Potsdam College Foundation Announces New Board Members, Dr. Mark Hayman ’94, Jude Kiah ’91 & ’93 and Klayton Schaefer ’18
The Potsdam College Foundation Board of Trustees welcomed three new trustees as its newest members, helping to foster giving in support of The State University of New York at Potsdam.
The new trustees include Dr. Mark L. Hayman ’94 of Boston, Dr. Jude Kiah ’91 & ’93 of Fort Worth, Texas, and Klayton Schaefer ’18 of New York City. Their service officially began at the board’s April 25 meeting on campus at SUNY Potsdam.
About the trustees:
Dr. Mark L. Hayman ’94 is a partner at Morgan Lewis, where he specializes in patent counseling, procurement and licensing for the life sciences industry, and works with companies at all stages to build intellectual property (IP) portfolios that protect foundational technologies and pipeline programs alike. Hayman works with emerging life sciences companies to identify important IP generating opportunities, and to design and implement effective patent strategies accounting for the competitive landscape and business environment.
He is well versed in building patent portfolios to optimize product exclusivity positions for a wide array of technologies, including protein and peptide therapeutics; metabolic engineering and enzyme engineering; microbiome-related diagnostics and therapeutics; nucleic acid-based therapeutics; diagnostic and prognostic tests, including genetic, gene expression, proteomic and cell-based tests for personalized medicine applications; bioinformatics; nucleic acid sequencing and detection technologies; recombinant protein production; nanoparticle-based drug delivery platforms, and wound care technologies.
Hayman has co-authored several publications in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Nucleic Acids Research, Infection and Immunity, and Nature Biotechnology. Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, he was a partner in the corporate practice group of another international law firm. Hayman earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from SUNY Potsdam and went on to complete a Ph.D. in microbiology at the University at Buffalo, and then earned his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Dr. Jude Kiah ’91 & ’93 has built a distinguished career in higher education administration and finance. He completed both a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics and a Master of Science in Education degree in secondary social studies education at SUNY Potsdam. As a student, Kiah was actively involved on campus, serving as both the sports information director and the student director of the Barrington Student Union. He continued his education with a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from Western Illinois University, and later completed a Ph.D. in business administration from National University.
Kiah’s career reflects commitment to leadership, financial responsibility, and enhancing the student experience. Following his second graduation from Potsdam, he and his wife, Renee (Turck) Kiah ’92, moved to Georgia, where he held multiple roles at Savannah College of Art and Design. He served as a resident director, a judicial coordinator and an assistant men’s basketball coach. In 1995, they relocated to Illinois, where he began a 20-year stint at Western Illinois University, including more than16 years as the director of auxiliary services. In this role, he assisted in the creation and stewardship of a public transit system for the university. In 2015, Kiah transitioned to Xavier University in Ohio as assistant vice president for auxiliary services. Four years later, he and his family moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where he joined Texas Christian University. Currently, he serves as associate vice chancellor and the chief business officer for the TCU Student Affairs Division, overseeing a $60 million budget. Additionally, he is an adjunct faculty member at the Neeley School of Business and contributes to the broader community as a member of the Fort Worth Community Credit Union Board of Directors.
Klayton Schaefer ’18 is a communications professional currently working at Bloomberg Philanthropies, in a position he has held since September 2023. His prior experience includes a range of roles at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, where he had previously held the roles of executive operations manager, employee experience manager and people coordinator. Schaefer is a graduate of SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in music performance, concentrating in the French horn. He went on to complete a Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
About the Potsdam College Foundation:
Established in 1968, the Potsdam College Foundation is a non-profit corporation dedicated to stewarding the continued growth of private giving in support of SUNY Potsdam. Its mission is to secure and manage private financial support and other gifts that build a sustainable future for SUNY Potsdam. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu/giving/pcf.
About SUNY Potsdam:
Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America’s first 50 colleges—and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.