Independent Institution

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.

Simpson College has successfully appointed Mr. Bret Mills as Vice President for Business and Finance. Mr. Mills currently serves as President of Conlin Properties Inc. in Des Moines, IA. As President, Mills oversaw the accounting, finance, and development activities for the company’s property management and real estate development consisting of 5000 units (affordable and market rate multifamily units and homeownership associations (HOAs)). Mills also worked with state and local officials, syndicators, lenders, auditors, attorneys, appraisers, and professionals in the building trades in the execution of applications and documentation for the equity and debt required to build, rehabilitate, or refinance multifamily properties. Prior to his work at Conlin Properties, Mills served as Director for the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED). He was appointed by Governor Culver to lead the state's economic development efforts by building relationships and partnering with state agencies, local governments, industry associations, economic development organizations, businesses, and community stakeholders to promote collaboration and investment in Iowa. Mills oversaw the IDED budget, ensuring strategic use of resources, and the allocation of state and federal grants and incentives. Mr. Mills holds a Bachelor of General Studies in Communications, Journalism, and Business from the University of Iowa as well as a BS in Accounting and an MBA from Drake University. Mills is a Certified Public Accountant, a Housing Credit Compliance Professional, as well as a Housing Finance Development Professional. Read more.

Columbia Theological Seminary has successfully appointed Robert Hay Jr. as Vice President for Business and Administration/CFO, effective January 8, 2024. Mr. Hay has a deep background as a non-profit executive with a fundraising, development, investment, financial, and operational background. He comes to Columbia after 12 years as Senior Ministry Relations Officer with the Presbyterian Foundation of the Presbyterian Church. Prior to that, Mr. Hay served as Chief Administrative Officer for Hi-Hope Service Center and Chief Financial/Chief Operating Officer for Care and Counseling Center of Georgia. Mr. Hay holds a MPA from Georgia State University and a BS in Management Information Systems from Auburn University. Read more.

Dr. Jason Lane has been appointed as the first President of the National Association of System Heads (NASH). Dr. Lane is an accomplished leader, widely-read author, and award-winning scholar with more than ten books on higher education. He has a long history with NASH, having developed its System Leadership Academy, directed the Systems Center, and co-led Taking Student Success to Scale (TS3). As a Senior Fellow, he helped guide NASH through the pandemic and launch the Big Rethink, a year-long strategic planning process to guide the future of NASH. He currently serves as Dean of the College of Education, Health, and Society at Miami University. Dr. Lane has also served as Vice Provost & Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for The State University of New York system (SUNY). Dr. Lane will begin in his new role on January 2nd, 2024. Read more here.

Delaware Valley University has successfully appointed Mr. James Cooper as the Vice President for Finance and Administration effective 11/15/23. Mr. Cooper brings more than 25 years of experience in higher education finance, budgeting, capital expense planning and execution, facilities, information technology, risk management, auxiliary enterprise operations, public safety, community partnerships and risk management. He currently serves as Vice President of Finance and Administration at Cabrini University with responsibility for the key financial and business functions within the University. These include financial operations and planning, facilities management, human resources, endowment and investment management, enterprise risk management, as well as the operations of information technology and services, food services, bookstore, public safety, groundskeeping, and facilities. Prior positions include serving as Vice President of Finance and Administration at Virginia Wesleyan University and positions in finance at Arcadia University, Ursinus University and LaSalle University. Before entering finance in higher education, he worked in the accounting and healthcare industries. He holds an MBA in Finance from La Salle University and a BBA in Accounting from Temple University. Read more.

Pitzer College has successfully appointed Mr. Nathaniel Wyrick as the new Assistant Vice President of Admissions. Mr. Wyrick joins the Pitzer team after serving the past 5 years at Warren Wilson College as the Director of Admissions and has previous experience in Admissions at Tufts University and the Pacific Northwest College of Art. He began his duties on campus on September 29, 2023.

Field Museum has successfully appointed Dr. Erin Hagen as Senior Director of the Keller Science Action Center. She will lead the Field Museum's Keller Science Action Center, the conservation arm of the Museum, on international conservation efforts across the Andes/Amazon region of South America, as well as projects in the greater Chicago area. Dr. Hagen was most recently the Director of Science at River Partners, a California-based non-profit focused on conservation. Prior to that she was the Commissioner of the Alameda County Public Health Commission. She holds a Doctorate from the University of Connecticut.