In his new role, Kassa will be responsible for establishing and advancing multifaceted connections between Quinnipiac University and corporations and major non-profits, as well as managing those connections across all academic and administrative units of the university. He started his new role on May 9.

“This is an exciting time to join the Quinnipiac community under the innovative and visionary leadership of President Judy Olian,” Kassa said. “Building the University of the Future includes partnering with corporations that are committed to assisting us in preparing our graduates for 21st-century careers and understand that life-long learning, reskilling and upskilling is essential to the future of work. I look forward to creating these types of partnerships in my new role.”

Kassa comes to Quinnipiac from the ASU+GSV Summit, where he was head of global partnerships and led the company’s corporate partnership program.

Prior to joining ASU+GSV in 2015, Kassa spent more than 20 years in the sports, entertainment and event space, holding senior-level, revenue generation, marketing and management positions with the Anschutz Entertainment Group, Palace Sports & Entertainment, American Skiing Company, Raycom Sports and NBC. Kassa has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Ohio University.

“We are so pleased Michael is joining the Quinnipiac family,” Sloan said. “With his impressive record of success in building relationships, Michael will serve as a critical partner in advancing the mission of the university within the regional and national corporate community.”