Gina Casalegno
Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students

Email Gina
(412) 268-2075

Proud to be part of the Tartan family since 2002, Gina serves as vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students. She works with an outstanding team of colleagues who are committed to enhancing the CMU experience and supporting student learning and success. Gina’s passion for a career working with students began at the University of California at San Diego, where she studied psychology and theater, and continued at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she earned her M.S. from the School of Education. When she’s not cheerleading student endeavors at CMU or relishing conversation and coffee with a student, Gina can be found enjoying the great city of Pittsburgh with her husband Matt, and their kids, Thomas and Julia.

John Hannon
Associate Vice President for Community Life

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(412) 268-2075

Holly Hippensteel
Associate Vice President for Community Responsibility and Culture

Email Holly
(412) 268-2075

Holly first came to CMU in 1998 and currently serves as the Associate Vice President for Community Standards and Diversity Initiatives. In her role, Holly facilitates divisional professional development and strategic planning efforts and oversees functions in student conduct, diversity initiatives, and assessment and evaluation. Holly is the Student Affairs Liaison to the Heinz College and supports the overall graduate student experience in partnership with other units. Holly is also a self-described “history nerd” who loves to share nuggets of Carnegie Mellon trivia and a proud mom of three kids who have grown up way too fast.

Kate Ickes
Senior Manager of Business Operations and Systems Support

Email Kate
(412) 268-8964

Joining the CMU community in 2017, Kate became a member of the Office of the Dean of Students in September 2019. As Senior Manager of Business Operations and Systems Support, Kate manages programs and events for the office and the division of student affairs including Student Emergency Support Funding, Alcohol Event Registration and Social Host Training, and the Legal Consultation for Students program. She also assists in hiring contingent and student workers. Kate is an alum of Allegheny College and University of Pittsburgh. In her free time, Kate enjoys fixing up her historic Troy Hill home, music, art, and thrifting for vintage treasures.

Candace Okello
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs for Civility Initiatives

Email Candace
(412) 268-2075

Candace serves as the assistant dean of Student Affairs for Civility Initiatives. In her role, she is responsible for designing and leading initiatives geared toward proactive community building and engagement with an emphasis on civility. These efforts are intended to increase opportunities for civil discourse, enhance students’ capacity to resolve conflicts, and assist in cultivating a deep sense of self-awareness and belonging through dialogue and restorative practices. Candace is an alum of Westminster College and Duquesne University, and she is currently pursuing her doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh.

Lorrie Safar
Director for the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs

Email Lorrie
(412) 268-7802

Lorrie serves as an administrator with the Office of the Vice President and Dean of Students. Her passion and focus is centered on organizational effectiveness and professional development in support of our work with students. Joining Carnegie Mellon back in 1991 while completing her undergraduate studies at Duquesne University and pursuing master level courses at CMU, Lorrie’s roles have been many over the years, including positions at the SEI, GSIA (Tepper Business School), and various opportunities within the Division of Student Affairs. When she is away from the office she loves her family, food, travel and a good movie.

Shari Zingle
Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students

Email Shari
(412) 268-5601

Shari serves as the Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Students Affairs and Dean of Students. She finds great joy in her daily connections with students, colleagues and faculty, and relishes her role as aide-de-camp to our energetic and dynamic VP and Dean of Students. Outside of work, Shari and her husband Roger enjoy visits with their two grown children and are passionate fans of the arts - appreciating the best in music, movies, plays and musical theater.

Our Staff

Student Affairs