Independent Institution

Dr. Nancy LaGreca has been appointed as the new Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of Hartford effective July 1, 2026. Dr. LaGreca is a distinguished scholar and senior academic administrator with more than 16 years of progressive leadership in higher education. She is currently Professor of Spanish Latin American Literature and Culture at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and a research fellow at the University of Texas at Austin. She recently served as Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences for three years ending in 5/2025. Prior to her time at St. Mary’s, Dr. LaGreca spent 18 years at the University of Oklahoma, where her roles included faculty fellow in the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost; Associate Dean of the Graduate College; and Chair of the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A in Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin, and a BA in Spanish from the State University of New York at Geneseo. Read more.

Dr. Todd A. Shawver has been appointed as the new Dean of the College of Business at Misericordia University effective July 1, 2026. Dr. Shawver joins Misericordia with more than two decades of experience in higher education and industry. He most recently served as Dean of the Zeigler College of Business at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, where he led the college through the successful integration of multiple institutions while strengthening academic offerings and operations. Under his leadership, the college achieved sustained enrollment growth, improved student retention, and increased operational performance. Dr. Shawver, a Certified Management Accountant, holds a DBA from Nova Southeastern University, an MBA from Plymouth State University, and a BA in Business Administration from New England College. Read more.

John Paul “Jay” Dowd III, Ph.D., has been appointed as the new president at Wofford College. His tenure begins July 1, 2026. Dr. Dowd currently serves as president and chief executive officer of The Citadel Foundation, a position he’s held since 2013. Previously, Dr. Dowd served as vice president for development and executive director at the Francis Marion University Education Foundation, where he was a member of the senior staff and the college’s chief fundraiser. He also has served as vice president for advancement at Columbia College, assistant vice chancellor for university advancement at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and vice president for institutional advancement at Methodist College. In each community, he was a leader and collaborator, discovering a passion for service and building and sustaining relationships based on transparency, communication and respect. He is a graduate of Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where he earned a B.A. in history. He holds an M.Ed., with a focus on student personnel services, and a Ph.D. in educational administration from the University of South Carolina. He has more than 30 years of experience in higher education strategy, fundraising, institutional advancement and executive leadership. Read more.

Dr. David Tolentino has been appointed as the new Dean of Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine at Campbell University. Dr. Tolentino, currently serving as the Interim Dean, has been selected for the permanent appointment. As noted in the press release, "Dr. Tolentino emerged from the process as the candidate of first choice, earning the nod for “his demonstrated leadership in growing clinical education programs, developing new affiliate partnerships and contributing to medical training across the region” since joining the school as associate dean for clinical affairs in 2016." Dr. Tolentino is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in chemistry. He received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2002 and completed his internal medicine residency at St. John Medical Center in Westlake, Ohio. Read more.

Mr. John McKiernan has been appointed as the new Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at Holy Cross College effective May 1, 2026. Mr. McKiernan is a distinguished leader in higher education with extensive experience in administrative roles at Catholic institutions. Currently serving as Chief of Staff and most recently as Interim Chief Financial Officer at Wilmington College, he brings expertise in academic affairs, accreditation, strategic planning, and institutional governance. His previous roles include Assistant Vice President at Loyola University Maryland, where he managed board operations and strategic planning, and Director of Academic Counseling at Yale Law School. Mr. McKiernan holds a Juris Doctor and a BA in Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, an MBA from the University of Scranton, and a postgraduate diploma in theology from the University of Oxford. Read more.

Dr. Christopher Sindt has been appointed as the new President at Lewis University. Since joining Lewis University in 2018, Dr. Sindt has served with extraordinary distinction as provost, overseeing Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, Student Life, Athletics, and Campus Safety. He has played a central role in advancing the university’s strategic plan, strengthening student success, expanding academic innovation, and leading key initiatives that position Lewis for continued growth and impact. Under his leadership, Lewis achieved a successful 10-year reaccreditation term from the Higher Learning Commission, launched multiple new academic programs, expanded international partnerships, and supported major institutional milestones, including the merger with St. Augustine College and the growth of sponsored research and fundraising efforts. Dr. Sindt earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his master’s and doctoral degrees in English from the University of California, Davis. Read more.

Ms. Aubrie Willaert has been appointed as the new Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement at Columbia College Chicago. She will begin her position on February 1st. Ms. Willaert comes to CCC from the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music, where she served as the Executive Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations for 4 years. Prior to that, Ms. Willaert served for 2 years as the Director of Development for the School of Music at DePaul University. Ms. Willaert holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Florida State University, and a Master of Music in Voice Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music. Read more. 

Dr. James Antony has been appointed as the new Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost at the University of San Diego, effective March 1, 2026. Dr. Antony comes to USD following his tenure as Executive Vice President and Provost at George Mason University, the largest and most diverse research university in Virginia. Prior to his role at George Mason, he served as the dean of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs at UC San Diego. Dr. Antony has held notable academic leadership roles at Harvard, Yale and the University of Washington. From 2015 to 2019, he served as the faculty director of the Higher Education Program in the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University and co-directed Harvard’s Management Development Program. As an associate provost at Yale University from 2012 to 2015, he focused on faculty development and the promotion of undergraduate student leadership. His 17-year tenure at the University of Washington was marked by numerous leadership roles, including associate vice provost for graduate education, associate dean for the College of Education and director of two academic programs; he also facilitated the development of new graduate degree and certificate programs across the university, and created and led the Center for Leadership in Athletics, and its associated professional degree programs. Dr. Antony received his BA in psychology, and his MA and PhD in higher education and organizational change, all from UCLA. Read more.

Ms. Penny Reardon as the new Vice President for Finance and Treasurer at Bridgewater College, effective December 27, 2025. Ms. Reardon currently serves as the Director of Finance and Budget at Bridgewater, a position she has held since 2017.  Prior to her time at Bridgewater, she served as the Executive Dean of Administrative Services and Chief Financial Officer at Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College for 11 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Master of Business Administration, both from Eastern Mennonite University. 

Michael Ibba, Ph.D. has been appointed as the new executive vice president, provost, and chief academic officer at Chapman University. Dr. Ibba currently serves as interim provost. Dr. Ibba, who earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry with honors from the University of London and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Manchester, is an internationally known and award-winning microbiologist and researcher. He came to Chapman with significant R1 credentials from The Ohio State University. He served several progressively responsible positions at Ohio State starting in 2001, culminating in his roles as chair of the Department of Microbiology and associate director of the Infectious Diseases Institute. He joined Chapman in 2020 as Dean of the Schmid College of Science and Technology; he advanced the Schmid College’s academic offerings and research footprint in meaningful ways. His achievements include: the college successfully increased total student enrollments by 9% and the total number of credits taught by 18%; total grant funding awarded for research also increased by 300% with year-over-year publication growth; the college launched evidence-based faculty mentor training as a requirement for faculty to participate in a new program that provides credit for mentoring undergraduate researchers; and he helped to develop and launch a new doctoral program in Math, Physics, and Philosophy. Read more.