Independent Institution

Spalding University has successfully appointed Dr. Anne Kenworthy as their next President. Dr. Kenworthy will officially assume her new role on January 1, 2025. Dr. Kenworthy’s academic and professional journey has uniquely prepared her to lead Spalding University. Before her tenure at the University of Findlay, she held multiple leadership positions at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, TN, including Associate Vice President for Donor Relations, Academic Dean for adult and undergraduate programs, and Vice President of Enrollment, where she achieved record-breaking enrollment numbers. Dr. Kenworthy has also served as Vice President of Advancement and Planning at Crichton College and contributed to K-12 mathematics teacher development at the University of Memphis. Dr. Kenworthy holds a B.S. in Mathematics and an Ed.D. in higher education from the University of Memphis, an MBA from Christian Brothers University, and a Fundraising Management Certificate from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She is a respected speaker at regional and national conferences, with expertise in strategic enrollment, college access, student success, women’s leadership, and victim’s rights. Read more.

Metropolitan College of New York has successfully appointed Dr. Charles J. Gibbs as its seventh president, effective July 1st. Dr. Gibbs brings a wealth of experience in higher education administration, spanning over 25 years. His previous roles include Vice President for University Affairs and Chief of Staff and President of the Propel Center HBCU Consortium at Clark Atlanta University, Dean and Vice President for Student Affairs and Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Miles College in Alabama and Vice Provost at Howard University from which he holds three degrees (Ed.D., M.Ed. in Education Administration and Policy, and BBA in Marketing) and has been a prominent figure in policy, accreditation, legislation, strategic partnerships and fundraising throughout his career. Most recently, Dr. Gibbs served as the Chief Executive Officer of 100 Black Men of America, Inc., where he oversaw  the organization’s work in mentoring African American youth nationwide. Read more.

Misericordia University has successfully appointed Dr. Lisa May Norton as their new Dean of the College of Health Sciences and Education effective 9/1/24. With a distinguished career spanning over 25 years, Dr. Norton brings a wealth of experience in higher education administration and a strong commitment to advancing social justice and fostering inclusive academic environments. She joins Misericordia University from Touro University California, where she served as Dean for the College of Education and Health Sciences. Her tenure at Touro was marked by her leadership in enhancing student support services, securing grants for mentoring programs, and spearheading strategic enrollment management initiatives that significantly improved student retention and success. Dr. Norton holds an Ed.D. in Education Leadership from The University of Texas at San Antonio, an MA in Psychology, Social Psychology from San Francisco State University, and a BS in Psychology from The University of North Texas. Read more.

Holy Family University has successfully appointed Dr. Bindhu Alappat as their Vice President of Academic Affairs. Dr. Alappat begin her duties on August 1st. Dr. Alappat is a seasoned academic administrator with over 15 years of experience in Catholic higher education as both a professor and an administrator. She most recently served as the Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences at Saint Catherine University, Saint Paul, MN. She has a proven record of fostering academic excellence and developing students for meaningful lives and professional careers. Dr. Alappat is dedicated to delivering high-quality education that embodies the Catholic mission and ensures it guides strategic decisions and daily operations. Dr. Alappat earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, in Madras, India, and her M.S. in Chemistry at Mahatma Gandhi University, in Kerala, India. She has undergraduate degrees in both chemistry and education. She did her post-doctoral research at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Maryland. 

Dr. Manuel Martínez has been appointed as the new President of Dominican University New York. Dr. Martínez will start on July 15, 2024. Previously, Dr. Martínez was the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Dean of Faculty at Mercy College of Ohio. 

Siena College has successfully appointed Dr. Anne McCarthy as their next Dean of the School of Science. Dr. McCarthy will join Siena College on July 1st. Dr. McCarthy is currently the Associate VP for Academic Affairs at Wayne State College in Nebraska, having previously been a faculty member in mathematics, Associate Dean in Academic Affairs, and Interim VP for Academic Affairs at Fort Lewis College. As a member of the faculty she led curricular initiatives in her mathematics department and mentored numerous student research projects. In administrative roles she has had responsibility for student success initiatives, obtaining significant grants related to retention and inclusivity in STEM disciplines, enrollment management, accreditation and assessment, academic program review, and many other activities.

Fresno Pacific University has successfully appointed Dr. Alison Noble as their next provost and senior vice president of academic affairs. Dr. Noble will begin her new role on August 5, 2024. Dr. Noble comes from Messiah University, a Council for Christian Colleges & Universities member affiliated with the Brethren In Christ, a denomination related to the Mennonite Brethren, which sponsors Fresno Pacific University. There since 2010, she has served as interim provost—her current position—associate provost, assistant provost and director of faculty development, special assistant to the provost, and professor of chemistry. She is an accomplished scholar and educator with a publication and speaking record in chemistry, education, and faith and learning. Prior to Messiah, Noble was a visiting assistant professor at George Fox University and the University of Portland and a senior process engineer at Intel Corporation. Dr. Noble has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a B.S. in Chemistry from Westmont College. She is also a 2023 graduate of the Institute for Management and Leadership in Higher Education from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Read more.

Mount Saint Mary College has successfully appointed Dr. Robert Gervasi as their next President. Dr. Gervasi will begin his new role June 17, 2024. Dr. Gervasi has more than three decades of experience in higher education administration, including 14 years as a college president. He also has extensive teaching experience, having taught courses in Greek and Roman civilization, religion, historiography, business, philosophy, ethics, and more. Prior to his career in higher education, he worked in marketing and communications serving major firms including Bristol-Myers and Procter & Gamble. He earned an Honors AB in Classics from Xavier University, an MA and PhD in Classics from The Ohio State University, and an MBA in Marketing from the Wharton School. A former Fullbright Scholar, he now serves as Board Chair of the Fulbright Association. Read more.

The University of Dubuque has successfully appointed Dr. Travis Frampton as their next President. Dr. Frampton will succeed President Bullock, who is currently the longest serving president in UD's history. He will begin his new role June 1, 2024. Dr. Frampton has served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas, since July 2019. He also is Schreiner's Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges liaison as well as Schreiner's Title IX coordinator. As provost and vice president for academic affairs at Schreiner University, Dr. Frampton created a new academic learning ecosystem for the campus, implemented new academic programs, designed relevant and innovative academic majors, developed mission-critical co-curricular programs, consistently maintained a balanced budget and created ways to improve efficiency, established graduate school pipelines for undergraduates, added resources to increase support for faculty development, and more. Dr. Frampton earned a bachelor of arts in religion from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, a master of arts in religion from Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut, and a dual doctor of philosophy degree in philosophy and religion from Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (philosophy) in the Netherlands and Baylor University (religion) in Waco, Texas. Read more.

Dr. Laura McGrane has been appointed as the new Provost of Lafayette College. Dr. McGrane will join Lafayette College on July 1st. Since 2021, Dr. McGrane has served as the Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives at Haverford College.