President/Chancellors

Dr. Paul Burkhardt has been appointed as the new President of Naropa University. His first day will be August 1, 2025. Dr. Burkhardt most recently served as the Provost and Chief Academic Officer at The University of Olivet. Prior to that, he was the Executive Vice President & Provost, Chief Academic Officer, and Chief Operating Officer at Prescott College. Dr. Burkhardt has dedicated himself to servant leadership at intentional and mission-driven universities.Dr. Burkhardt holds a PhD with honors in Comparative Cultural & Literary Studies from the University of Arizona. He also earned an MA in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory and a BA from the same institution. Read more.

Mr. Val Martinez Garcia has been appointed as the new superintendent/president at College of the Desert. Mr. Martinez Garcia has served as the acting superintendent/president of College of the Desert (COD) since December of 2024. Since February of 2023, Mr. Martinez Garcia has served in two other roles at COD including vice president of student services and vice president of instruction. Prior to his time at COD, Mr. Martinez Garcia was the vice president of student services at West Hills College Lemoore in Lemoore, California. Mr. Martinez Garcia holds a bachelor's degree in sociology and a master's in school counseling from University of La Verne where he is also pursuing his doctorate degree in organizational leadership. Read more.

Dr. Michael H. Mittelman has been appointed as the new president at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, effective August 1, 2025. A nationally respected leader in health care and higher education, Dr. Mittelman brings a distinguished career in military medicine, academic leadership, and health system innovation to PNWU. After earning his Doctor of Optometry from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 1980, Mittelman was commissioned into the U.S. Navy Medical Service Corps. He retired as a Rear Admiral following a 33-year military career, culminating in his service as Deputy Surgeon General of the Navy. His leadership roles spanned the globe, including Command Surgeon for U.S. Joint Forces Command, Commanding Officer at U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, Japan, and U.S. Pacific Command Surgeon, where he directed the Department of Defense’s medical response to the 2011 Fukushima disaster. In 2013, Dr. Mittelman became the sixth president of Salus University, leading the institution through a decade of academic growth and interdisciplinary collaboration. Most recently, he guided the successful merger of Salus University with Drexel University in Philadelphia. A Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Academy of Optometry, Dr. Mittelman holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and an MBA from Temple University’s Fox Business School. His honors include the Legion of Merit, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, and induction into the National Optometric Hall of Fame. Read more.

Dr. Joyce C. Ester has been appointed as the new President at Governors State University effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Ester is an accomplished educational leader with extensive experience in higher education administration, currently serving as President of Normandale Community College in Minnesota since 2014. Under her leadership, the college has successfully reaffirmed its accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission and has seen significant growth in enrollment, particularly among students of color. Dr. Ester has spearheaded strategic initiatives that enhance student success, equity, and employee development, while also establishing a robust Advancement Division that has increased grant revenue and secured substantial philanthropic support. Her previous roles include President of Kennedy King College, one of seven schools that comprise City Colleges of Chicago, and Associate Vice President for Student Services at Bakersfield College, where she implemented innovative programs and improved student services. Dr. Ester holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a B.S. in Sociology from Northern Illinois University. Read more.

Dr. John C. Volin has been appointed as the new president at Gustavus Adolphus College, effective August 15, 2025. Currently, Dr. Volin serves as Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at the University of Maine, where his portfolio includes oversight of more than 1,000 faculty and staff and a budget of over $250 million. Prior, Dr. Volin served as head of the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, and then as Vice Provost of Academic Affairs, at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Volin is recognized as a national leader in using evidence-based practices to support holistic student wellbeing. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Coalition for Transformational Education and is co-founder and senior advisor of LearningWell magazine. Dr. Volin holds a BS in botany and biology and an MS in agronomy from the South Dakota State University, and a PhD in forestry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Read more.

Dr. Christopher Fiorentino has been appointed as the new Chancellor at Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). Dr. Fiorentino is the current interim chancellor at PASSHE and former president of West Chester University. Dr. Fiorentino’s career at PASSHE spans 42 years. He began as an assistant professor of economics at West Chester University in 1983, the year the State System was established. Dr. Fiorentino held many positions at the university, including department chair, dean, vice president and president. He retired from West Chester University in June 2024 and returned to serve as interim chancellor in October 2024. Dr. Fiorentino earned his baccalaureate, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in economics from Temple University. He and his wife, Sue, reside in Chester County. Read more.

Dr. Milka Ramirez has been appointed as the new President at the Institute for Clinical Social Work (ICSW). Dr. Ramirez currently serves as the Dean of Instruction for the City Colleges of Chicago. As Dean of Instruction, Ramirez manages over 20 instructional departments, five academic support departments, 50 staff, a budget of over $5M, 55 full-time faculty and approximately 250 part-time faculty. Prior to serving as Dean, Ramirez served as Associate Dean of Career Programs at the City Colleges of Chicago and the National Director for The Surge Institute, a DEI national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to educate and develop leaders of color who create transformative change for young people, their families, and communities. Ramirez is bilingual in Spanish and English, with a rich bicultural perspective that enhances cultural responsiveness, strengthens inclusivity efforts, and drives a culture of belonging. With a robust background in academic leadership, enrollment management, and strategic institutional oversight, Ramirez is eager to contribute to ICSW’s mission of advancing psychodynamic clinical training and fostering a supportive, inclusive academic community. Dr. Ramirez holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Mundelein College and a Master of Social Work from Chicago State University. Ramirez earned her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. Read more.

Mr. Scott Molander has been appointed as the new President at Dickinson State University (DSU). He will assume his new role as DSU President on July 1, 2025. Mr. Molander is currently Managing Partner of Garage Living & SKINS Compression and an Adjunct Lecturer of Entrepreneurship & Innovation in the Lacy School of Business at Butler University. In 2006, he was a recipient of the North Dakota Business Innovator of the Year Award, and he currently serves as a Member of the Board of Directors of the DSU Heritage Foundation. He earned an A.A. in Business Administration from the University of North Dakota-Williston, a B.S. in Business Administration from Dickinson State University, and an M.B.A. from Indiana State University. Read more.

Dr. Anthony Graham has been appointed as the new Chancellor at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB). He is expected to begin his new role as UAPB Chancellor on July 1, 2025. Dr. Graham is the former Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Winston-Salem State University, where he also served as Interim Chancellor from 2023 to 2024. He previously served as Dean of the College of Education and Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at North Carolina A&T State University. Prior to his work in higher education, Dr. Graham was a high school English teacher. He has served as the managing editor of the historic peer-review academic journal The Negro Educational Review, and has collaborated with educators and scholars to create initiatives that increase the number of classroom teachers, especially ethnic and racial minority teachers, who enter the teaching profession in under-resourced and hard-to-staff rural and urban schools. Dr. Graham earned a B.A. in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.Ed. in Secondary English Education and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Teaching from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Read more.

Dr. Robert Blaine III has been appointed as the new President at University of The Bahamas, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Blaine currently serves as the Senior Executive and Director of the Center for Leadership, Education, Advancement and Development (LEAD) and the Center for Municipal Practice for the National League of Cities, based in Washington D.C. He brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, economic development and SACSCOC accreditation. In advancing academic excellence, he has been the driving force behind initiatives that expand access to quality education and forge meaningful partnerships with local and global communities. Dr. Blaine holds a DMA - Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, a Masters in Music - Performance from The Catholic University of America and a Bachelor of Music – Performance from Indiana University. Read more.