SUNY Oswego’s Office of Workforce Innovation and External Relations (OWIER), launched by SUNY Oswego President Peter O. Nwosu in fall 2023, has named Kathryn Watson as its inaugural director of workforce innovation and community impact.
The OWIER provides a designated point of entry into SUNY Oswego for industry, nonprofit, public, private and community partners to connect with institutional assets.
OWIER staff members identify and form mutually beneficial partnerships with the greater Central New York community to generate economic and social benefits for the region that align with the priorities and vision of SUNY Oswego and with the mission to contribute to the common good while advancing SUNY Oswego’s institutional-wide priorities and goals.
Watson will report directly to president’s cabinet member and Assistant Vice President for Workforce Innovation and External Relations Kristi Eck to help advance grant applications that align with immediate institutional and workforce innovation priorities while providing timely and necessary programming to support workforce innovation and upskilling demands and connecting the greater community with SUNY Oswego employees and students as related to these areas of focus.
Before joining SUNY Oswego, Watson served as the executive director of the Children’s Museum of Oswego, located downtown in the Port City.
Watson holds a Master of Education degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education (2014) and an master’s degree in the history of art from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, England (2010). She completed her undergraduate degree with dual bachelor’s degrees in history and art history from Johns Hopkins University (2009).
