Independent Institution

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.

Mr. Matt Parlow has been appointed as the new President of Chapman University. He will assume the presidency on September 2, 2025. Mr. Parlow currently serves as executive vice president, chief advancement officer, and the Parker S. Kennedy Chair in Law at Chapman. Over his 12 years at Chapman, Mr. Parlow has been instrumental in propelling the institution toward becoming one of the nation’s elite academic universities as a member of executive leadership and an administrator-scholar. Matt has led Inspire: The Campaign for Chapman University that has raised more than $400 million to date—the largest and most ambitious fundraising initiative in the university’s history. Prior to this position, Mr. Parlow enhanced the standing and performance of the Dale E. Fowler School of Law while serving as the dean and Donald P. Kennedy Chair in Law. His accomplishments, among many, include improving the school’s U.S. News & World Report ranking by more than 20 spots and recruiting the most diverse and high-performing classes in the law school’s history. Before joining Chapman, Mr. Parlow served as a professor and an associate dean for academic affairs at Marquette University Law School, where he improved the school’s skills-based course selection and employment ranking, and he taught property, land use, legislation and sports law—his area of academic expertise which he co-taught with Major League Baseball Commissioner Emeritus Bud Selig. Earlier in his career, he practiced law at the prominent firm Manatt, Phelps, and Phillips and clerked for Judge Pamela Ann Rymer of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He also worked in the White House’s Office of the Legal Counsel and for the Office of Mayor Richard J. Riordan as a press deputy and policy analyst in Los Angeles, his hometown. He earned his undergraduate degree in history from Loyola Marymount University and his J.D. from Yale Law School. Read more.

Dr. Mark Blegen has been appointed as the new President of Linfield University effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Blegen currently serves as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Carroll University, a 3,300-student liberal arts university in Waukesha, Wisconsin. At Carroll, he oversaw a $40 million academic affairs budget, took part in comprehensive fundraising campaigns and played a key role in creating and implementing inclusive hiring practices for faculty and staff. Under his leadership, Carroll launched its first Ph.D program, expanded masters-level offerings and partnered with a high school in downtown Milwaukee to offer an on-site associate degree program, Carroll University’s first. The associate degree in nursing (ADN) focuses on educating and developing bilingual nurses. Previously, Dr. Blegen held posts at St. Catherine University in Minnesota. He served as associate dean, then dean of the Henrietta Schmoll School of Health Sciences and chaired the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science. He began his academic career teaching as an assistant professor at Mount Union College and Springfield College. Blegen holds a doctorate in exercise physiology from Kent State University, a master’s degree in exercise physiology from St. Cloud University and a Bachelor of Arts in sports science with a sports medicine focus from St. Olaf College. Read more.

Dr. Andrew Barnes has been appointed as the new President of Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Dr. Barnes currently serves as the Dean of the School of the Arts, Communication, and Global Studies, and of the School of Behavioral Sciences and Education at York College of Pennsylvania. For eleven years prior to coming to York, Barnes worked at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, and for eight of those years served as the Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Barnes is a leader in higher education with advanced degrees in the arts and humanities. He is a community-focused executive with exceptional communication skills and a leadership style that fosters communication, transparency, and trust. Dr. Barnes holds a B.A. in Accounting from the University of Indianapolis, a M.A. in Humanities and Social Thought from New York University, as well as a Ph.D. in English from SUNY-Stony Brook. Most recently, Dr. Barnes earned his M.F.A. in Creative Non-Fiction from Bennington Writing Seminars. Read more.

Dr. Lawrence T. Potter, Jr. has been appointed as the new Vice President for Academic Affairs of Canisius University. As noted in the press release, "Potter joins Canisius from the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), where he served as the chief academic officer and provost since 2019. In this capacity, he provided academic vision and leadership for the exclusively public, historically Black urban land-grant university. UDC offers more than 80 degree programs at the bachelor, master, and doctoral levels and serves nearly 4,000 degree-seeking students with a faculty and staff of over 400.  Potter led six academic colleges and workforce development, university libraries, research and graduate education, and the Center for Teaching and Learning.  In addition to academic and strategic planning efforts, he oversaw the academic program review process, accreditation, academic partnerships, and managed a $69 million budget for academic affairs." Dr. Potter holds a PhD and MA in English (literature and criticism) from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a BA in English, religion, and philosophy from Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, AL.  He will begin his duties with Canisius on November 11, 2024. Read more.

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.