Office Staff

Francine Montemurro

University Ombuds

Francine Montemurro (fmonte@bu.edu) was appointed Boston University’s first Ombuds in September 2009. She practices in accordance with the International Ombuds Association (IOA) Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. She holds a BA from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton,  and a JD from Syracuse University. She established the Office of the University Ombudsman at SUNY Binghamton 1997, and served as the Ombudsman there through 2009. She has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution, including providing interventions and workshops on mediation and conflict management. She served two terms on the IOA  Board of Directors and served on numerous IOA standing committees. She is also the ombuds for American Finance Association.

Lailul Ikram

Senior Associate Ombuds

Lailul Ikram, DBA (ikram@bu.edu) joined Boston University as an Associate Ombuds in 2025 and was promoted to Senior Associate Ombuds in 2026. He brings extensive expertise in organizational behavior, conflict resolution, and mediation to the BU community. He previously served as Ombudsperson, Mediator, and Director of Interfaith Initiatives at Earlham College, worked with the United Nations Ombudsman & Mediation Services, and co-founded initiatives supporting marginalized communities in Indonesia. Having earned his Doctorate in Business Administration from Anderson University’s Falls School of Business, Dr. Ikram’s research focuses on workplace relationship conflict and staff retention. He holds an M.S. in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution from Columbia University and a B.A. in Business & Non-Profit Management and Mathematics from Earlham College. A certified mediator and award-winning practitioner, he is committed to equity, transformative dialogue, and fostering cultures of belonging in alignment with the International Ombuds Association’s standards.

Samantha Levine-Finley

Associate Ombuds

Samantha Levine-Finley (samlev@bu.edu) joins Boston University as an Associate Ombuds with nearly 20 years of experience in conflict resolution, organizational effectiveness, and mediation. She has served as an ombuds for the National Institutes of Health and American Red Cross, an organizational effectiveness professional for the U.S. Agency for International Development, and a communication advisor for the U.S. Coast Guard. She has partnered with personnel at all levels to navigate complex challenges, gain perspective, and explore constructive paths forward. Samantha has led numerous initiatives focused on leadership development, team dynamics, adaptive management, and culture change. She is an International Coaching Federation (ICF)-certified coach and has a Masters Degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University. Samantha has published research about and presented on the ombuds role and served in leadership positions for the International Ombuds Association.

Greg Burns

Administrative Coordinator

Greg Burns (gmburns@bu.edu) comes to the Office of the Ombuds in a part-time financial and administrative role. Professionally, he is an artist, but prior to becoming an artist he worked as a Financial Analyst at Boston Children’s Hospital and as a Budget Analyst on the Massachusetts House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee. He has two B.A. degrees from the University of Maine: one in Journalism and the other in Public Administration. He earned an MSc. In European and International Politics from the University of Edinburgh. Greg developed as an artist starting in 2011 while living in Santiago de Chile before moving to Curitiba, Brazil, where he lived for 5.5 years before returning to the U.S. He also teaches advanced rock climbing courses and provides guiding services to BU’s Outdoor Programs.