Katrina Roalson serves as Executive Director of Business Services and Administration for Arizona State University's Graduate College and is a member of the college's executive leadership team. She provides strategic and administrative leadership across finance, human resources, business operations, facilities, administrative services, graduate funding and fellowships, sponsored and industry-supported programs, marketing and communications, and technology coordination.
Roalson serves as both the Graduate College's Senior Financial Administrator/College Business Officer and senior human resources representative through ASU's HR Engagement Team. In these roles, she advises college leadership on financial strategy, workforce planning, organizational structure, staffing, performance management, employee relations, compensation, policy, and organizational effectiveness.
With more than 26 years of progressively responsible experience at ASU, Roalson has extensive experience in financial and business administration, human resources, sponsored research administration, organizational development, facilities and space planning, enterprise systems, and process improvement. She works extensively across the university with senior leaders, central administrative offices, academic and research units, and external partners to address complex financial, operational, policy, and organizational matters.
Roalson is a key stakeholder and trusted advisor for graduate and postdoctoral appointments and Workday HCM processes. She served as a subject-matter expert during ASU's Workday HCM implementation and is one of four university-wide approvers for HCM technical changes, representing graduate student and postdoctoral considerations. Her work focuses on developing scalable processes, improving administrative effectiveness, and ensuring university systems and policies appropriately support graduate education.
She also provides oversight and coordination for sponsored and externally funded activities, including ASU's NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program and industry-supported partnerships, and serves as the Graduate College's primary staff liaison to ASU Enterprise Partners/ASU Foundation in partnership with the Dean.
Throughout her ASU career, Roalson has led and supported significant organizational and operational change, including financial and resource planning, organizational restructuring, staff development and career progression, business continuity, facilities expansion, enterprise system implementation, and development of new administrative functions. She is particularly focused on building sustainable organizational capacity, developing staff and leaders, improving processes, and creating effective partnerships across the university.
Areas of Expertise
Executive and Administrative Leadership
Strategic Financial Planning and Resource Stewardship
Human Resources and Workforce Planning
Performance Management and Organizational Design
Business Operations and Process Improvement
Sponsored Research and Pre- and Post-Award Administration
Graduate Funding and Assistantship Administration
Workday HCM and Enterprise Systems
Organizational Change and Capacity Building
Facilities and Space Planning
Policy, Compliance and Risk Management
Cross-University and External Partnerships
