An Interview with Alysia Loshbaugh: IT's new AVP of BRM
At the beginning of February of this year, Alysia Loshbaugh joined the ITeam as our first ever Assistant Vice President for Business Relationship Management. Alysia took some time out of her busy schedule to sit down with us to discuss her new position, how she ended up in New Orleans, her Tulane career, and her love of shoes.
Alysia, I'd like to begin with a small biography. Where do you come from, and how did you first end up here in New Orleans?Alysia Loshbaugh: I was born in Florida, but I don't remember it much. My parents moved to Nashville when I was in 5th or 6th grade and still live there, so I guess that's my "hometown". In 1996 I moved to New Orleans as a freshperson at Tulane University, fell in love with the city, and never looked back. After a brief “sabbatical” in Washington, DC for a year, I returned to Tulane in a professional capacity in 2002 and have been with the university ever since. I'm a three-time alumna of Tulane, having earned a BS, MSPH, and MBA.
Tell us about your career in the University. Once I returned from DC, I started professionally at Tulane in the Center for Bioenvironmental Research (CBR) where I worked on environmental issues primarily focused on invasive species in Louisiana. As a Senior Program Coordinator and then a Program Manager, I was the lead author on the Louisiana State Management Plan for Aquatic Invasive Species and a major contributor to Mississippi's state plan as well. Some of my responsibilities at the CBR included managing grants for faculty, working with program officers at the funding agencies, and doing outreach as well as some of my own research on invasive species. In 2006, I joined the Provost's Office as a Project/Budget Manager. For 12 years I worked on budgeting, finances, HR, faculty data, and academic policy issues, at varying levels of responsibility. Most recently, my last role within the Provost’s Office was as the Assistant Provost for Finance and Operations. In that position I was the Provost’s chief of staff and coordinated with academic and administrative units across the university to promote the academic mission. In February of this year, I joined Tulane Information Technology as the AVP of BRM.
AVP of BRM? Can you let us know a bit more about what that stands for? AVP of BRM is the Assistant Vice President of Business Relationship Management. In this position, I work with stakeholders across the university to improve business processes, enable faculty and deans to advance the research mission of the institution, and enhance the student experience. I serve as a liaison between campus stakeholders and IT, and I communicate and advocate for their needs while helping to find technical solutions for positive outcomes.
Well we are lucky to have you. You've certainly been a welcome and welcoming asset to the ITeam. To wrap up, tell us a fun fact about yourself. I'm a member of the Krewe of Muses, and I love glittering shoes. Not only do I glitter shoes for Muses, I also volunteer at the Newcomb Art Museum, leading their annual shoe-glittering workshop. On top of that, I've donated glitter shoes to help raise money or awareness for charitable causes. My favorite shoe to glitter is a platform stiletto heel!
Alysia, thank you for your time. We look forward to seeing you shimmer in your new career.
