ART THOMAS, associate dean for career services and experiential learning at the School of Information Studies (iSchool) at Syracuse University, has been named executive director of the Executive Education Department at the College of Professional Studies (previously known as University College). Thomas began his career at Syracuse University in 2001 as an adjunct professor. He became an assistant professor of practice in 2009. He consistently rose through the ranks, before becoming associate dean for academic affairs in the iSchool in 2015 and associate dean for career services and experiential learning at the iSchool in 2020. Thomas earned a bachelor of arts degree from SUNY Brockport, and a master of education (Ed.M.) degree in curriculum development and instructional media from the University at Buffalo, where he also completed his Ph.D. in research and evaluation — instructional-systems design and management. 

PATRICIA SAGASTI SUPPES has been named the new director of global education at Hartwick College. Sagasti Suppes comes from Cormack Consultancy Group of Edinburgh, Scotland, where she developed new partnerships and existing connections between higher-education institutions in the U.S. and abroad. She previously served as director of international programs and experiential term at Ferrum College in Virginia, where she was an associate professor of Spanish and program coordinator of Spanish, Russian, and French. Hartwick’s Global Education Office oversees the college’s off-campus J Term program, and administers semester-long study abroad programs, the Duffy Ambassadorships, Emerson International Internship Scholarships, and the Cyrus Mehri ‘83 Global Pluralism Fellowship. Global Education staff also advise international students and promote community-based service-learning initiatives. A native of Lima, Peru, Sagasti Suppes holds doctoral and master’s degrees in Romance languages and literatures from the University of North Carolina and is working toward a certificate in higher-education leadership and administration from the University of Massachusetts. She is a published author, researcher, and frequent presenter at both domestic and international conferences. Sagasti Suppes speaks several languages.

RAY STANDISH, P.E. has joined Barton & Loguidice, D.P.C. (B&L) in the firm’s transportation practice area as managing engineer in B&L’s Binghamton office. A resident of Vestal, Standish has more than 40 years of experience with public and private engineering projects and is a former engineer for the City of Binghamton. Over his career, he has worked for consultants as well as municipalities, providing engineering and construction-project oversight on federal and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) projects. Standish attended Broome Community College and Michigan Technological University.

JODI WALLIS, an OB-GYN, has recently joined St. Joseph’s Health. In her new role, Dr. Wallis joins a team of qualified physicians to provide a high quality of women’s care to our community. Dr. Wallis is a board-certified physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. Prior to joining St. Joseph’s Health, Dr. Wallis held clinical, teaching, and administrative positions at Upstate University Medical Hospital. In addition to providing general pregnancy care and OB-GYN services, Dr. Wallis supervised educational programs for medical students and assisted with the resident-training program. Before moving to Central New York, Dr. Wallis worked as a physician faculty member at Hackensack University Medical Center, a research and teaching hospital in Hackensack, New Jersey. While there, Dr. Wallis provided clinical patient services such as prenatal care and gynecology while also assisted with the resident-training program. Dr. Wallis earned her doctor of osteopathy degree from Nova Southeastern University in Florida and her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Brandeis University in Massachusetts. Dr. Wallis completed her residency at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Dr. Wallis is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) and is a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). She is seeing patients at St. Joseph’s Health Primary Care Center.

BUSHRA AHMAD, an emergency medicine physician, has joined the medical staffs of Geneva General Hospital in Geneva and Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hospital in Penn Yan. The hospitals are part of Finger Lakes Health, a 635-bed, multi-institutional health system that says it provides a full range of acute and long-term care health services to residents of the Finger Lakes region. Dr. Ahmad attended medical school at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse and completed her emergency medicine residency at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

SHAWNA CRAIGMILE has been appointed chief growth officer at Helio Health, Inc., which operates facilities in Syracuse, Rochester, Utica, and Binghamton. Its mission is to promote recovery from the effects of substance use and mental-health disorders and other health issues. She will work with Helio Health’s executive-leadership team to create and execute the organization’s strategic plan across new business development, mergers and acquisitions, and existing business expansion. Craigmile is well known in the upstate New York community for her leadership in New York State health-care initiatives such as the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program and Health Homes. She brings with her years of experience collaborating with organizations across Upstate, including activities such as the Steering Committee for Onondaga County Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan, Onondaga County Drug Task Force, Central New York Care Collaborative Board of Directors, and the Rural Health Network of Oswego County Advisory Committee. Craigmile earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at SUNY Oswego and her master’s degree in social work at Syracuse University.