The start of the new year will bring changes in the Office of Human Resources, including a new associate vice president.

M. Scott Morris, who previously served as associate vice president for human resources and executive director for strategic planning at the University at Buffalo, assumes the role on Jan. 3.

He comes to Tech with more than 15 years of HR experience and has worked in the University of California System, the California State University system, the State University of New York, and the National Nuclear Laboratories.

“Understanding the institution’s strategic vision and direction, clearly articulating and connecting HR priorities to that vision, and then motivating and inspiring the team to flawlessly execute the plans is critical,” Morris said. “I believe that my focus on all of these is what has earned me the trust of senior executives at a number of research universities. The challenges that I’m being asked to address at Tech are really exciting. I look forward to taking the knowledge that I’ve gained in my past positions and putting it to good use.”

As associate vice president, Morris will report to the vice president for campus services and will be responsible for career and leadership development, HR consultancy, talent acquisition, benefits, payroll and records, HR systems, compensation, employee relations and equal opportunity.

Morris will also be responsible for implementing several strategic initiatives including a new job classification and compensation and electronic vacation and sick leave reporting systems.

“Scott is an experienced leader with a reputation for getting things done,” said Rosalind Meyers, vice president of campus services. “We look forward to the fresh perspective and energy that he will bring to this position.”

In his most recent position at the University of Buffalo, Morris led an organization responsible for serving more than 6,000 employees across three geographic locations.

He was one of the principal architects of the university’s UB2020 strategic planning process. He spearheaded the creation of organizational development and training functions within HR, the creation a suite of employee wellness programs that helped employees collectively shed 2,000 pounds, and he was a key partner to the chief information officer in realigning university information technology services — resulting in more than $5 million in savings.

Morris received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Occidental College in Los Angeles.