Whitman’s New Assistant Dean Works to Realign Alumni Engagement and Advancement to Improve Outreach

In February, Michael Paulus joined the Whitman School as the assistant dean of advancement and external engagement. While he is new to Whitman, he is a familiar face, having worked at Syracuse Athletics for the past three years as senior associate athletic director, executive director of athletic development. As Paulus settles into his role at the Whitman School, he is focusing on realigning the structure of how Whitman communicates with its alumni, donors, parents and others as an essential part of the school’s goal of becoming a top 25 undergraduate business school.

“The opportunity at Whitman was an attractive challenge, and I was eager to explore a unique growth opportunity on campus and broaden my experience in education,” he explains of his new role. “And the chance to work with Vice Chancellor [J. Michael] Haynie and the leadership team at the Whitman School was very intriguing to me.”

A Syracuse native, Paulus earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of William & Mary, a master’s of education in sports management from Virginia Commonwealth University, an MBA from Mount St. Mary’s University and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Mississippi. He has built a career in the development and advancement space, having worked as the director of the Ram Athletic Fund, annual giving, at Virginia Commonwealth; senior director of athletic development at Mount St. Mary’s; assistant athletic director, development, and director of development for major gifts at Ole Miss Athletics Foundation; and senior associate athletic director, development, at the United States Naval Academy.

In 2021, he joined Syracuse Athletics. During his time there, the athletics department marked its most successful fundraising in the University’s history, raising nearly $125 million. Paulus led the execution of the largest capital campaign in athletics, which resulted in the new Lally Athletics Complex. The development team doubled the fundraising average for Syracuse Athletics to more than $40 million annually and recorded the two highest fundraising years on record.

Paulus hopes to use his experience to benefit the Whitman School. “We’ve been busy restructuring to be a better integrated and best-in-class alumni and advancement team that supports the student experience here at Whitman, assists with meeting faculty and staff needs, and invests in the physical space of the building to make certain it is a modern and welcoming place with the kind of upgrades and appeal necessary to reach our goal of becoming a top 25 business school,” he says. “We’re working together to build on the strong and positive alumni base that has long existed here by being more efficient in maximizing contact with those whose support we depend on to keep the trajectory of the Whitman School moving forward.”

According to Paulus, the realignment is based on balancing internal support, acknowledgement of alumni and other stakeholders, and stewardship for the Whitman School. The team now has four staff members focused on traveling the country to gain support and educate alumni on the school’s needs and priorities. Another addition to the team is a role dedicated to managing all internal operations and strategy to maximize communication and effectiveness. Lastly, Paulus created a stewardship role with a focus on recognizing donors and communicating more effectively with them to show the school’s appreciation for their support.

“Working at Syracuse Athletics and now the Whitman School are two huge pride points for me,” says Paulus, 
”and I’m fortunate to work with others who are equally committed to being more ambitious with our priorities to be integrated, dynamic and ever evolving. I am confident that we will make great strides forward in the coming years, which will truly benefit our entire Whitman family.”

MEET THE ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT AND ADVANCEMENT TEAM

Michael Paulus, Assistant Dean for Advancement and External Engagement

Tyler Harding, Senior Director of Development

Alison Kessler, Director of Alumni Engagement

Elizabeth Holloway, Assistant Director, Events 
and Stewardship

Tatiana Motevalli-Oliner, Director of External Relations, Strategy and Operations

Tobi Joshuasville G’22, Coordinator, Advancement and External Engagement

Adrian Mitchell, Associate Director of Development

Skylar Pritchard, Associate Director of Development