Employee Relations

As director of Employee Relations and Engagement, Robert Cancellieri oversees UF’s comprehensive employee and labor relations program and strategy for faculty and staff. Cancellieri and his team work to promote a fair and respectful work environment, allowing employees the opportunity to achieve their professional and career goals. Cancellieri brings many years of experience as an attorney whose work focused primarily on labor and employment matters in both the public sector as Deputy Director of Labor Relations for Nassau County (NY) and in the private sector as an associate with Jackson Lewis P.C. Most recently he served for 6 years as the director of Employee Relations at Albert Einstein College of Medicine located in New York City.

As Associate Director for Employee Relations and Engagement, Ron Casper oversees employee relations services for the Education and General (E&G) area, including nine academic colleges, as well as Auxiliary units across the University of Florida. He offers timely, consistent guidance on employee relations and works collaboratively with leaders and employees to navigate performance issues, conduct concerns, and complex workplace issues with clarity, respect, and fairness.

He joined UF in 2022 and has held roles in both Employee Relations and college-level HR before returning to Employee Relations in 2025. Before UF, he spent nearly 26 years as a Human Resources Officer in the U.S. Army, including service as an Assistant Professor of Military Science for UF’s ROTC program, where he taught leadership and organizational management and helped develop emerging leaders.

Ron holds a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from the University of Louisville and a Bachelor of Science in Management from Upper Iowa University. He is a SHRM-CP and has completed conflict resolution and equal opportunity training. His leadership philosophy emphasizes people-first development and integrity, guiding his approach to partnering with both leaders and employees in ways that foster fairness, accountability, and a supportive, consistent employee relations environment.

Sky Awamy joins the University of Florida Human Resources team as Assistant Director, Employee Relations, supporting the Health Science Center. She brings more than 20 years of HR leadership experience with expertise in people strategy, employee relations, organizational transformation, leadership development, and workforce planning across complex and rapidly evolving organizations.

Throughout her career, Sky has guided leaders and organizations through growth, transformation, and complex workforce challenges while building high-performing teams and strengthening workplace culture. Her experience spans employee relations, leadership development, compliance, workforce strategy, organizational effectiveness, and change management. Known for her practical, people-centered approach, Sky helps leaders navigate complex issues, develop talent, and identify innovative solutions that align people strategies with organizational goals. She is passionate about coaching leaders, solving challenging problems, and creating workplaces where both employees and organizations can thrive.

Joining UF represents an exciting new chapter for Sky. After relocating to Gainesville, she is thrilled to become part of the UF and Health Science Center community. She was drawn to the University’s mission, values, and commitment to making a meaningful impact through education, healthcare, and service.

Outside of work, Sky enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, acrylic painting, and volunteering as a Guardian ad Litem advocate supporting children and families. She especially enjoys being a grandma to her grandchildren, who keep her laughing and on her toes. She is also a proud dog mom to three spoiled pups who run the household. Whether at work or in her personal life, Sky believes in leading with authenticity, compassion, and a genuine commitment to helping others succeed.

Catherine serves as the Employee Relations Assistant Director for IFAS and the College of Veterinary Medicine team located throughout the state of Florida. She started in UFHR Employee Relations in 2018 and has worked as an Employee Relations Specialist in both the E&G and Business Affairs satellite offices. Prior to coming to UF, Cat worked for many years as a human resource professional with Aramark. In addition to her extensive background and experience in employee relations matters, Cat’s love for horse riding; and a degree in Agricultural Education from The Ohio State University make her a great match for this role.

Noah originally joined the Employee Relations investigative team in 2014 after moving to Gainesville. Noah returned to the investigative team in 2017 after a short hiatus in 2016, during which time he lived in Tanzania and later worked as a substitute teacher in Alachua County. Prior to his time at UF, Noah served as a civilian investigator for the City of New York for five years, first for the city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board where Noah investigated civilian complaints directed against New York police officers. Later, Noah worked for the New York Correction Department’s internal investigation division (resulting in Noah making more than one trip to Rikers Island). Noah attended Columbia University where he earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees with distinction.

Petra is a licensed attorney, arbitrator, assistant mediator trainer and trained family, civil and dependency mediator who has spent the past four years working with the eighth judicial circuit. She previously worked as a pro se case manager who helped to walk litigants through their case filing, provided general procedural guidance and judicial support.  Most recently, Petra served as the mediation services coordinator for all six counties in the eighth circuit. She facilitated volunteer and staff trainings, conducted investigations, maintained mediation statistics and drafted contracts and agreements. Her passion for alternative dispute resolution has motivated her current career focus on creative problem solving opportunities. Petra is a double gator, having earned both her undergraduate and law degree from the University of Florida.