Quebec Higher Education Ombuds Association Selects 2026 Leaders

AOESQ (Association des ombudsmans en enseignement supérieur du Québec) has selected its executive committee for the coming year. The new officers are: Caroline Roy (Ombusman chez Université de Montréal), President; Marianne Leblond (Ombudsman adjointe chez Université de Montréal), Treasurer; and Stephanie Mc Farland (Ombudsman adjointe - Université de Sherbrooke), Secretary. The committee will support AOESQ members, strengthen its community of practice, and promote the Ombuds function throughout Quebec’s higher education sector. AOESQ brings together Ombuds from colleges and universities across the province. (LinkedIn.)

Pennsylvania State University Expands Grad Student Ombuds Program

The Fox Graduate School at Penn State has expanded its Graduate Student Ombudsperson Program from two faculty members to eight. Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Affairs, Douglas Orzolek, explained that the expansion, “reflects both the need for the Ombudsperson Program and our commitment to providing a trusted, confidential avenue for guidance and support.” The new faculty Ombuds are:

North Carolina State University's Student Ombuds to Retire

Mike Giancola, NC State’s Student Ombuds, will retire from the university effective November 1 and become Dean of Students and Associate Vice Provost at the University of Pittsburgh. Giancola joined NC State in 1998 and has served as Student Ombuds since 2016. Meanwhile Bradley Davis continues as NC State’s Faculty and Staff Ombuds. NC State says it will provide information about the future of Student Ombuds Services in the coming months. (NCSU DASA News.)

Tim Griffin: Former NIU Ombuds and IOA Emeritus

Tim Griffin, who was the Ombuds at Northern Illinois University from 1991 to 2012, passed away last week at the age of 74. In addition to his 21 years as Ombuds at NIU, Griffin was an active volunteer and leader within the Ombuds profession. He established and hosted the Summer Academic Ombuds Meeting for nine years, authored several important articles about the Ombuds field, and helped train many other university Ombuds. 

Former TU/e Ombuds Seeks Redress and Compensation

Anna Soedira, the former Ombudsperson for Staff at Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, is seeking formal redress and compensation from the university following her departure in 2025. Soedira left after the university’s Executive Board withdrew its confidence in her. She is now seeking to have her reputation restored and to receive compensation, with support from the university’s representative council.

Job Posting: Utah Valley University

The large public university in Orem is seeking its next Assistant Director of Student Conflict Resolution/Ombuds. The search will fill a position recently vacated by Victoria Cruz, who was promoted to Deputy Dean of Students. The full-time Ombuds position serves a student body of 37,000 and reports to the VP of Student Affairs. In addition, UVU's Ombuds oversees an Ombuds Fellowship Program.

University of Virginia Selects Next Ombuds

UVA has named Riley E. Barrar as its new University Ombuds. She will lead a program that serves nearly 40,000 faculty, staff, and students and supervises the UVA Health Ombuds, Henry Yampolsky, and a Program Coordinator.

Boston University Selects an Experienced Associate Ombuds

Samantha Levine-Finley has been appointed the new Associate Ombuds at BU, joining University Ombuds Francine Montemurro and Associate Ombuds Lailul Ikram. 

Ombuds Returns to University for Peace

UPEACE, the United Nations-affiliated university in Costa Rica, has reappointed Kathya Araya as its Ombudsperson. Araya previously served in the role from 2020 to 2022 and returns to the position following a search launched earlier this year. The Ombudsperson provides confidential guidance to students, staff, visiting faculty and scholars, interns, consultants, contractors, and others covered by university policies, with responsibilities including the prevention and resolution of prohibited conduct. 

Santa Fe College Names Next Ombuds

The community college in Gainesville, Florida, has named Karla Solis as its new Ombuds. Solis succeeds Bea Awoniyi, who retired after 13 years at the college. Solis began on June 16, 2026. Reporting to the Vice President for Student Affairs, Solis will also provide oversight of some student support programs, including the Disabilities Resource Center and Displaced Homemakers. 

Peralta Community College District Names First Ombuds

The Peralta Community College District has established an Office of the Ombuds, with Kohya Lu serving as its first Organizational Ombuds. The full-time position serves approximately 850 employees, including classified professionals, faculty, and administrators, across the District's four colleges in Northern California's East Bay. Until very recently, Lu had served as the inaugural Ombudsperson at College of San Mateo since August 2023. (PCCD Ombuds.)

Introducing the Ombuds for Southern Alberta Institute of Technology

In September 2024, Jeff Stransky was hired as the Ombudsperson for the polytechnic institute in Calgary, Alberta. He follows Kamini Bernard in the full-time position that provides services to all members of the SAIT campus community. The SAIT Ombuds reports to the Vice President of Student Affairs and External Relations, and receives advice and direction from the Ombudsperson Leadership Committee, which includes student representatives.

University of Wisconsin–Madison Enlists Another Ombuds

UW-Madison announced the appointment of Charles Hoslet to the Ombuds Office for a three-year term starting this past June. Hoslet joins six other Ombuds: Jane Dymond, Susan Ellis Weismer, Amy Fruchtman, Robin Kurtz, Regina Murphy, and Don Schutt. He has worked at UW-Madison for nearly three decades in a wide range of administrative roles, most recently as Vice Chancellor for University Relations. (UW-M News.)

University of Kansas Names Interim Ombuds

KU has selected Dorris Mbogo as its Interim University Ombuds. Mbogo will serve in the part-time role while continuing as Director of Informal Resolution in KU's Office of Civil Rights & Title IX. She succeeds Ada Emmett, who retired earlier this year after nearly 25 years of service in the Ombuds Office and KU Libraries. The interim appointment follows a search limited to current university employees and is not expected to become a permanent position.

Meet Atlanta's Neighborhood Ombuds

A new webpage for Atlanta reveals that the city has appointed two Neighborhood Relations Managers to its Office of Neighborhood Ombuds: Amber Ware and Clyde Mitchell. As Neighborhood Relations Managers, they serve as External Ombuds for residents and neighborhood stakeholders with issues involving city government and programs. 

Harvard University Appoints Ombuds

Harvard University has selected Ati Alipour, CO-OP, as an Ombuds in the Harvard Ombuds Office. She joins the office on July 21, 2026, succeeding Lisa Neale, who retired earlier this year. Alipour joins Melissa Brodrick and Adam Barak Kleinberger, along with three consulting Ombuds who support the office.

University of the Pacific Appoints Ombuds

Brooke Wichmann, CO-OP has been hired to reestablish the Ombuds Office for the private Methodist-affiliated university in Stockton, California. As the full-time University Ombuds, she will reopen a program that closed in 2022 when the inaugural Ombuds, Hector Escalante Meza, moved to the University of California, Merced. Wichmann will serve about 10,000 faculty, staff, and students across three campuses. 

University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras Names Interim Ombuds

Ángel M. Burgos Rivera has been promoted to Interim Student Ombudsman for Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras, the public land-grant university in San Juan. He follows Coralie Pacheco Valcárcel, who served in the role since late 2021. Burgos Rivera will head an office that serves about 19,000 students. The university will open a search for the next permanent Student Ombuds. 

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Names Next Ombuds

Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada has appointed Jessica Norup as its new Workplace Wellness Ombuds. She succeeds Elianne Hall and joins Associate Ombuds Mireille Aubrey in the office, which provides services to employees of the federal agency that regulates agriculture in Canada. 

Berkeley Ombuds to Retire

Marcia Gee Riley, who has served as Student Ombuds for the University of California, Berkeley since August 2008, retires this month. Current Assistant Ombuds, Zackary Hull, will step up as Interim Student Ombuds while the campus makes plans for a search.