*Submitted Biography
Dr. Bernie Savarese serves as the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Research, and Student Success for the University of Tennessee (UT) System. As a member of the President’s executive leadership team, he works in partnership with the chancellors of the university’s five campuses and leaders of UT’s statewide institutes to advance high-quality academic and student experiences. At the UT System, Bernie leads the offices of academic affairs, research, learner success and workforce pathways, institutional research and analysis, academic systems and operations, access and engagement, and the office of the chief wellness officer. He also serves as the staff liaison to the Education, Research, and Service Committee of the UT Board of Trustees and is a member of the university’s Foundation Board.
Bernie and his team are the university’s primary liaisons to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory leadership team, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Battelle Memorial Institute on matters related to the UT-Battelle management and operations contract. Beyond university leadership, Bernie serves as an adjunct assistant professor at UT Knoxville, teaching graduate-level courses in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.
Prior to joining the University of Tennessee System, Bernie served as the inaugural Assistant Vice President for Student Success and the Student Experience at New York University (NYU). Before his time at NYU, Bernie worked at The Ohio State University for nearly two decades, most recently serving as the Director of the university’s nationally recognized First Year Experience (FYE) program and leading teams in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Bernie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and an MBA from The Ohio State University, a Master of Arts in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University, and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from New York University.