Independent Institution

The University of San Diego has successfully appointed Dr. Darren Kew as the next Dean of the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies. Dr. Kew holds a Ph.D. from Tufts University and brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and international relations. He is a professor and former Chair of the Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and Global Governance, and Executive Director of the Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Additionally, Dr. Kew has advised democracy and peace initiatives to the United Nations, USAID, US State Department, and several NGOs, including the Carter Center and the Nobel Peace Prize-nominated Interfaith Mediation Centre in Kaduna, Nigeria. Read more. 

Seton Hall University has successfully appointed Monsignor Joseph Reilly, S.T.L, Ph.D as the University's 22nd president. Over half of Monsignor Reilly's life has been spent on the South Orange campus of Seton Hall. First as a Prep and college student, later coming back in 2002 as a University administrator, then as Rector/Dean of Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology, and now as Vice Provost for Academics and Catholic Identity. He believes his long tenure at Seton Hall has given him a unique appreciation for the University and the potential that lies within. Monsignor Reilly has earned many awards and appointments over the years. He was named a Missionary of Mercy by His Holiness, Pope Francis. The Missionaries of Mercy are priests from around the world who are to be living signs of the Father's welcome to all those in search of His forgiveness. Reilly was also selected as an honoree among the 2015 Irish Education 100. Sponsored by the Irish Voice, the honor was conferred by the Irish Consul General in Manhattan, NYC, on December 9, 2015. Reilly holds a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from Georgian University and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from Pontificio Instituto Teresianum in Rome. He also holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration from Fordham University in New York. Read more.

Wheaton College (MA) has successfully appointed Dr. Sean Schofield as their new Assistant Vice President for Life and Career Design. Dr. Schofield currently serves as the Executive Director of Career Services at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. As the Executive Director, Schofield provided strategic leadership and oversight for a centralized college-wide career services division. Schofield also leveraged data to understand and develop a methodology to individualize career interventions (Muhlenberg Action Plan) which has been developed and successfully launched to all first-year Muhlenberg students. Prior to his work at Muhlenberg College, Schofield served as the Associate Director of Graduate Career Advising at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Schofield served on the Associate Dean's workplace culture team, leading efforts to improve staff morale and engagement. He also advanced diversity and inclusion initiatives and practices through surveys and one-on-one staff check-ins and delivered 30+ workshops to graduate and business students. Dr. Schofield holds a Bachelor of Arts in Family and Child Studies and a Masters of Arts in Counseling (Student Affairs & Higher Education) from Montclair State University. He also holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Policy, Planning and Leadership, from William and Mary. Read more. 

University of the Arts has successfully appointed Mr. Eric Leal as their new Vice President for Finance and Administration. Mr. Leal has served as the Associate Dean for Budget and Administration in the College of Arts and Sciences at American University since the Spring of 2019. He previously served as the Associate Dean for Administration and Finance for the College of Medicine at Howard University, and as the Assistant Dean of Administration and Finance for the School of Optometry at the University of California, Berkeley. A former active duty Air Force member and Appropriation Manager at The Pentagon, Mr. Leal holds an MBA from the University of Tennessee and a BA in Psychology from the University of Arizona. Read more.

Marist College has successfully appointed Dr. Ron Buckmire as their new Dean of the School of Computer Science and Mathematics. Dr. Buckmire will begin on August 1, 2024. Dr. Buckmire comes to Marist College from Occidental College in Los Angeles, where he served as Professor of Mathematics and had been on the faculty since receiving a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1994. He has served the national mathematics community in a wide array of capacities in multiple organizations, including as a Program Officer in the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation. Dr. Buckmire also holds an M.Sc. and B.Sc. in mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Read more.

Quinnipiac University has successfully appointed Dr. Nadine Barnett Cosby as their new Dean of the School of Communications. Dr. Cosby will begin her new role on June 17th. Dr. Cosby comes to Quinnipiac from Iona University, where she has held a number of roles since 2011, including Founding Director of the Black Studies program, Assistant Provost/Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Faculty Development, and, most recently, Associate Vice Provost.  Dr. Cosby is also Associate Professor of Media & Strategic Communication at Iona. In addition to her academic experience, Dr. Cosby has worked in broadcasting at networks including ABC and Lifetime.  She earned her bachelor’s in mass communications at CUNY Lehman College. She holds master’s degrees in organizational communications from Iona College and in media studies from The New School for Public Engagement. She earned her Ph.D. in communication from Regent University. Read more.

Florida Institute of Technology has named Dr. John Z. Kiss as its next Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Kiss will join Florida Tech on May 1st. Since 2016, Dr. Kiss has served as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of biology at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.  Kiss’s research focuses on the gravitational and space biology of plants. He has published 128 peer-reviewed papers, most co-authored with his students. He also has been invited to present seminars based on his research at universities throughout the U.S. and in 14 other countries. Kiss served as dean of the Graduate School at the University of Mississippi from 2012-16. He was on the faculty of Miami University from 1993 to 2012 where he was a university distinguished professor and chair of the Botany Department. He holds a B.S. in biology from Georgetown University and a Ph.D. in botany and plant physiology from Rutgers University. In 2014, Kiss received the NASA Outstanding Public Leadership Medal “for exceptional contributions in spaceflight research in the fundamental biology of plants in support of NASA’s exploration mission.” In 2021, he received the International Cooperation Medal from the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), and asteroid Kiss 8267 was named in his honor. Read more. 

Augustana College has successfully appointed Dr. Gauri Pitale as their new Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Dr. Pitale will begin her new role on February 29th. Dr. Pitale comes to Augustana from 3 years as Associate Dean of Students for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Bridgewater College. She has extensive experience in DEI programming and in the advising of student clubs and organizations. Previously, Dr. Pitale served as assistant professor in the department of life sciences at Ivy Tech Community College.  She earned her bachelor’s in ancient Indian culture at St. Xavier’s College (University of Mumbai), Mumbai, India. She holds master’s degrees in biological anthropology from Southern Illinois University and in ancient Indian culture, history and archaeology from Deccan College (Deemed University), Pune, India. She earned her Ph.D. in medical anthropology from Southern Illinois University. Read more.

Boston Architectural College has sucessfully appointed Mr. William "Bill" Judge as the new Vice President of Finance and Administration. He will begin at The BAC on January 16, 2024. Bill's distinguished career includes over 30 years of impactful leadership roles where his accomplishments in financial management and strategic planning have been truly commendable. Currently the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer at the World Wide Web Consortium, Inc. (W3C) in Cambridge, MA, he oversees budget development, financial planning, and performance for the international consortium. Previously, he played a crucial role at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), leading the transition of W3C to an independent legal entity. Bill has also held senior leadership positions at Brown University, Episcopal Divinity School, University of Massachusetts President's Office, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and Massachusetts Microelectronics Center, where he consistently demonstrated expertise in financial administration, human resources, information technology, and facilities management, making significant contributions to the success of the organizations he has served. As Vice President of Finance and Administration, Bill will play a pivotal role in shaping and guiding the BAC’s financial strategies and administrative functions. His strategic approach and financial acumen will ensure the sound financial health of the college while also supporting The BAC’s ongoing commitment to fostering an environment where students can thrive and excel in the dynamic and evolving fields of design and architecture. Expressing his excitement about becoming a part of the BAC, Bill stated, "I am honored to join The Boston Architectural College and support the community's deep commitment to its mission of diversifying the design professions. I am excited to contribute to the BAC's growth phase and collaborate with an exceptionally talented team for continued success."

Loyola Marymount University (LMU) has successfully appointed Ms. Brietta Clark as the next Fritz B. Burns Dean of the Loyola Law School. This makes Clark, who is the 19th dean of the law school, the first woman to hold the position and also the first Black dean in the law school’s history. Dean Clark has served as interim dean since July 2023.Since joining the LMU Loyola Law School faculty in 2001, Clark has been instrumental in developing and implementing the law school’s strategic vision. During her tenure, she has served in numerous leadership roles in addition to interim dean, including associate dean for faculty from 2015-20. Clark also served as the co-chair of the LLS Strategic Planning Committee, chairing both the Tenure Review and Tenure-Track Appointments committees, helping to develop equitable practices in recruiting and retaining diverse faculty. A nationally recognized expert in health law and bioethics, Clark is a sought-after speaker for national conversations on health care regulation and reform. Among her many publications, Clark is one of five authors of the ninth edition of “Health Law,” the leading health law casebook in American law schools; she has also served as a peer reviewer for publications such as the American Journal of Law and Medicine, the American Journal of Public Health, and the New England Journal of Medicine. Before joining LLS, Clark practiced in the Los Angeles office of Sidley, Austin, Brown & Wood, specializing in health care transactions and regulatory compliance. Clark earned her B.A. from the University of Chicago and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, where she was a post-graduate research fellow. Read more.