Buffalo, N.Y. — For generations, the Niland family has been intertwined with the Canisius University story. The 12 family members who graduated from the institution include the late Joe Niland Sr. ’46 and Thomas J. Niland Jr. ’47, who were not just alumni but legendary basketball players and coaches who shaped Canisius’ athletic history. This spring, Bridget Niland, JD, PhD (daughter of Joe Niland), began to write her own chapter in the Canisius University legacy by stepping into the role of vice president for academic affairs.
Niland brings a clear vision for Canisius’ academic future, backed by more than 20 years of higher education experience.
“The relationship between faculty and students is the heartbeat of any academic institution, and Canisius is no exception,” Niland says. “We have incredibly gifted and talented faculty who care deeply about this institution and the teaching, advising, and research they do here.”
As vice president for academic affairs, Niland is charged with advancing the university’s strategic agenda and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration through direct oversight of curriculum development, faculty affairs, and academic initiatives.
“Faculty members are on the front lines of managing the gaps that have become prominent in K-12 education” Niland adds. “Our faculty find ways to meet students where they are without sacrificing the rigor and knowledge students need to succeed after graduation. Academic Affairs is committed to supporting the faculty-student experience.”
Efforts include enhanced communications around faculty accomplishments and their engagement with students. The Division of Academic Affairs will also support faculty to provide the resources needed to ensure the curriculum delivers innovative learning experiences. ”In the past few years, faculty leaders have been incredibly resourceful in making changes to discipline specific curriculum to improve student success” Niland says. “How can we help faculty replicate those efforts across the university?”
In addition to supporting the faculty-student experience, Niland recognizes the broader challenges facing higher education today, particularly the shifting demographics towards a growing population of adult learners.
“With nearly 60% of jobs today requiring some form of postsecondary education or training, many working adults are unable to pursue traditional, time-intensive degree programs due to various constraints,” Niland explains. To address this challenge, the Division of Academic Affairs will create more flexible learning pathways for working adults, develop new programs to meet postsecondary education requirements, and modernize classroom technologies.
Niland’s approach is deeply rooted in a distinguished career of academic leadership.
Most recently, she was dean of the College of Hospitality, Sport, and Tourism Management at Niagara University. During her tenure, she championed the growth of these academic disciplines, expanded student career opportunities, and elevated the overall student experience.
Prior to Niagara, Niland spent 15 years as an associate professor of business administration at Daemen University, developing the sport management specialization and overseeing the business law curriculum. She also held several key leadership positions, including director of the school’s New York City business and accounting programs and director of athletics. Niland successfully led the school’s transition to NCAA Division II membership, added four new sport programs, and established the nationally recognized Center for Allied Unified Sports and Exercise (CAUSE). She joined Daemen after holding management positions with the NCAA in Indianapolis and serving as an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice and federal courts here in Buffalo.
As Niland considers the broader and rapidly changing landscape of higher education, she recognizes that Canisius University is uniquely positioned to navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead.
“It is at this moment in time that the long-lasting, centuries-tested Jesuit higher education model has great relevance,” Niland says, noting that for 155 years, Canisius has provided students with a high-quality, transformative education deeply rooted in the Jesuit tradition of academic excellence, service, and leadership. Most important at this time, Niland adds, is the Jesuit tenet of cura personalis - care for the whole person.
“To care for each other requires us to see each other and recognize both the differences and the commonalities in our lives. Jesuit institutions like Canisius are needed to continue to see each student as an individual, to support them in their efforts to gain a higher education, and to build healthy and rewarding lives.”
Niland holds a PhD in higher education leadership and policy from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, where she also earned a JD. She has published and presented extensively on topics ranging from college choice, gambling and collegiate athletics, collegiate coaching contracts and equitable access to youth sports.
