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Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ President Gary A. Olson announced the appointment of Kari Costelloe as the university’s new chief of staff, effective Monday, October 30, 2023.   

In this position, Costelloe will serve as an advisor to President Olson and a liaison between the president and key internal and external groups, including the Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Board of Trustees. She will also be responsible for oversight of the president’s office.

"Kari brings a breadth and depth of higher education experience that will help Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ advance to new levels of excellence," President Olson said. “I look forward to working alongside Kari and drawing on her expertise and knowledge."

With nearly two decades of experience across academic, information technology, and business operations units, Costelloe's work has focused on institutional transformation, governance, academic program development, and meaningful engagement. 

Since 2020, she has served as a project coordinator at the University at Buffalo, where she co-developed and co-led the first formal project management office for Business Reporting and Services. She also held positions for UB’s Vice President and Chief Information Officer, where she designed and oversaw a centralized IT policy office. Previously, Costelloe served as the director of academic program development and as an adjunct faculty member at Medaille University.
 
"I am humbled and honored to serve Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ as President Olson’s chief of staff," Costelloe said. "Joining Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ is an incredible opportunity to support an academic community grounded in intellectual rigor, creativity, and ethically-minded leadership. I am excited to focus my passion and experience on Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ’s drive toward national recognition as an institution of academic excellence."

Costelloe earned a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in Higher Education Administration from the University at Buffalo. She also earned a master's degree in Literature and Publishing from the University of Galway, Ireland. In addition, Costelloe is a certified Project Management Professional and graduate of SUNY's Leading Change in Higher Education certificate program. She is a member of the 2016-2017 cohort of the WNY College Connection Women's Leadership Institute.

Costelloe lives in the Town of Tonawanda with her husband Tom, daughter Harper, and dog Cu.