ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú

Meet ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú's administrators, starting with our top Owl, Interim President Sandra Bulmer.

Sandra Bulmer

Interim President

On July 1, 2025, Dr. Sandra Bulmer assumed the role of interim president of ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú, a public institution of over 9,300 students in New Haven, Connecticut.

She has extensive experience in higher education, including 26 years at ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú, and previously served as the dean of the university ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s College of Health and Human Services and as a professor in ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s Department of Public Health.

Bulmer was the lead academic administrator for the programming, design, and opening of ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s new 94,000-sq.-ft. College of Health and Human Services building in September 2022. Together with her team she introduced several new innovative degree programs, and she oversaw the opening of new departments and centers at the university to improve the health of the ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú and New Haven communities.

She received her Ph.D. in health education from Texas Woman ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s University, an M.S. in physical education with a focus on exercise physiology from the University of Oregon, and a B.S. in physical education from California State University Hayward.

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Lillian Wanjagi

Vice President for Finance and Administration
Chief Financial Officer

Lillian Wanjagi joined ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú as the university ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s Vice President for Finance & Administration and Chief Financial Officer on January 24, 2025.

She came to ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú from her role as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) & Vice Chancellor, Business & Finance at Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, NC. At FSU, she oversaw a $220 million-plus construction and major renovation program and guided the development and execution of the university ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s financial strategy. Wanjagi also served as CFO and Vice President for Finance and Administration at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis., and as Executive Director of Facilities Administration at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she led the implementation of IBM ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s Maximo Integrated Workplace Management System (WMS) for more than 20,000 users.

Wanjagi earned a bachelor of science in business administration in accounting from Wingate University, an MBA in international business from Gardner-Webb University, and a doctor of education in higher education administration ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.“leadership from the University of Houston.

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Julia Irwin

Interim Provost

Julia Irwin joined ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú in 2008 and rose through the faculty ranks to earn a full professorship in psychology in 2017. She has an extensive publication record, with her work focused on audiovisual speech perception in children, including those with autism spectrum disorders. Prior to her appointment as as interim dean of the SCSU School of Graduate and Professional Studies in 2022, Julia was a senior research scientist at Haskins Laboratories and the director of the LEARN Center at Yale University.

Closing in on being a member of our SPAR million-dollar club, Julia has been Principal Investigator on several grants from the NIH Division of Deafness and Communication Disorders. Importantly, she has also mentored many of our ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú scholars at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Julia ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s wide-ranging extra-curricular contributions include serving on the BOR Faculty Awards Committee, as Coordinator of STEM Grants and Contracts, as a member of PACES, and as the university ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s Research Integrity Officer and Director of Research Protection.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York, Oswego, and holds an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut.

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Tracy Tyree

Vice President for Student Affairs

Tracy Tyree joined ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú in 2013 from her most recent position as associate vice president of student affairs at the University of South Florida (USF). USF is a public Research I institution within the State University System of Florida, with about 48,000 students on four campuses. She brings a track record of commitment to student success, effective senior administration, and innovation in student programming and support services.

Tyree strives to provide support to students through Student Affairs services and programs and to create the climate, culture, and opportunities for students to realize their best possible college experience, both inside and outside of the classroom.

Tyree earned her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland and her M.A. from Indiana University, both in college student personnel administration. She earned her B.S.B.A. in finance from the University of Florida.

Gregg Crerar

Vice President for Institutional Advancement
 

Gregg Crerar joined ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú as its new vice president for institutional advancement on July 10, 2026.

He brings nearly three decades of experience in higher education, with a distinguished record of advancing institutional priorities through strategic fundraising, legislative engagement, and the cultivation of strong external partnerships.

Since 2023, he has served as vice president for institutional advancement at Western Connecticut State University, where he has overseen a foundation with assets exceeding $30 million. During his tenure, he has helped secure more than $7.5 million in philanthropic support while advancing a donor-centered strategy aligned with Western ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s long-term goals.

Previously, over more than two decades at ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú, he served in a variety of advancement and leadership roles, including interim vice president and associate vice president for institutional advancement, helping guide the university through periods of change while strengthening its culture of philanthropy.

Crerar earned a B.S. in business/corporate communications at ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú New Hampshire University (formerly New Hampshire College) and an M.S. in urban education and leadership at ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú.

Sergio Pérez

Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Sergio Pérez joined ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú as its new vice president for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on May 30, 2025.

Perez comes to ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú from Loras College in Dubuque, Ia., where he served in the DEI space since 2016, most recently heading the College Diversity Office and acting as an advisor to the president. In this role, Perez was charged with overseeing the institutional diversity committee, with a focus of improving the campus climate and research opportunities for Black, Latinx, and LGBTQIA+ identifying students.

Perez has a wide range of experience supporting undocumented scholars and those with intersectional identities. As the DEI committee chair for Iowa ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s League of United Latin American Citizens, the country ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s oldest and largest civil rights group for Latinos, Perez served as a member of LULAC ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s National LGBTQIA+ Affairs Committee. For the last two years, he was named National LULAC ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s Advisor of the Year by the organization in Albuquerque, N.M., and Las Vegas, Nev.

He holds a B.A. in political science and international studies from Loras College, an M.S.Ed in student affairs administration and higher education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and an Ed.D. from Edgewood College.

Nilvio Perez

Interim Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management

Nilvio Perez joined ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú as director of undergraduate admissions in 2021, bringing more than 20 years of progressive experience in admissions and enrollment management, with a career spanning frontline recruitment, operational leadership, and institutional strategy. He has collaborated with university leaders to shape first-year enrollment strategies, identify new recruitment opportunities, and implement technology-based approaches to student engagement. He has also strengthened partnerships across key campus units, including Integrated Communications and Marketing and student-facing departments, to support the success of incoming classes. Prior to ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú, Perez helped steer admissions at Central Connecticut State University and Albertus Magnus College. Across his career, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to student access, data-informed decision-making, operational excellence, and advancing institutional enrollment goals.

Perez holds a bachelor ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s degree in marketing from the University of Bridgeport and a master ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s degree in organizational leadership from Albertus Magnus College.