BUFFALO, NY – Canisius University has appointed Buffalo resident Shana M. Richardson ’06, MS ’19, director of its New Buffalo Institute (NBI). She begins work on June 20. The NBI aligns research, service and educational programming to address the challenges confronted by residents, schools, non-profits and grassroots organizations on Buffalo’s East Side.
In her role as director, Richardson will lead programs that actively engage Canisius in the local community. In addition to prioritizing the college’s existing engagement efforts, Richardson will develop new initiatives to support community needs. She will also work closely with public and private partners on initiatives that advance mutually-established goals aimed at stimulating the local economy, revitalizing neighborhoods and improving the quality of life for residents in four strategic areas: urban education, neighborhood development and revitalization, entrepreneurship an economic development; and community-based learning and community service.
Richardson comes to Canisius from the University at Buffalo where she was director of student support services for the school’s Educational Opportunity Center. She previously worked as director of the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) at Medaille University.
A lifelong resident of Buffalo’s East Side, Richardson earned a bachelor of arts degree in English and a master’s of science degree in higher education student affairs administration (HESAA), both from Canisius University. She also holds a master’s of arts degree in English literature from the University at Buffalo.
Richardson brings to Canisius a passion for higher education work and a special interest in underrepresented student populations (students of color, first-generation students and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds). Her own educational journey at Canisius prepared Richardson well for her new position.
As an undergraduate, Richardson was a member of the institution’s Urban Leadership Learning Community (ULLC). The ULLC provides scholarship support toward tuition, housing, meal plans and fees to the best and brightest students from Greater Buffalo, with the aim to create the next generation of leaders in Western New York. Students in the program come from populations historically denied access and systemically excluded from positions of influence and power. They comprise a diverse learning community at Canisius, one grounded in collaboration, inclusiveness, immersion in living and learning experiences, and problem solving.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
