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.

| Office of the President

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.

Colleen Bielitz

Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Executive Director, SCSU Foundation

Colleen Bielitz was named ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s interim vice president for institutional advancement in October 2025. She oversees Development, Integrated Communications & Marketing, and Alumni Relations and serves as executive director of the SCSU Foundation. Since 2018, Bielitz has served as associate vice president for strategic initiatives and outreach at ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú, where she has led a variety of transformative efforts in fundraising, workforce development, and global engagement. Her work at ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú includes co-founding Project Blue, launching the IMXR Initiative focused on immersive learning technologies, and leading the Office of Workforce and Lifelong Learning (OWLL), which generated over $350,000 in net revenue last year. She has also expanded the university ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s international presence through strategic global partnerships and the launch of the COIL Hub for collaborative online learning.

Before joining ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú, Bielitz held senior leadership roles at Becker College, Cabrini University, and Miller/Cook & Associates, where she led innovation centers, developed academic programs, and helped institutions achieve record enrollment growth. Throughout her career, she has secured more than $16 million in funding through grants, partnerships, and campaigns. She is a frequent speaker on topics including AI, XR, sustainability, and women in STEM, and was recently named a finalist for the CT Technology Council ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s Women of Innovation Award.

She holds a bachelor ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú †.™s degree in communications from West Chester University, a Master of Science in organizational leadership from Cabrini University, and a Ph.D. in education with a specialization in organizational leadership from Northcentral University.

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.

Julie Edstrom

Vice President for Enrollment Management

Julie Edstrom joined ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú in July 2019, bringing over 25 years of experience in higher education enrollment management, marketing, and student services. Edstrom is a leader and strategist with deep experience in areas including recruitment and enrollment planning, admissions, student financial services, marketing, retention, institutional research, adult and graduate program development, as well as cabinet- and board-level visioning and planning. She brings a successful record of progressive responsibility, process improvements, and staff development. She comes to ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú from the University of Providence in Great Falls, Mont., where she was vice president of enrollment management. Previously, she served in various capacities at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minn., most recently as vice president of enrollment management.

Edstrom received her Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations and her Master of Arts degree in leadership at Augsburg University.