Independent Institution

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.

Ms. Jennifer Mariacher has been appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer at Lycoming College effective July 1, 2025. A seasoned financial executive, Ms. Mariacher brings more than 20 years of experience to Lycoming College in financial management and analysis, strategic planning, budget preparation, purchasing, accounts payable, payroll, student accounts and financial aid, facilities contracts and services, technology, system implementation, and training, along with staff supervision and development. Currently serving as the Vice President for Administration and Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Central Penn College, she oversees critical departments including Facilities and Information Technology, ensuring compliance and operational excellence. Her previous roles include Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Vice President for Finance, where she successfully led financial audits, developed multi-year financial strategies, and implemented innovative accounting systems that enhanced operational efficiency. Ms. Mariacher holds an MBA from Elizabethtown College and a B.S. in Business Administration, Accounting from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. Read more.

Mr. Evens Wagnac has been appointed as the new Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Metropolitan College of New York. He will officially assume his new role on June 9, 2025. Mr. Wagnac is a seasoned financial executive with extensive experience in fiscal management, strategic leadership, and operational efficiency across a broad range of sectors, including higher education, for-profit enterprises, and non-profit organizations. He currently serves as Associate Dean for Finance and Administration at Rutgers University, where he has successfully aligned financial strategies with institutional goals. He manages operating budgets exceeding $75 million and capital budgets totaling $152 million. Mr. Wagnac has also held leadership positions at Xerox, JPMorgan Chase, TD Bank, and Citizens Bank. His leadership has consistently driven financial performance, ensured regulatory compliance, and fostered a culture of growth and innovation. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Massachusetts and a Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Phoenix. He also holds an Executive CFO Certification from Columbia Business School, reflecting his continued commitment to excellence in financial 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. 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. 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.

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.

Dr. Michael E. Hill has been appointed as the new president at Randolph-Macon College. The appointment is effective August 1, 2025. Dr. Hill will join the Randolph-Macon community after completing his tenure as President of Chautauqua Institution, an educational community in western New York dedicated to engaged dialogue and cultural enrichment. Dr. Hill previously led the non-profit Youth for Understanding USA and served in senior roles at United Cerebral Palsy, Washington National Cathedral, and The Washington Ballet. He was also a founding faculty member at George Mason University's Master of Arts Management program, where he taught in an adjunct role for more than a decade and was named faculty member of the year in 2011. Dr. Hill earned a B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication from St. Bonaventure University, an M.A. in Arts & Cultural Management from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, and an Ed.D. from Vanderbilt University. Read more.

Dr. Dean Pribbenow has been appointed as the new president at Millikin University, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Pribbenow currently serves as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Elmhurst University, a position he’s held since 2020. With over 20 years of experience in academic leadership, Dr. Pribbenow served as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean at Edgewood College before moving to Elmhurst. At Elmhurst, Dr. Pribbenow oversaw a $35M operating budget. He co-led the effort to secure the designation of Elmhurst University as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, writing a successful $3.4M Title V grant to support the project. He also contributed to comprehensive campaign activities and has a breadth of experience in fundraising and institutional advancement. Dr. Pribbenow earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Luther College and a Master of Science in Counseling with a Higher Education Concentration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Read more.

David M. Bellar has been appointed as the fifth President of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University. He will assume his new role on July 14, 2025. Dr. Bellar joins FranU from the University of West Florida where he serves as the Dean of Usha Kundu, MD College of Health. During his tenure, he received a $6.68 million grant to enhance health education facilities, secured scholarship funding and gifts of space for immersive learning experiences at two hospitals, aided in implementing strategies to improve NCLEX pass rates to 98% for the School of Nursing, created the first Staff Council on campus, helped secure a partnership with two major hospital systems to support clinical space for nursing programs, and developed a virtual cadaver lab to enhance Anatomy and Physiology education. Dr. Bellar holds a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from Kent State University, a M.Ed. in Secondary Education from John Carroll University and a B.S in Biology and Life Science Chemistry from John Carroll University. Read more.