Sabrina Ellis, the vice president of human resources, will leave GW at the end of next month, according to a University release Wednesday.

Ellis, who has led the human resources department since 2012, will begin as New York University’s vice president of human resources on March 1, according to the release. Dale McLeod, the associate vice president for HR operations, will serve as interim vice president.

Officials hired Ellis more than three years ago to make GW a more attractive employer in academia.

Ellis has overseen new structures for employee healthcare benefits, retirement and tuition benefits for staff. Faculty and staff have pushed back against decisions to roll back staff tuition benefits over the past year.

Ellis also oversaw programs for staff to quit smoking after the implementation of GW’s campus smoking ban, and clarified structures for staff to rise in positions through the University.

Ellis said in the release that she is “most proud of her HR team.”

“There are many unsung heroes in HR who work behind the scenes to keep GW moving,” Ellis said. “I am so proud to have had the opportunity to lead and work with such a talented and exceptional team.”

University President Steven Knapp called Ellis “a splendid colleague in every respect” in the release, noting her work on reviewing staff benefits.