Mr. Allan Chen has been appointed as the new Chief Information Officer at Sarah Lawrence College. Mr. Chen will officially begin his new role on November 9, 2026. Mr. Chen most recently served as Vice President for Institute Technology and Chief Technology Officer at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in Valencia, California, where he reported directly to the President and led a team of 16 supporting more than 1,300 students, 300 full-time faculty, and 250 staff with an annual operating budget of $4 million. Prior to CalArts, Allan served as Associate Vice President for Academic Technology at California State University, Northridge, where he managed a team of 30 supporting more than 35,000 students and 2,500 faculty and staff. In this role, he led the institution's rapid pivot to virtual and online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, stood up 15 synchronous faculty workshops per week within days of the transition announcement, and was awarded a Chancellor's Office grant in support of scalable HyFlex learning solutions. Mr. Chen is a nationally recognized leader in higher education technology. He served on the EDUCAUSE Board of Directors from 2021 to 2025, including as Chair in 2025, and was selected as a contributor to the EDUCAUSE Top 10 Issues for 2027. He received the Info Tech Research Group CIO of the Year Award in 2022 and is an EDUCAUSE Ambassador and Fellow of the EDUCAUSE/CLIR Leading Change Institute. Mr. Chen earned his Bachelor of Arts in History with Honors from Stanford University and his Master of Business Administration from the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University. Read more.
Dr. Muhammad “Mud” Alvi has been appointed as the new Chair of the Department of Neurosciences at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine. Dr. Alvi is an academic neurologist and vascular neurology subspecialist with more than a decade of experience leading comprehensive stroke programs and regional care networks. He currently serves at WVU Medicine as a board-certified vascular neurologist, Full Professor, Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs, Section Chief of Vascular Neurology, and Director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center. He brings significant experience in rural health system leadership, having built and provided strategic oversight for a 26-hospital hub-and-spoke telestroke network spanning four states and expanding access to specialty care in medically underserved communities. Dr. Alvi earned his M.D. from Sindh Medical College in Pakistan and a Healthcare MBA from West Virginia University.
Mr. Matthew (Matt) Geis has been appointed as the new Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement at Kent State University. He will begin on November 1, 2026. The appointment marks Mr. Geis’ return to Kent State, where he served on the university’s advancement team from 2001 to 2018. He has since been at Case Western Reserve University, first as an Associate Dean of Development and External Relations in the Weatherhead School of Management. Mr. Geis then advanced through Case Western Reserve’s Division of University Relations and Development into his current role as Executive Senior Associate Vice President of Leadership, Principal Gifts and Presidential Engagement. He is a 2001 Kent State graduate, with a bachelor’s degree in leisure studies. In addition to bringing a deep knowledge of Kent State and Northeast Ohio, Mr. Geis has a record of success as a member of Case Western Reserve’s philanthropy executive team. He led several initiatives for Weatherhead and in the areas of global principal gifts and strategic initiatives, and leadership and principal gifts. He was promoted in 2025 to his current role, in which he oversees the engagement of Case Western Reserve President Eric Kaler and top attainment opportunities and strategies. Read more.
Ms. Natalie Rice has been appointed as the new Chief Human Resources Officer at Slippery Rock University. She will begin work on November 2, 2026. Ms. Rice currently serves as Vice President of Human Resources at Point Park University and brings 26 years of executive-level human resources experience spanning benefits, payroll, performance management, employee relations, recruitment, and safety and wellness. At SRU, she will lead Compensation and Benefits, Talent Management and Development, Labor Relations, Payroll, Compliance, and Campus Climate and Culture. As an executive leader, she will be a member of the President's Cabinet and the Administrative Council. Ms.Rice earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Pittsburgh, her MBA from Robert Morris University, and her Ed.D. in Leadership and Administration from Point Park University. Read more.
Dr. Valentina Salotti has been appointed as the new Dean of the Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University. She will assume this role on January 1, 2027. Dr. Salotti comes to USU from Iowa State University, where she has held a number of positions within the Ivy College of Business since 2009, including Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs (2019-2020) and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (2021-2025). She currently serves as the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Richard A. Carlson Professor (2025-present). Dr. Salotti has strong academic and leadership experience within the context of a land-grant research university, along with a deep commitment to students, collaborative leadership, and connecting higher education with industry and the community. Dr. Salotti earned a B.A. in Economics, an M.A. in Banking and Finance, and a Ph.D. in Finance, all from the University of Bologna, Italy. Read more.
Mr. Darrell Farewell has been appointed as the new Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Salem Academy and College. Mr. Farewell was formerly the director of capital planning at Wake Forest University, where he led the planning for the university’s multi-year capital budget and works with campus partners to align capital requests with institutional priorities. Mr. Farewell also served as executive director of finance and administration for Wake Forest University's School of Business. He oversaw financial and administrative planning across the school’s Winston-Salem and Charlotte campuses. Mr. Farewell has more than 20 years of experience in higher education, financial services, risk management and organizational operations. Before joining Wake Forest, he held leadership positions with USAA, BB&T and PNC Financial Services Group, where his work included internal audit, credit risk management, and strengthening financial reporting and organizational controls. Mr. Farewell earned an MBA in corporate finance from Waynesburg University and a bachelor’s degree in history from the College of Charleston. Read more.
Mr. Paul McNamara has been appointed as the new Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at San Francisco State University. He will begin his duties with San Francisco State on September 21. Mr. McNamara has an extensive background in advancement. He previously served in various roles at San Jose State University, including as a Corporate and Foundation Relations Officer from 2009 to 2019. He joins SFSU from California State University, Northridge, where he currently serves as the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations.
Dr. R. Duncan Pelly has been appointed as the new Dean, College of Business & Industry at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith effective August 10, 2026. Dr. Pelly is an academic leader with deep international experience in accreditation, entrepreneurship, corporate partnerships, and regional economic development. He comes to UAFS from Fisk University, where he served as Co-Dean of the School of Natural Sciences, Business, and Mathematics, Cal Turner Endowed Chair of Business Administration, and tenured professor. His leadership has included work supporting faculty research, institutional advancement and administration, student affairs, budgeting, hiring, enrollment, and student retention. Prior positions include leadership roles at McMurry University and California State University, Los Angeles. Dr. Pelly holds a Ph.D. from EM Lyon Business School in France and a BA in International Relations, French, and German from the University of Pennsylvania. Read more.
Dr. Silke Spiesshoefer has been appointed as the new Department Head of Engineering in the College of Business and Industry at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith. Dr. Spiesshoefer will officially begin her new role on August 10, 2026. Dr. Spiesshoefer most recently served as CFO, COO, and Contracting Director at Ozark Integrated Circuits, Inc. in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where she advanced from Director of Product Development into executive leadership over the course of seven years. Dr. Spiesshoefer is an active leader in the engineering profession, most recently serving on the IEEE Region 5 Awards Committee, the IEEE USA Awards & Recognition Committee, and the IEEE MGA Awards & Recognition Committee. She has previously served as Chair of the IEEE Ozark Section and in multiple leadership roles within IEEE Region 5. She is also an active member of ASEE, AIChE, IEEE HKN, and IEEE WIE. Dr. Spiesshoefer earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, her Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, and her Doctor of Philosophy in Microelectronics-Photonics, all from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. She also holds a Master of Business Administration from Webster University in St. Louis.