Dr Ashwani Monga has been appinted as the new Chancellor at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, effective Jan. 1, 2027. Dr. Monga currently serves as the executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer at the University System of Georgia (USG). Dr. Monga is also a professor of marketing at the Scheller College of Business at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His research in consumer psychology appears in top marketing journals, and he coauthored the book “Becoming a Consumer Psychologist”. Prior to his time at USG, Dr. Monga served at Rutgers for eight years, first at Rutgers Business School as professor of marketing, department chair, and vice dean for academic programs and innovations, and then as executive vice chancellor and provost at Rutgers-Newark. He also served at the University of South Carolina as associate professor of marketing where he first earned tenure; and at the University of Texas at San Antonio where he was assistant professor of marketing. Dr. Monga earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, an MBA at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and a Bachelor of Technology at the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal. Read more.
Dr. Tonjanita (Tonja) L. Johnson has been appointed as the new President at Universities of Wisconsin. Her appointment will begin on or about Jan. 1, 2027. Dr. Johnson is currently Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Alabama System. She has also served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the University of Tennessee System, Chief Deputy to the President at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications at Middle Tennessee State University. She has also held various executive roles at Mississippi Valley State University. A native of Butler, Alabama, Dr. Johnson earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication from the University of Alabama and a doctorate in urban higher education from Jackson State University. Read more.
Dr. Michael Chahino has been appointed as the new Chief Information Technology Officer at Slippery Rock University. He will begin work on January 11, 2027. Dr. Chahino is an accomplished technology executive, CIO of the Year nominee, published author, and highly sought-after speaker who brings more than three decades of leadership across higher education, cybersecurity, economics, and public service. He offers a distinctive board-level perspective at the intersection of technology strategy, financial stewardship, enterprise risk, and responsible innovation. As Chief Information Officer at Elgin Community College, Dr. Chahino directs the institution’s technology vision and leads enterprise-wide initiatives that advance student success, operational excellence, and institutional resilience. His portfolio spans cybersecurity, enterprise systems, digital transformation, infrastructure, and technology governance. As chair of the College’s AI Governance Oversight Committee, he guides the strategic and ethical adoption of artificial intelligence, helping the institution to embrace emerging opportunities while managing risk. A former research economist with the U.S. Department of State, Dr. Chahino brings global awareness and analytical rigor to organizational leadership. He served as President of the Illinois Council of Community College Administrators’ Technology Commission and as a member of HMG Strategy’s Chicago Advisory Board. An educator and mentor, he also teaches economics, business, management, marketing, and computer information systems. Dr. Chahino holds a doctorate in educational technology from Northern Illinois University and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in economics from Illinois State University.
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.