Executive Leadership Team Briefs
Larry Faerman, Ph.D.
Vice President, Student Affairs
Larry Faerman, Ph.D. joined Florida Atlantic in 1999 as Area Coordinator for Housing and Residential Life and has served the university in many roles over the years. In 2016, he was named Dean of Students and Associate Vice President for Student Affairs. As Vice President for Student Affairs, he oversees all aspects of student life, promoting a campus culture that embraces student success through academic excellence, leadership development and civic responsibility. He oversees the Division of Student Affairs , which provides a wide array of programs and services to FAU’s student body. Faerman received a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Science and a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration from Florida State University. He earned his Doctorate of Educational Administration and Leadership from Florida Atlantic.
Gregg Fields, Ph.D.
Vice President for Research
Gregg B. Fields, Ph.D., received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry from the University of Florida and Florida State University, respectively, and was a Postdoctoral Scholar with Professor Ken A. Dill at the University of California at San Francisco. Dr. Fields joined the faculty at the University of Minnesota in 1991 as an assistant professor. He was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 1995 and then achieved the rank of full professor of chemistry & biochemistry at Florida Atlantic University in 1997. In 2008, Dr. Fields became a Robert A. Welch Foundation Distinguished University Chair in Chemistry in the Department of Biochemistry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Fields relocated to the Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies in 2011, where he was a Full Member, Vice President of Research, and Distinguished Chair of Metalloproteinase and Multiple Sclerosis Research. Dr. Fields joined FAU in 2014 as a Full Professor and the Chair in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Director of the Center for Molecular Biology & Biotechnology (CMBB). In 2019 he was appointed as Executive Director of the Institute for Human Health & Disease Intervention (I-HEALTH) at FAU and in 2021 became the Co-Director of the Memorial Cancer Institute Florida Atlantic University (MCIFAU) Cancer Center of Excellence. Dr. Fields is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He has authored or coauthored more than 300 scientific publications and has presented more than 190 invited lectures.
David Green
Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement
David Green joined Florida Atlantic in 2017 as Assistant Vice President of Development for the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. In 2023, upon the launch of the Transcend Tomorrow campaign, he was promoted to Assistant Vice President in Institutional Advancement, overseeing the administration of the entire Advancement division, including the planning and implementation of all campaign operations. Green’s career in planning and fundraising for nonprofit organizations spans more than three decades, beginning as an officer for Harvard University where he directed various efforts for its 1980s capital campaign. Based in South Florida, Green recently served as Assistant Vice President/Campaign Director at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County. There he focused on principal gift prospects and assisted in securing more than $6 million in key donations supporting arts education activities. Prior, Green served as Executive Director in Medical Development at the University of Miami, Miller School Of Medicine where he was involved in securing several eight- and seven-figure gifts. Formerly a senior consultant with the national firms Milano, Ruff & Associates of Los Angeles, and C. W. Shaver & Company of New York City, Green’s responsibilities included designing and implementing fundraising programs, guiding and implementing strategic planning activities, and developing operating and capital pro forma budget projections, raising hundreds of millions of dollars.
Peter Hull
Vice President, Public Affairs
Peter Hull joined Florida Atlantic in May 2014. He oversees the Division of Public Affairs, which includes university-wide marketing initiatives, internal communications, FAU’s online presence through FAU.edu and social media, university branding, media relations and creative services. A former newspaper reporter, Hull has worked for The Island Packet (Hilton Head Island, S.C.), Inside Business (Norfolk, Va.), The Daily Press (Newport News, Va.), and The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.). In 2005, he was awarded first place in business reporting from the S.C. Press Association. Hull joined Florida Atlantic after six years at Clemson University where he was communications and marketing director for economic development. In this role, he was responsible for communications at Clemson’s 10 off-campus enterprise campuses and research and education centers across South Carolina. He attended University Centre Croydon in London, England, and received a Master of Arts from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.
Jayson Iroff
Vice President, Financial Affairs
Chief Financial Officer
Jayson Iroff joined Florida Atlantic in April 2023. He most recently served as Senior Vice Provost and Chief Financial Officer at Miami Dade College, the largest public college in the United States, which educates over 100,000 students annually across eight campuses and multiple outreach centers. Prior to Miami Dade, Mr. Iroff served in the same capacity at Broward College, Florida’s second largest college. At both institutions Mr. Iroff established an exceptional record of success, leading them in strategic financial planning and budgeting, financial reporting and analysis, financial operations management, student financial services, real estate, procurement and risk management. Additionally, he has served on numerous statewide policy and operations committees, most recently playing a key role in developing a new and equitable appropriations funding model for the college system that was codified into statute. Mr. Iroff is also highly regarded by peers for his experience and creativity in creating Public Private Partnerships (P3’s) to develop campus facilities and monetize land and real estate assets. Iroff received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of South Florida.
Russell Ivy, Ph.D.
Interim Provost
Russell Ivy received both the B.A. and M.A. degrees in geography from the University of Missouri and a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Florida. He joined Florida Atlantic in 1992, and in addition to professorial duties, served five years as associate chair and nine years as chair of geosciences. He also served two years as interim dean of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science prior to joining the Provost’s Office in 2015. In the Provost’s Office he served as associate provost and most recently vice provost. In this capacity, he was responsible for providing leadership in formulating and administering university policies for student learning outcomes assessment, academic program reviews and articulations, institutional and program-based accreditation, review of new degree program proposals, and other projects and initiatives related to academic programs and curriculum. He also supervised the leadership of the Center for Global Engagement, Center for Online and Continuing Education, Undergraduate Admissions, Financial Aid and the Registrar’s Office. Dr. Ivy is the liaison for FAU with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Daniel A. Jones
Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel
Daniel A. Jones joined Florida Atlantic’s Office of the General Counsel in 2013. As the University’s chief legal officer, his responsibilities include serving as legal counsel to the Board of Trustees; providing legal and policy analysis and advice to the University President and all senior administrators; directing all litigation and administrative proceedings involving the University at the hearing, trial and appellate levels; supervising and coordinating representation with outside counsel; and assisting in the development of University compliance plans for federal and state regulations. In addition to his responsibilities as General Counsel, Mr. Jones serves as Adjunct Instructor for the Department of History in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters and the Department of Higher Educational Leadership and Research Methodology in the College of Education. He received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Samford University, his Master of Arts in History from Florida Atlantic University, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law. Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Jones was commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force, where he served for four years as a litigator in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. After completion of his Air Force service, Mr. Jones practiced as a Senior Associate with the law firm of Hightower & Partners in West Palm Beach. In 2010, he joined the Florida Attorney General’s Office as an Assistant Attorney General, serving as litigation counsel for the State of Florida. Mr. Jones is licensed to practice in New York and Florida.
Stacy A. Volnick, Ph.D.
Interim President / Chief Operating Officer and Vice President, Administrative Affairs
Stacy A. Volnick, Ph.D., currently serving as interim president. She received her bachelor’s degree in communication and her master's and doctoral degrees in education leadership from FAU. She became a member of the University's administrative staff in 1991, advancing steadily through the ranks. In 2013 she was named Vice President for Administrative Affairs and Chief Administrative Officer. She oversees areas including Public Safety, Facilities Management, Environmental Health & Safety, Human Resources, Business Services, Emergency Management, Board of Trustee Operations, President’s Office Operations, the Eleanor R. Baldwin House (the President's on-campus residence) and the University Ombudsman. Additionally, Volnick administratively oversees the Offices of the Inspector General and University Compliance.
Brian White
Vice President and Director of Athletics
Brian White was named vice president and director of athletics in March 2018. An experienced administrator and proven fundraiser, he joined Florida Atlantic from the University of Missouri, where he was named senior associate athletics director in 2015 before becoming deputy athletics director for external relations in 2016. At Missouri, White oversaw all external units, including development, marketing, ticket sales, strategic communications, Mizzou Sports Properties, and the Mizzou Network. He led fundraising efforts that set the single-year Missouri athletics department records of more than $50 million (more than doubling the previous year) and 11 seven-figure gifts. In addition, the department secured the necessary donations that allowed the Board of Curators, which oversees the University of Missouri system, to approve a funding model for a $100 million expansion of Memorial Stadium. White’s family is highly respected in collegiate athletics. His father, Kevin, is the former vice president and director of athletics for Duke University; his brother, Mike, is the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Georgia; and his brother, Danny, is vice chancellor and director of athletics at the University of Tennessee.