Andra Lee has been hired as Assistant Dean for Advancement and External Affairs (AEA) at the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS).
“Andra is a dynamic addition to ECS leadership and our community of innovators. Her exceptional track record in senior development roles will enable her to make an immediate impact on key initiatives,” says J. Cole Smith, dean of ECS. “Her professionalism, diligence, and adaptability will be pivotal to the evolution of ECS and the student experience.”
Lee will be in a comprehensive and diverse role she believes has the necessary elements to generate support for ECS. “The position itself was intriguing from the start since it oversees a complete advancement model: marketing and communications, corporate, events, and frontline fundraising,” says Lee. “I believe all are important components of a successful development team and I am looking forward to helping in these areas in any way I can.”
Lee will be joining Syracuse University from the University of California, Berkeley where she serves as Senior Director of Development. Prior to that, Lee held senior development roles at the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University and at the University of Illinois.
“I enjoy working with engineers, and I think the interesting research ECS faculty are doing around environmental and societal issues will be really compelling to our alumni donor community,” says Lee. She adds, “I think Dean Smith has some great ideas for growing philanthropy for ECS and I am excited about working with him to achieve those goals.”
Lee is an accomplished, highly skilled, and collaborative leader who has helped raise millions of dollars to support academic programs. She has proven success stewarding major gifts, cultivating alumni from public and private universities, and experience implementing impactful new advancement initiatives. In her new role, Lee will be instrumental to the development and execution of ECS fundraising strategy and alumni engagement.
“Ultimately, we want Syracuse University students to have the best education and experience they can have at our institution and do what we can to help in that effort. I like to try new ideas and I hope I can always bring a fresh outlook and different ways of looking at a problem to the table,” says Lee.
Beyond a leader, Lee will be a mentor to her team, and she is particularly looking forward to working with the ECS staff and faculty.
“I look at my role in development as an educational one and I want to make sure the development team is a true partner with the faculty,” says Lee. “I would like to work with the faculty in finding new funding opportunities with their research or programs and earning their trust in us as their partners in fundraising. We all have our individual goals and aspirations, but in the end we all come together in our mission to make ECS one of the best engineering and computer science colleges in the country!”