Farmingdale State College Rolls Out Ombuds Program

The State University of New York at Farmingdale is introducing its new Ombuds Team at information sessions this semester. Five Ombuds will provide services to 10,000 students and 1,700 employees at the campus in Nassau County. The founding group of Ombuds was introduced by Farmingdale's president last summer and include: 

Utah Valley University Selects Next Ombuds

In October 2025, Victoria Cruz began as the Assistant Director of Conflict Resolution & Ombuds for the large public university in Orem. She primarily serves a student population of about 37,000 and also works with faculty and staff. (UVU faculty with inter-faculty issues are also served by the Faculty Ombuds, Natalie Grecu.)

Conflict Resolution Framework Developed by Ombuds Practitioner

Kira Nurieli, an Organizational Ombuds and conflict resolution consultant, has developed a new conflict-navigation framework known as 3D Harmony. The model is structured around three core elements of dignity, dialogue, and discovery, and is intended for use in workplace and organizational conflict settings. 

Longtime Ombuds at University of Colorado Denver|Anschutz Retires

According to a campus press release, Melissa Connell, CO-OP, the director of the Ombuds Office for CU Anschutz and CU Denver retired in December 2025. She had served in the role since August 1997. The university said that her "institutional knowledge and ability to adapt to the evolving needs of the campuses made her a valuable resource to staff, faculty, students and administrators." In the wake of her departure, CU Denver and CU Anschutz will separate their Ombuds offices, with the Anschutz Ombuds office merging with the Office of Adaptive Resolution. 

IOA Group Highlights Growth of K-12 Ombuds

The International Ombuds Association’s K–12 Ombuds Workgroup convened on January 15, 2026, to examine national trends in K–12 Ombuds services and their implications for public education. Monique Bookstein, Ombuds for Prince William County Public Schools, facilitated the meeting, which highlighted the continued expansion of K-12 Ombuds programs across the U.S. The workgroup noted that every state and territory now has at least one education Ombuds role, with rising case volume signaling increased reliance on Ombuds services. 

Job Posting: OPEC Fund for International Development

The intergovernmental development bank of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has issued a Request for Expression of Interest for consultant Ombuds services. The new position will serve about 250 OPEC Fund employees for eight days a month for an initial one-year term. Although services will be provided remotely, travel to OPEC headquarters in Vienna is required. The work is anticipated to start in April 2026. 

DAVIS Construction Implements an Ombuds Program

James G. Davis Construction, a privately-held, general contractor based in Rockville, MD, and Philadelphia, selected MWI in February 2025 to create an IOA-compliant Ombuds program. MWI panelists Nnena Odim and Josh Hoch serve as the Ombuds for DAVIS’s 500+ employees across the Mid-Atlantic region. Odim and Hoch have worked together on various clients for the past 25 years, including providing ombuds services for JMA Construction. (DAVIS Ombuds.)

JIOA Call for Papers: Models for Ombuds Programs

The Journal of the International Ombuds Association is seeking articles for a special issue, "Organizational Ombuds Models: Structures, Strategies, and Implications for Practice." The issue will feature original research articles, case studies, theoretical perspectives, and practice-based insights from scholars and practitioners examining Ombuds program models across industries.

Podcast: Ombuds and Coach Talks About Intersecting Conflict

Lexi Wolfe, CO-OP, is the most recent guest on the Blessed Be Podcast hosted by Robert Polanco and Dawn. (She is the fourth Ombuds to be featured on the pod.) Wolfe shares insights from more than a decade of experience as an Ombuds, International Coaching Federation Certified Coach, and consultant working with individuals, teams, and organizations engage conflict more productively.

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.