Susan Dennehy Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il, Us

Chicago, Il

Senior administrative and operations leader for a research center with 60+ team members. Lead strategic planning, operations, change management, team and leadership development, human resources, finance and budgeting, and coordinate with partner units at the school- and university-wide level. STRATEGIC PLANNINGDeveloped a new organizational chart to provide role clarity and establish reporting lines; wrote a 5-year plan for a specific major donor that yielded a 1.5M gift; developed and led a working session for senior leadership the resulted in the articulation of CFAAR's mission, vision, values, and goals. Coach team leaders in identifying staffing needs and building their team's best organizational structure. OPERATIONSDesign policies and procedures to enhance operational excellence and ensure effective, compliant, & efficient daily operations. Lead the development of 50+ standard operating procedures (SOPs) at an inflection point when the center is transitioning from a start-up to an established organization with formalized procedures that create efficiencies, save time, and reduce stress for all team members. HUMAN RESOURCESDevelop and lead a robust onboarding and offboarding process, allowing new team members to acclimate easily, train up quickly, and start making significant contributions to their team from week one. Serve as the center's head of HR including leading recruiting, training hiring managers, negotiating offers, and managing employee issues. FINANCE & BUDGETINGManage a multimillion dollar annual operations budget; provide quarterly forecasting and budget reports to executive leadership; advise on funding priorities and allocations; oversee and train staff on financial transactions and record keeping. Stepped in to lead budget management for 2 complex multi-year, multi-million dollar research studies when the project manager position was vacant for 6+ months.

Senior administrator in the Global Poverty Research Lab (GPRL), an interdisciplinary research center with 20 FTE staff, 15 faculty affiliates, and 2 faculty co-directors. GPRL's mission is to use rigorous research methods to understand and find solutions to poverty issues around the world. Provide thought leadership in reviewing and recommending policy and procedure designed to enhance operational excellence. Ensure the effective, compliant, and efficient daily management of all operational, financial, and business functions in support of the GPRL’s mission and in coordination with central offices such as HR, Budget, Facilities, and IT. Represent GPRL on internal and external administrative affairs by recommending alternatives and suggestions.

Chicago, Il

Ensured the smooth and successful launch of the Master of Science in Law (MSL), a unique and innovative degree program designed for STEM-trained professionals in careers at the intersection of law, business, and technology. Managed administrative and daily operations including financial and budget management, faculty and student support, and staff training. Devised and executed a targeted digital and print advertising campaign and recruitment strategy to maximize program exposure locally, regionally, and nationally resulting in a nearly 400% increase in student enrollment within 4 years. Recipient of the 2015 Got it Together Award.

Chicago, Il

Advised 340+ domestic and international undergraduate students on all matters related to degree requirements. Informed students and faculty of policies and procedures. Counseled students on career and graduate school options. Managed the planning and execution of Sharing Social Knowledge, an annual research conference with 30+ presenters and 100+ attendees. Composed student success primers, e.g. What to Do When Falling Behind in Class, which have been adopted by several student services offices. Led a college-wide task force subcommittee of faculty and staff in devising protocols and interventions to improve student success. Served on the department's academic program review committee as part of the requirement for maintaining our accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Reviewed applications and assisted in selecting recipients for the department's annual undergraduate scholarship. Represented the department at the annual Major/Minor Fair and at four admissions events each year.University Staff Council member (2013-2014). Served on the Fiscal Planning Advisory Committee, which advised the Staff Council president during the annual budget process. Reviewed and provided feedback on proposed revenue and expense projections, the university budget, new projects, and strategic goals, provided updates to the entire Staff Council and the university community by hosting forums with university leaders.

Chicago, Il

The FY@broad program to Jordan provides a rare opportunity for freshman to study abroad. Worked very closely with the faculty director in pre-travel preparation, on-site travel, and post-travel wrap-up, analysis, and report writing. Designed and led five Global Hour sessions, which prepared students for all aspects of international group travel, from budgeting and packing to developing cross-cultural competencies and a sense of self as a global citizen.

Managed a large career counseling portfolio of 1,000+ master's and doctoral students. Supervised 1 full-time staff member and 6 student workers.Led the organization and execution of a pilot externship program, which allowed students to shadow alumni working in a variety of fields including federal government agencies, business, research, development, and communications. The program was expanded to all graduate divisions based on the success of the pilot. Developed and led various quarterly programs, e.g. Research Careers in the Social Sciences and CAPS @ the Library. Managed the revision of 100+ career primer handouts, including leading 15+ staff on the project. Created and managed a career-focused Twitter account targeted toward graduate students.

Advised master's and doctoral students in two humanities programs and worked closely with faculty to manage the daily operations of these programs. Assisted in renewing our exchange student contract with Université de Paris VII; used Excel to track and manage multi-year fellowship disbursements; learned HTML, XHTML, and Dreamweaver to enhance the department website significantly by adding content relating to funding opportunities, job search/placement, and program requirements; and supervised website upgrades made by the university's technology team. Regularly partnered with staff in offices around campus. Encouraged students to apply for external or internal funding for which they qualified. Managed all event planning and logistics for the annual student recruitment weekend.

Berkeley, California

Served as a teaching assistant in the Legal Studies Program for 4 years. Worked closely with faculty instructors in resolving student issues. Designed and led weekly discussion sections of 20-30 undergraduate students, held weekly office hours, and graded all course assignments. • American Legal and Constitutional History (Fall 2000 and Fall 2004)• Courts and Social Policy (Spring 2001, Spring 2002, and Spring 2003)• Juvenile Justice and Juvenile Delinquency (Fall 2001)• Law, Politics, and Society (Fall 2002)• Property, Privacy, and Personhood (Spring 2005)Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award (2003).

Executive Scholar Certificate, Nonprofit Management

Phd, Jurisprudence And Social Policy

Ba, Philosophy; Politics; Law And Society

High School