Stony Brook University has named Jane Savage as its next vice president for Human Resources, with her term set to begin in September 2025. Savage will report directly to Jed Shivers, the university’s senior vice president for Finance and Administration.
In her new position, Savage will oversee initiatives designed to improve human resources services and support across the Stony Brook campus. Her responsibilities include developing recruitment strategies, onboarding processes, and employee engagement practices. She will also help lead the HR NOW Transformation Effort, a collaborative project aimed at enhancing the employee experience by updating HR systems and practices. Part of her role is ensuring that Stony Brook’s compensation and benefits offerings remain competitive.
Savage will focus on making talent acquisition more efficient by using a business partner service delivery model intended to recruit and retain employees effectively. This approach is expected to further strengthen the university’s ability to attract qualified candidates through strategic planning.
“I am particularly excited about what Jane will bring to Stony Brook,” said Shivers. “Jane’s proven track record in leading complex HR transformations, coupled with her deep commitment to fostering a culture of trust and excellence, makes her an exceptional fit for Stony Brook. Her strategic approach to improving structures and her ability to build strong collaborative relationships across diverse communities will be instrumental as we continue to enhance our HR services for all faculty and staff.”
Before joining Stony Brook, Savage was associate vice president for human resources at Yale University. At Yale, she led projects such as the “Advance HR” program focused on improving service delivery within human resources and supporting talent attraction and retention efforts. She played a role in implementing Workday Learning software and building constructive relationships with unions while also working on labor relations issues.
Earlier in her career, Savage worked as an organization development consultant specializing in union-management cooperation at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations as well as Workplace Systems, Inc., where she advised Fortune 500 companies on workplace improvements.
“I am incredibly honored and excited to step into the role of vice president for Human Resources,” said Savage. “I look forward to collaborating with the entire campus community to build on the strong foundations already in place as well as the opportunity to help enhance our HR practices and ensure that our services truly support the success and well-being of every faculty and staff member.”
Savage earned a master’s degree from Yale University’s School of Management along with a bachelor’s degree in engineering from The Ohio State University.