Chancellor J. Michael Haynie today announced the appointment of Kira Reed, associate professor of management in the Whitman School of Management and research associate with the Lender Center for Social Justice, as special assistant to the chancellor for community impact.

In this role, Reed will chair a cross-campus committee charged with conducting a comprehensive, One University assessment of the impact of Syracuse University’s faculty, staff and students on the City of Syracuse and the broader Central New York communities. This marks the first Universitywide effort of its kind since fiscal year 2016, when Syracuse last documented the full scope of its community investment. The assessment will be coordinated in close collaboration with the University’s Office of Community Engagement.

As chair, Reed will lead a committee composed of faculty, staff and students drawn from across the University’s schools and colleges. Reed will bring a scholarly lens to the effort, emphasizing the distinctive contributions of the University’s schools, colleges and students. Her research as a management scholar examines the intersection of the external political environment, gender and corporate social responsibility, and she serves as a senior research associate with the University’s Lender Center for Social Justice.

“Our students, faculty, and staff are doing extraordinary work in and with this community every day, but much of it happens in individual classrooms, departments and programs,” says Reed. “My goal is to partner with leaders across campus to measure it honestly, tell the story accurately, and help the University see itself as a whole. When we understand the full picture, we can be more intentional, more effective and more accountable practitioners and partners to Syracuse and Central New York.”

The committee will deliver preliminary findings by the end of the fall 2026 semester. A full report and recommendations that will inform how Syracuse University continues to invest in and partner with the City and the Central New York region in the years ahead, will be shared with Chancellor Haynie, the University community and its Central New York partners in March 2027.