LEAH SCIABARRASI, PH.D.

5583 Truscott Terrace, Lake View, NY 14085| 716-336-7706 | leahmsciabarrasi@gmail.com
www.leahsciabarrasi.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahsciabarrasi/ 

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Strategic Leader | Cross-Sector Collaborator | Systems Innovator

Innovative and impact-driven leader with 15+ years of experience at the intersection of education, workforce development, and community engagement. Recognized for designing inclusive, future-facing education programs, K12–college bridge initiatives, and high-impact initiatives that bridge civic, industry, and academic partnerships. Proven track record of leading institutional transformation efforts, securing major grants, and shaping strategic plans across higher education and nonprofit sectors. Builds human-centered systems that align people, policy, and purpose, while translating complex challenges into scalable, equity-centered solutions.

Core Strengths

• Strategic leadership across sectors
• Human-centered systems thinking
• Education-to-workforce design
• Cross-sector partnerships
• Equity and transformation
• Program design & policy integration
• Foresight & innovation

Excelsior University | Albany, NY
Associate Dean of Business | 2023–Present
Faculty Program Director, MBA & MOL | 2021–2023

• Led academic strategy and curriculum development for 13 programs across business and public service, impacting 1,000+ students.
  
• Designed Excelsior’s first Doctor of Business Administration and Executive MBA, integrating immersive, hybrid, and stackable components.
• Increased MBA enrollment by 147% and MOL by 172% through program redesign and market-aligned offerings.
• Co-chaired the University Curriculum Council; contributed to IACBE accreditation efforts.
• Created the School of Business Hub, virtual orientations, and public service curricular pivots during federal agency restructuring.
• Key Award: 2023 Faculty Innovation Award

D’Youville University | Buffalo, NY
Associate Vice President, Institutional Effectiveness & Planning | 2019–2021
Founder & Director, Institute for Teaching Innovation | 2017–2021

• Founder of the Institute for Teaching Innovation and led faculty development initiatives.
• Led strategic planning initiatives, co-chaired the Middle States Self-Study, and led K12 and workforce partnerships and programming.
• Co-developed K12 Early College Bridge Program and Thrive Plan (an institutional framework for regional community impact).
• Created and led the Healthcare Hackathon, convening 100+ participants for regional innovation.
• Secured $1.5M+ in grant funding and helped to outfit several teaching innovation spaces on campus.
  

Centivo (Healthcare Startup) | Buffalo, NY
Senior Talent Management Specialist | 2021

• Supported growth of mission-driven health tech startup through strategic hiring and workforce development.
• Recruited top-tier talent for software development and product leadership roles.
  

Canisius University | Buffalo, NY
Founder & Director, Center for Online Learning & Innovation | 2016–2017

Instructional Designer & Adjunct Faculty | 2009–2016

• Founded and led the Center for Online Learning & Innovation, aligning its strategy and services with institutional goals.
• Managed LMS transition to D2L Brightspace, including implementation planning, training, and stakeholder engagement.
• Designed the Master’s in Educational Technology program for NYSED submission, integrating instructional design and workforce relevance.
• Led faculty development programming and provided one-on-one instructional design consultation across academic departments.
• Supported accreditation and policy reporting for AACSB, Middle States, and additional agencies; managed digital policy systems in Confluence.
• Coordinated an annual teaching and technology conference and represented Canisius in the AJCU network for teaching and learning innovation.

SELECTED INITIATIVES & IMPACT

• Executive Program Design: Led the creation of Excelsior University's first doctoral program (DBA) and Executive MBA, integrating stackable credentials, immersive learning, and industry-aligned competencies.
• Curriculum Innovation: Spearheaded redesign of MBA and MOL programs, resulting in significant enrollment growth and improved student experience metrics.
• Strategic Planning & Institutional Transformation: Co-led multi-year strategic planning efforts at D’Youville University and contributed to governance system reforms at Excelsior University.
• Bridge & Pathways Programming: Developed K12–college bridge initiatives and early college programs connecting secondary education with postsecondary and workforce opportunities.
• Community Engagement & Regional Partnerships: Designed the Thrive Plan to align higher ed efforts with neighborhood revitalization, public health, and economic development goals.
• Accreditation & Quality Assurance Leadership: Served as lead or co-lead on Middle States, IACBE, and programmatic accreditation efforts, with special focus on faculty development, assessment, and compliance infrastructure.
• Faculty Development & Teaching Innovation: Founded the Institute for Teaching Innovation and led major faculty engagement initiatives, including retreats, orientations, and tech integration.

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Educational Studies & Leadership)
Union Institute & University, 2017

M.S. in Educational Technology
Buffalo State University, SUNY, 2009

B.F.A. in Photography
University at Buffalo, SUNY, 2005

CERTIFICATIONS & UPSKILLING

• Futures Thinking Specialization, Institute for the Future (2023)
• Certified Diversity Recruiter, AIRS (2021)
• Certified Internet Recruiter, AIRS (2021)
• Professional Recruiter Certification, AIRS (2021)

AFFILIATIONS & SERVICE

• Chair, Followership Community, International Leadership Association (2025)
• Former Board Member: Vision Niagara, West Side Community Services, West Side Promise Neighborhood
• Frequent Speaker: ILA, IACBE, Global Followership Conference

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• Sciabarrasi, L. (2023). Addressing new societal expectations for higher education and online learning in the post-COVID-19 era. International Journal on Innovations in Online Education, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1615/IntJInnovOnlineEdu.2023049763
• Dolan, S., Paludi, M., Sciabarrasi, L., Zendell, A. L., & Schmidt, G. (2022). Ever upward: Building an ecosystem to support and validate lifelong learning. In R. D. Austin & J. D. Sklar (Eds.), New Models of Higher Education: Unbundled, Rebundled, Customized, and DIY (pp. 409–428). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-9035-5.ch024
  → Awarded the UPCEA Frandson Award for Literature Making Headlines, 2023
• MacVie, L. (2017). Five crucial innovations: A method of studying evolutionary change in small colleges. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 34(5), 594–600. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2436 (under former married name)