Leadership Appointments

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Leadership Appointments

San Francisco State University
Senior Director of Development for the College of Liberal and Creative Arts
Ms. Soo Kim
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San Francisco State University has successfully appointed Ms. Soo Kim as their next Senior Director of Development for the College of Liberal and Creative Arts. Ms. Kim will start on March 25, 2024. Ms. Kim currently serves as the Assistant Director of Fund Development and Communications at Swords to Plowshares. For the past 12 years, she has also run a successful fundraising consulting business through which she conducts program evaluations, alumni engagement analyses, and donor prospect research, along with assisting nonprofits with strategic planning, leadership transition mapping, grant writing, and development of fundraising opportunities. Earlier in her career, she served as the Assistant Curator of Japanese Art at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum. Ms. Kim, a Ph.D. Candidate in Art History at University of California, Berkeley, earned her B.A. in Asian Studies at Pomona College, her M.A. in Art History from University of California, Berkeley, and her Master of Nonprofit Administration at the University of San Francisco.

Mar 15, 2024
University of Alaska Anchorage
Chief Information Officer
Mr. Ryan McDaniel
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The University of Alaska Anchorage has successfully appointed Mr. Ryan McDaniel as their new Chief Information Officer. Mr. McDaniel currently serves as the Executive Director (Associate Vice President) for Secure Identity Services. As AVP, McDaniel leads a cross-functional technical team in the strategic planning, development, and implementation of a broad range of secure IT services. McDaniel also effectively mentors and leads a team of directors, managers, service owners, and project managers and serves as a member of the Senior Leadership Team for the Division of IT. Prior to Secure Identity Services, McDaniel served as the Assistant Director for Identity and Access Management at the University of Colorado. At CU, he led a diverse functional, technical, and security administrator team in the strategy, development, and implementation of a broad range of Identity and Access Management services and applications for the Office of the University President. McDaniel acted as program and portfolio owner for Identity and Access Management services and applications including Identity Governance, Authentication, ERP and API Authorization, Provisioning Services, Directory Services, and personal identity data for internal staff and affiliates. Mr. McDaniel holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Intercultural Studies from William Jessup University. McDaniel also holds an M.A. in History from San Jose State University and an M.S. in Information Systems from the University of Colorado – Denver. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Planning, Governance, and Globalization at Virginia Tech and a Ph.D. candidate in International Relations at Khazar University. Read more.

Mar 13, 2024
University of the Arts
Vice President for Finance and Administration
Mr. Eric Leal
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University of the Arts has successfully appointed Mr. Eric Leal as their new Vice President for Finance and Administration. Mr. Leal has served as the Associate Dean for Budget and Administration in the College of Arts and Sciences at American University since the Spring of 2019. He previously served as the Associate Dean for Administration and Finance for the College of Medicine at Howard University, and as the Assistant Dean of Administration and Finance for the School of Optometry at the University of California, Berkeley. A former active duty Air Force member and Appropriation Manager at The Pentagon, Mr. Leal holds an MBA from the University of Tennessee and a BA in Psychology from the University of Arizona. Read more.

Mar 12, 2024
Marist College
Dean of the School of Computer Science and Mathematics
Dr. Ron Buckmire
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Marist College has successfully appointed Dr. Ron Buckmire as their new Dean of the School of Computer Science and Mathematics. Dr. Buckmire will begin on August 1, 2024. Dr. Buckmire comes to Marist College from Occidental College in Los Angeles, where he served as Professor of Mathematics and had been on the faculty since receiving a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1994. He has served the national mathematics community in a wide array of capacities in multiple organizations, including as a Program Officer in the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation. Dr. Buckmire also holds an M.Sc. and B.Sc. in mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Read more.

Mar 11, 2024
The University of Utah
Dean of the John & Marcia Price College of Engineering
Dr. Charles Musgrave
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The University of Utah has successfully appointed Dr. Charles Musgrave as their next Dean of the John & Marcia Price College of Engineering. Dr. Musgrave will begin on July 1st. Dr. Musgrave currently serves as Chair of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Colorado, with a joint appointment at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. He earlier served as Associate Chair and Director of the Graduate Program of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and, most recently, as Associate Dean for Graduate Education for the College of Engineering and Applied Science. He is a fellow of the Materials Science and Engineering Program and Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute at the University of Colorado. Before his nearly 16 years in Colorado, Musgrave served as an assistant professor of chemical engineering at Stanford University, and as a visiting professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Harvard University. He has collaborated with Intel Corporation, SC Solutions Corporation, General Motors Corporation, and Xerox Corporation, among many others. Along with his notable achievements, Musgrave brings a unique perspective to his leadership role as a first-generation student and son of an immigrant. Dr. Musgrave earned his B.S. in materials science and engineering at the University of California Berkeley. Both his M.S. and Ph.D. in materials science were earned at California Institute of Technology. Read more.

Mar 11, 2024
Stony Brook University
Director of Development, School of Communication and Journalism/Academic Affairs
Ms. Joan McCormick
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Stony Brook University has successfully appointed Ms. Joan McCormick as their new Director of Development, School of Communication and Journalism/Academic Affairs. Ms. McCormick started her new role on February 19th. Ms. McCormick comes to Stony Brook from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, where she served as Executive Director of Development from 2019 to 2023.  Prior to CUNY, she was Vice President and Major Gift Officer for the East at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (2019) and Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Pratt Institute (2016-2018). Ms. McCormick earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism at Rutger's University and her Master of Public Administration from Kean University. Read more.

Feb 26, 2024
Rhode Island College
President
Dr. Jack R. Warner
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The Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education has announced the appointment of Dr. Jack R. Warner as the 11th President of Rhode Island College. Dr. Warner has been serving as Interim President of RIC since April 2022. Dr. Warner, a Rhode Island native, was the commissioner of the Rhode Island Office of Higher Education from 2002 to 2009, and then served as the Executive Director and CEO of the South Dakota Board of Regents before returning to Rhode Island. He was also an Associate Professor at Johnson & Wales University’s Educational Leadership Doctoral Program from 2015 to 2022. Dr. Warner holds an Ed.D. in Education Administration from Boston College, a Master of Education in Guidance and Psychological Services / Student Affairs Administration from Springfield College, and a BA in Psychology from the University of Vermont. Read more.

Feb 16, 2024
Santa Fe College
Provost
Dr. J. Nathaniel Southerland
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Santa Fe College has successfully appointed Dr. J. Nathaniel Southerland as their new Provost. Dr. Southerland has served in multiple leadership roles in higher education, including four and a half years as Provost at Coconino Community College in Flagstaff, Arizona, which followed five years as Associate Provost during his nine-year career in academic leadership at Salt Lake Community College in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has led efforts in developing academic master plans and has launched multiple innovative academic programs. He understands that robust Liberal Arts and Career and Technical programs are vital to a well-rounded college experience, promotes the importance of dual enrollment programs to support a college-going culture, and has 20 years of teaching experience, including nearly a decade of experience as an adjunct in both community college and university settings. Most recently, Dr. Southerland served St. Johns River State College as Assistant Vice President for Workforce Development. Read more.

Feb 14, 2024
Central State University
President
Dr. Morakinyo A.O. Kuti
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Central State University has successfully appointed Dr. Morakinyo A.O. Kuti as their new president. Dr. Kuti has been a member of the Central State Community since 1997, and has ascended the ranks from Grant Manager to most recently serving as the Vice President of Research and Economic Development and Director of the Land Grant Programs. As noted in the press release, "Under Kuti's leadership, Central State has achieved significant growth in external awards and has climbed the ranks in the National Science Foundation survey. This recognition is a testament to Kuti's ability to foster a culture of research and innovation within the university. By securing funding and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, Kuti has created an environment where faculty and students can thrive." Read more

Feb 12, 2024