Staff

Shari Payne

Interim Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs

Shari Payne serves as Point Park University's Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.  Dr. Payne brings a diverse array of professional teaching and leadership experience in higher education, working in the areas of enrollment, academic operations, financial aid and student support. Throughout her career, she has focused on providing an exceptional experience for students and fostered collaboration across university departments to implement improvements. 

Prior to joining Point Park, Dr. Payne served as the vice president of enrollment at Waynesburg University, where her key accomplishments included executing a multi-state recruiting strategy that resulted in the university's most geographically and ethnically diverse class in fall 2022 and creating a new, data-informed financial aid awarding strategy.

Dr. Payne is a Class XXXIX graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh and serves on the Peters Township School District Board of School Directors.

Emily Conrad

Director of Academic Affairs

Emily Conrad is responsible to the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs for the management of academic administration responsibilities in Academic Affairs. She is responsible for providing support to strategic teams and committees within the University; oversight of faculty processes (promotion and tenure, sabbatical, etc.); preparation of reports to support Academic Affairs; interpreting, monitoring and analyzing policies and procedures within Academic Affairs; and administering budgets and coordinating academic and staff personnel matters within Academic Affairs.

Prior to her current role in the Office of Provost, Conrad was the Director of Academic Administration in the Rowland School of Business.  She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. in Economics and Business Administration and received a M.B.A. from the University of New Orleans.