Staff Directory

Academic Planning & Accountability

Robert S. Goldstein
Vice Provost for Assessment and University Decision Support/Analytics

Robert (Bob) Goldstein serves as the Vice Provost for Assessment and University Decision Support/Analytics.  He leads university-wide efforts in institutional research, data analytics and visualization, academic compliance and licensure, curriculum management, strategic planning, and institutional effectiveness. He serves as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) liaison, overseeing accreditation and academic program review.  With more than 20 years of experience in institutional research and effectiveness, Bob has reimagined these functions by creating a unified, service-oriented unit that supports leadership, academic units, and key stakeholders in advancing the university’s strategic plan.  He holds graduate degrees in Epidemiology/Biostatistics and Environmental Health from Boston University.  

Krista Young
Assistant Director, Curriculum Management and Academic Compliance

Krista Ackermann Young serves as the Assistant Director for Curriculum Management and Academic Compliance.  Krista is the project lead for the university’s Curriculum Inventory Management (CIM) system, overseeing changes to course and program form functionality and governance workflows in response to evolving university needs during annual curriculum review, in preparation for publication of the academic catalog.  Krista also manages initiatives to maintain compliance with federal regulations for on-campus academic programs at UofL, including those designed to lead to professional licensure. Her 20 year career in education is supplemented by experience in the private sector working in environmental compliance and financial planning. Krista has master’s degrees in Teaching (Chapman University), Political Science (California State University, Fullerton), and Higher Education Administration (University of Louisville).

Accreditation & Academic Programs

Kay Vetter
Director for Accreditation and Academic Programs

Derek Hottell
Assistant Director for Accreditation and Academic Programs

Allen Gutierrez
Accreditation Specialist

Jen Jones
Assessment Specialist

Institutional Research, Analytics & Decision Support

Becky Patterson
Executive Director, Institutional Research, Analytics, and Decision Support

Becky Patterson serves as the Executive Director & Lead Statistician for the Office of Institutional Research, Analytics, and Decision Support (IRADS) at the University of Louisville (UofL). Since joining UofL in June 2006, Becky has progressed through roles including IR Analyst II, Senior IR Analyst, Assistant Director, and Director. In her current position, she leads the office in developing comprehensive data analytics and decision support systems, with a particular focus on designing and implementing advanced data visualizations. Becky’s expertise in analytics is instrumental in enhancing the university's data-driven decision-making processes. She holds a Master of Science in Biostatistics and Decision Science (University of Louisville).

Erika Ruffin
Associate Director, Institutional Research, Analytics, and Decision Support

Erika Ruffin has served the University of Louisville since January 2010 and has been part of IRADS for her entire tenure at the institution. As Associate Director of Institutional Research, Analytics, and Decision Support, she leads key initiatives centered on employee data reporting and workforce-related institutional analyses. Her work includes managing employee data submissions to internal and external stakeholders, ensuring the accuracy and consistency of HR-related datasets, and supporting strategic planning efforts through clear, reliable employee data reporting.

Lisa Horn
Associate Director, Operations and Support Services

Lisa Horn serves as the Associate Director, Operations and Support Services for IRADS. She joined UofL in September 1999 in the Office of Planning and Budget. Lisa leads the analysis of benchmark data and performance reporting. She serves as the project manager for the university's online catalog system, where she is responsible for reconciling over 1,500 pages of policies, curriculum, course descriptions and academic program requirements in collaboration with each academic and administrative unit. Additionally, she assists with the administration of the university's course evaluations. Lisa holds a master's degree in Business Administration (University of Louisville). 

Steve Fry
Assistant Director, Institutional Analytics

Stephen Fry serves as the Assistant Director of Institutional Analytics. He has been with the university for eight years, contributing to a wide range of strategic analytics initiatives. Steve leads major projects focused on student performance/success, retention and graduation analytics, and myriad federal and state reporting requirements. He also develops interactive dashboards and decision-support tools used by leadership across the institution, all while emphasizing data clarity, stakeholder collaboration, and delivering insights that guide campus strategy. Steve holds a master's degree in Health Data Analytics (University of Louisville) and brings a strong background in statistical programming, institutional research, and data visualization.

Shari Barrow
Project and Logistics Coordinator

Shari Barrow serves as the Project and Logistics Coordinator. She joined UofL in August 2000 and transitioned to the staff of IRADS in 2007. In her role, Shari serves as the primary point of contact for managing all data requests and project queues within the office. She also serves as the lead in the administration of the university's course evaluations and and provides essential support to the university community in utilizing the course evaluation software. Shari brings extensive experience in logistics and project coordination, ensuring efficient operations for IRADS inititatives.

Katie Bixby
Senior Institutional Research Analyst

Katie Bixby serves as a Senior Institutional Research Analyst. She joined UofL in January 2010 and transitioned to IRADS in 2019. Katie serves as the lead analyst on enrollment reporting, playing a pivotal role in monitoring and analyzing student enrollment trends and data. Her expertise also encompasses managing local and national surveys, federal and state reporting, ad-hoc data requests, and data visualizations. Katie holds a master's of education degree in Counseling and Personnel Services (University of Louisville).

Justin Johnson
Senior Institutional Research Analyst

Justin Johnson serves as a Senior Institutional Research Analyst. Since 2023, he has co-led EAB's Navigate 360 (CardSmart) platform, developed and maintained dashboards for the university community, and fulfilled ad hoc data requests and required state and federal reporting. Justin holds a master's degree in Political Science (University of Louisville).

Institutional Effectiveness

Katie Partin
Director, Institutional Effectiveness

Theo Barthes
Program Coordinator Senior

Kate Roessler
Director of Planning & Assessment, Student Affairs

Emily Spoden
Coordinator