombuds Office to serve its faculty, staff, and about 4,000 enrolled students. Celeste Loyning was appointed as the Ombuds and practices to IOA standards according to a charter adopted in 2025. (The charter says the Ombuds role was created in 2022, but there is no public record of significance before January 2026.) Loyning reports to the Office of the President. 

IOA Announces Agenda for 2026 Virtual Conference

The International Ombuds Association has posted details for its next annual conference. The online only event is set for April 13-15, 2026. The conference will be highlighted by keynote addresses by Paul Sotoudeh and M. Gerard (Jerry) Fromm. The conference starts each day at 8:00am Pacific. 

Here is the tentative conference agenda: 

Job Posting: United Nations, New York

The Office of the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services (UNOMS) is seeking a consultant for conflict resolution. The fully-remote position will report to the Regional Ombudsman in New York and provide Ombuds services to UN employees for an expected period of nine months.

University of Tennessee, Knoxville Ombuds Releases 2025 Annual Report

Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, UTK's Campus Ombuds, has released her annual report, summarizing case activity, outreach, and educational programming for fiscal 2025. During the year, her office served 381 unique individuals through 623 visitor contacts, including 515 new monthly visitors and 108 repeat visitors. Visitor concerns involved 380 unique situations and 243 ongoing situations. A survey found that 97% of visitors reported overall satisfaction with their Ombuds consultation.

UVA Health Names Inaugural Ombuds

Henry Yampolsky has been selected as the first Ombuds for the University of Virginia Health System. Next week, Yampolsky joins University Ombuds, Amanda Monaco, and will provide services to about 13,000 faculty, staff, residents, postdocs, and students in the schools of medicine and nursing in Charlottesville and locations across the state. In addition, he is also also expected to be the primary facilitator and trainer for the UVA University Ombuds Office.

DIII-D National Fusion Program Creates Ombuds Program

Last year, the U.S. Department of Energy magnetic fusion lab in San Diego operated by General Atomics unveiled an Ombuds program. The new service is available to lab employees and others working on DIII-D projects. MWI has been contracted for the program. Alnoor Maherali and Lexi Wolfe are designated as the Ombuds. 

2025 Year in Review: The Key Stories

This last post of the year summarizes the most important developments affecting Organizational Ombuds in 2025. Many of the significant stories from 2024 continue to be relevant: the Canadian government continued to add Ombuds; practitioners continued to debate the pros and cons of external Ombuds services; and campus protests, especially in North America, continued to echo in casework. Meanwhile, the recognition of Ombuds by the U.S. Department of Education was undone and fears about losses under the Trump administration came true.

WHO Ombuds Reports on Systemic Issues During 2025 Organizational Transition

The World Health Organization’s Ombudsperson has released a report to the Executive Board outlining systemic issues observed in 2025 amid unprecedented budget cuts and organizational restructuring. (Robert Edelmann served as the WHO Ombuds until August 2025, but the report does not name the current Ombuds.) Drawing on confidential interactions across all levels of WHO, the report says the year was marked by uncertainty, reprioritization, and significant human impact. 

Brock University Ombuds Reports on Pivot to Students and 2025 Issues

Sicne being appointed as the Ombuds for Brock, Heather Bellisario has reoriented her office from a campus-wide resource to one focused exclusively on the needs of students. In her first report, Bellisario summarizes the changes and gives an overview of her casework. In the 2024-25 academic year, she handled 456 matters, with the vast majority coming from undergraduate students.