Ms. Melissa Wilf has been appointed as the new Executive Director of Budget at Bowie State University. She will begin on May 28, 2025. Ms. Wilf is an experienced professional with a history of working in budgeting, finance, management in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. As Budget Director for the US Department of Energy since 2022, she is highly skilled in financial management, federal budgeting, government resource management, legislative and policy analysis and recommendations, and cross-sector leadership development. Prior experience includes administration and budget roles within the Department of Justice; the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She holds a Masters degree in Public Policy and Management (MSPPM) from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor's degree in Communications (BA) from the University of Maryland.
Dr. Brian Brown has been appointed as the new Dean, School of Business at Virginia Commonwealth University. His appointment is effective April 25, 2025. Dr. Brown, a professor in the school’s Department of Marketing, has served as interim dean since January 2024. He joined VCU as an assistant professor in 2011, rising to the ranks of associate professor in 2013 and professor in 2019. Earlier, he served as an assistant professor for five years at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he earned an award for outstanding teaching. Before joining the academy, Dr. Brown spent more than 15 years in the private sector in marketing, management, and consulting. Specifically, his background includes several years at The Coca-Cola Company, including a role as brand manager of Coca-Cola Classic. Dr. Brown earned his Ph.D. from Georgia State University, his MBA from Duke University, and his BA from the University of Virginia. 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. Abby Parrill-Baker has been appointed as the new Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at University of Michigan-Flint effective June 1, 2025. Dr. Parrill-Baker currently serves as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Memphis, a position she has held since 2019, with a brief interlude as Interim Provost. In this role, she has supported the development of an expanded number of pathways for students into professional schools, secured more than $5 million in funding to support experiential learning fellowships, and led college-based initiatives that contributed to the university earning classification as a Carnegie Very High Research (R1) institution. Her academic and administrative career spans over two decades, during which she has demonstrated exceptional leadership in strategic planning, budget management, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Her research expertise in computational and medicinal chemistry has resulted in numerous publications and patents, underscoring her commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and educational excellence. Dr. Parrill-Baker holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Arizona, and a B.S. in Chemistry from Central Michigan University. Read more.
Dr. Christopher Trombly has been appointed as the new Dean, College of Education at Southern Connecticut State University. Dr. Trombly most recently served as the Interim Dean, College of Education for Southern Connecticut State University and will continue on with his current duties. Prior to joining Southern's Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies (in August 2018), Christopher had served for five years on the faculty – and, for part of that time, as department chair – of Arkansas Tech University’s Center for Leadership and Learning. Before teaching at the university level, Christopher had served in PreK-12 for a total of sixteen years – three years as a school counselor, four years as assistant principal, and nine years as principal – all in Duxbury, Massachusetts. A proud alumnus of VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), Christopher is a committed advocate for policies that promote the wellbeing of children and their families. He serves on the board of directors of Connecticut CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), an organization that serves children in the state's foster system. Read more.
Dr. Richard Sévère has been appointed as the new Dean of the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (CHESS) at Purdue University Northwest. He will begin his new role on July 1, 2025. Dr. Sévère is currently Associate Dean of the College Arts and Sciences at Valparaiso University, where he previously served as Chair of the Department of English and Acting Chair of the Department of Kinesiology. His accomplishments include oversight and leadership of the College of Arts and Sciences' 17 departments, management of the college's budget, and growth of research opportunities for faculty members in the college. He also previously held administrative roles at Centenary University, where he served as founding director of the Centenary Writing Collaboratory and founding director for the Centenary Scholars Program. Dr. Sévère earned a B.A. in English and an M.S. in English Literature Education, both from Florida A&M University, and his Ph.D. in Medieval Literature from Purdue University. Read more.
Dr. Jennifer Ng has been appointed as the new Dean of the Faculty & Vice President for Faculty Affairs at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Ng will begin her new role on June 1, 2025. Dr. Ng’s extensive background in higher education includes 21 years at the University of Kansas, serving as professor and chair of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, as well as associate vice provost for faculty development and mentoring. She has also been a certified coach through the Faculty Success Program at the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, and she is currently the inaugural associate director for faculty development for the University Council for Educational Administration. Read more.
Dr. Maurice Hall has been appointed as the new Dean of the School of Communication and the Arts at Marist University. Dr. Hall will begin his new role on July 1, 2025. Hall currently serves as Provost and Professor at Bennington College in Bennington, VT. As Provost, Hall manages an extensive portfolio at the college serving approximately 1,000 students overall, as well as the day-to-day operations of the office and several key aspects of the college's day-to-day operations. He oversees a team of 15 direct reports, 60 members of staff and a budget of $30 million. Prior to his time at Bennington, Hall served as Dean and Professor of The School of the Arts and Communication at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). TCNJ is a college similar in size to Marist, with a similar focus on centralizing undergraduate education. As Dean, Hall led The School of Arts and Communication with departments and disciplines in communication and the arts that are very similar to the School of Communication and the Arts at Marist as well. Hall holds a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica as well as a Master of Arts in Communication from Howard University in Washington, D.C. He also holds a Ph.D. in Organizational and Intercultural Communication from Howard University. Read more.