Photo by Above Summit for Boston University Photography.

New Appointment

Boston University Welcomes Two New Senior Vice Presidents

Leaders chosen for University Relations and Advancement departments

Boston University has two new senior vice presidents, as President Melissa Gilliam continues to fill out her leadership team.

Kamrhan Farwell, the new senior vice president for University Relations (overseeing External Affairs), comes to BU from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Michele Schiele (COM’89), the new senior vice president for Advancement (formerly Development & Alumni Relations), and a BU alum, returns to Comm Ave from Stanford University. The two appointments were confirmed this week by the BU Board of Trustees.

“Kamrhan and Michele are two well-respected and highly experienced leaders in their fields, who have demonstrated clear results for some of the top universities in the country,” Gilliam said in announcing the hires. “Throughout the search process, I was impressed by their unflinching dedication to higher education and its strong future. I am excited for them to begin in their work here and confident that they will play important roles in securing Boston University’s eminence for years to come.” 

Farwell started her career as a journalist, at one point managing the education desk at the Dallas Morning News, before joining the communications department at the University of Texas at Dallas. From there, she served in top communications positions at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Missouri–Columbia. She’s been the vice chancellor of communications at UNC since 2022.

Farwell has extensive experience in storytelling, strategic messaging, and crisis communications. She played a leading role in steering  UNC’s messaging as a defendant in the 2023 Supreme Court case Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, in which the Court rejected affirmative action at colleges and universities around the nation and declared that the race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and at UNC were unlawful. 

She looks forward to helping steward BU’s message.

“Boston University stands at an exciting crossroads, ready to embark on a bold journey under inspiring new leadership,” Farwell says. “This moment presents a unique opportunity to build on decades of remarkable progress, further advancing the University’s research, reputation, and transformative impact—both in Boston and around the world. I am passionate about sharing BU’s story in ways that engage people in all the magic that happens here on a regular basis.”

Schiele has almost three decades of experience in development and alumni relations around the country. She’s spent the past 14 years at Stanford, most recently as the university’s deputy vice president of development and campaign director. She led a $1 billion fundraising campaign for Stanford Medicine that ultimately raised $1.7 billion over five years. Prior to Stanford, she was at the University of Chicago for 14 years in vice president roles within the development department. 

In addition to her long track record of leading ambitious fundraising and giving campaigns, Schiele’s record is just as long when it comes to building relationships, which she hopes to continue doing at her alma mater. 

“A university is only as strong as its communities,” Schiele says. “Alumni, in particular, provide an important feedback loop that helps ensure universities contribute to society in important ways. BU has over 400,000 alumni around the world, and we need them to help BU be a thriving hub of knowledge and research by sharing their wisdom, their passion, and their time. 

“I am excited to meet all of our communities and learn how we can build and strengthen our connections.”

Both appointments replace longtime BU leaders. Farwell replaces External Affairs’ Steve Burgay, who retired in December, and Schiele replaces Karen Engelbourg.