Independent Institution

Fairleigh Dickinson University has announced that Dr. Benjamin Rifkin will become the university’s new Dean of the Maxwell Becton College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Rifkin is currently Professor of Russian and formerly Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Science, Including the School of Education, at Hofstra University. He was previously the Provost at Ithaca College and before that the Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at The College of New Jersey. He has an impressive record of scholarship in Russian studies and language pedagogy.  His service to his discipline have been widely recognized by his peers, as has his advocacy on behalf of students, women, and interfaith dialogue.  He is currently much in demand as a speaker on the events in Eastern Europe and Russia. Dr. Rifkin received his BA and MA in Russian and East European Studies from Yale and his PhD in Slavic Language and Literature from the University of Michigan.  This past year, he was awarded the degree Doctor of Letters honoris causa by Middlebury College. Read more here.

Dr. André Stephens has been selected as the next president of Fresno Pacific University. He will assume the presidency on July 1, 2022. Dr. Stephens has 30 years of experience in Christian higher education in California, most recently as vice president for student development at Biola University. Previous to the vice presidency, Stephens was associate vice president of university admissions. Under his leadership, Biola saw 12 consecutive years of enrollment growth. Dr. Stephens completed his B.A. in Communication with a public relations emphasis from Biola, his M.A. in Speech Communication with an emphasis in intercultural/interpersonal communication from California State University at Fullerton and his Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis in higher education administration/student affairs from Claremont Graduate University. Read more here.

Wheaton College has announced the appointment of Dr. Vanessa Wynder Quainoo as Chief Intercultural Engagement Officer.  Dr. Quainoo will serve as a member of the Senior Administration Cabinet and provide leadership for defining and meeting campus-wide diversity and inclusion goals and play a central role in fostering and sustaining a vision for biblical diversity. Dr. Quainoo currently serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Rhode Island, with joint appointments in the Departments of Communications Studies and Africana Studies. Dr. Quainoo’s expertise includes social rhetoric and race discourse. In addition to earning a Bachelor’s in Speech Communication from Wheaton College, she holds a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and a Master's in Oral Performance from Western Illinois University. Read more here.

University of Portland (UP) has appointed its 21st president, Dr. Robert Kelly, most recently Vice President, Special Assistant, and Clinical Professor at Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland. He becomes the first lay president and African American to lead UP in its 121-year history. Dr. Kelly has had an accomplished career in higher education, much of which at Catholic and other faith-based institutions. He holds a PhD in Philosophy, Education Policy, Planning and Administration from the University of Maryland; a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from the University of Vermont; and a bachelor’s degree in Arts and Political Science from Loyola University Maryland. Dr. Kelly served as Vice President for Student Development and adjunct professor of Education at Seattle University; Chief of Staff to the President of Union College; Associate Dean of Students, and Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Vermont; and Assistant Director of Residential Life at Colgate University.  Read more here.

Pratt Institute has announced the appointment of Dr. Donna Heiland as their new provost, effective April 18, 2022. Dr. Heiland has been serving as interim provost and prior to that post, served as Pratt’s vice provost for academic affairs. Dr. Heiland has served on the Board of the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP), as vice president of the Teagle Foundation and as director of fellowship programs at the American Council of Learned Societies. She was for many years a tenured faculty member at Vassar College. Dr. Heiland received her Ph.D. in English from Yale University.  Read more here.

Gonzaga University has appointed Dr. Sacha E. Kopp as its new Provost. Dr. Kopp currently serves as the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). Previously, Dr. Kopp served in a number of administrative and faculty positions at Syracuse University, the University of Texas at Austin, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He holds a bachelor’s, master’s, and a doctorate from the University of Chicago, and his research has been conducted at particle accelerator facilities nationally and internationally. Read More here.

Eastern University's search for a Dean of Business and Leadership has concluded with the appointment of Dr. Christa Lee-Chuvala, Assistant Professor of Business and Leadership, as Interim Dean. Dr. Lee-Chuvala joined the Eastern community in 2017 and has since demonstrated strengths in all aspects of academic operations, from executive leadership to classroom instruction to distinguished administrative service.  Dr. Lee-Chuvala received an MUP from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Studies from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Trinity College has announced the appointment of Mr. Matthew S. Hyde as the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid. Currently serving as Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and Dean of Admissions for Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, Mr. Hyde brings a depth of admissions, financial aid and enrollment management experience to his new role. His prior experience includes leadership positions at Tufts University, Milton Academy and the Northfield Mount Hermon School. Mr. Hyde holds an Ed.M. in Higher Education from Harvard University and an A.B. in History and Environmental Studies from Bowdoin College. Read more here.

The Christian Brothers Conference (CBC) has announced the appointment of Mr. Tom Southard, J.D. as its first Executive Director. The CBC is the office for the Lasallian Region of North America (RELAN) in the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle Christian Brothers). Mr. Southard currently serves as chief operating officer at the Conference of Major Superiors of Men. Mr. Southard is working toward his doctorate and holds a Juris Doctor from Villanova University, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Baltimore, a Master’s in philanthropic studies from Indiana University and a Bachelor’s in community studies and civic engagement from the University of Baltimore.  Read more here.

Central College has announced the appointment of Ms. Karen Tumlinson, MA as Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer of the college. She will begin duties in Pella, Iowa by the end of May. Ms. Tumlinson is currently the Division Director of Finance and Operations for the University of North Texas at Denton. She previously served as Vice President of Finance and Operations/CFO at Kansas Wesleyan University and as Assistant Vice President, Finance and Administration at the University of Arizona. She also had roles at the University of Kansas, Oklahoma State University and University of Nebraska. Ms. Tumlinson earned her B.A. in business from Doane University and M.S. in business and advanced data analytics from the University of North Texas. Read more here.