Independent Institution

The Christian Theological Seminary has named Dr. Francisco Lozada, Jr. as the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty effective July 1, 2023. Dr. Lozada joins CTS from Brite Divinity School where he most recently served as the Charles Fischer Catholic Professor of New Testament and Latinx Studies and the Director of the Borderlands Institute and the Latinx Studies Program. Prior, he served as Chair of the Department of Religious Studies and Thomas A. French Chair in Religious Studies at University of the Incarnate Word. Dr. Lozada holds a PhD in New Testament and Early Christianity from Vanderbilt University, a MTS from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and a BA in Religious Studies from John Carroll University. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio to Puerto Rican parents and is Catholic with a commitment to strong ecumenical and interfaith relationships. Read more here.

The Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary has announced that the Rev. Dr. Andrew David Pomerville will serve as Louisville Seminary's 11th president. Dr. Pomerville is the founding director of the Center for College and Community Engagement, assistant vice president for community engagement and senior chaplain at Alma College in Michigan. Dr. Pomerville was ordained in the Presbyterian Church USA in 2007. He is a graduate of three Presbyterian schools, earning a Bachelors of Arts in history and religious studies at Alma College, a Master of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Read more here.

Dr. Scott Strawn has been appointed as the Business Officer in the Office of Student Life at Baylor University. He will begin serving in this position on June 1st, 2023. Dr. Strawn joins Baylor University with 28 years of experience in higher education focusing on student development. His most recent position was as Vice President for Business and Finance/Chief Financial Officer at Southern Nazarene University, where he previously served as Vice President for Student Development. Prior to SNU, he served as the Director of Residence Life at Santa Clara University, the Director of Student Programs at Seattle Pacific University, and the Residence Life Complex Director at The University of Kansas. Dr. Strawn received his Ed.D. from The University of Kansas, his M.A. in Educational Leadership from Ball State University, and his B.A. in Mathematics from Anderson University.

The Liturgical Press’s Give Us This Day has appointed Ms. Heidi Busse as its new editor. Ms. Busse previously served as the Editorial Manager/Acquisitions Editor for Twenty Third Publications, where she managed the full project line of print and digital products and acquired and cultivated relationships with new and current authors. Along with maintaining outstanding print resources for the parish and trade markets, she developed Twenty-Third’s digital resources including their top-selling downloadable Stations of the Cross and A Consoling Embrace: Prayers in a Time of Pandemic. As a publishing leader, her extensive experience in Catholic publishing and shared commitment to the Benedictine charism make her a unique fit for this position.  

Millersville University has appointed Dr. Nafez Alyan as its next Vice President for Finance and Administration/CFO, starting on July 1, 2023. Since 2021, Dr. Alyan has served as the Vice President of Finance, Operations, IT and CFO at Lake Superior State University in Michigan. From 2012-2021, he was managing partner with Novus International Consultants. He also served as CFO of United Arab Emirates University from 2008-2012. In addition to several leadership roles, Nafez previously taught at universities worldwide, developed and delivered executive training seminars, and served as a keynote speaker at prestigious venues in his fields of expertise. Dr. Alyan earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Oklahoma and his master’s in accounting and financial management from the University of Sheffield (UK). In addition, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from Kuwait University.  Read more here.

Cottey College has appointed Dr. Karla McCain as the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty. She will begin on July 1st. Dr. McCain has been Provost at Blackburn College since 2021.  Prior to Blackburn College, she spent 18 years at Austin College and served in a number of roles, including Program Director of Gender Studies, Director of Accreditation and Assessment, Associate Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, and, most recently, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.  She was also a tenured professor in chemistry.  Dr. McCain is eager to shepherd the mission of Cottey College to develop women as leaders through intellectually engaging curricular and co-curricular experiences and to prepare them to serve their local and global communities. Dr. McCain received a B.A. in chemistry from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Ph.D. in physical/analytical chemistry from the University of Utah. Read more here.

Edward Waters University has appointed Mrs. Tourea Robinson as their Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Development, Marketing and Communications (IADMC). She began serving at EWU on April 4, 2012. Most recently, she served as Director of Development at the Clay County Aging True Communities in Northeast Florida, and formerly served as the Director of Development for the Ritz Chamber Music Society and Manager of Grants, Corporate, and Foundation Giving at the Jacksonville Symphony. Previously in higher education, she served as Coordinator of Donor Relations and Annual Fund Officer at Savannah State University and as Director of Donor Relations and Special Events at the Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) Foundation. Mrs. Robinson earned her BA in Mass Communications from Savannah State University and Master's in business administration from the University of Phoenix. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from the University of Phoenix.  Read more here.

Ms. Sandra Kim has been appointed as the new Vice President for Finance and Administration at St. Mary's College of California.  She will begin her new position on May 15, 2023. Previously, she served as Associate Vice President of Finance at the University of California’s Office of the President where she oversaw financing strategies and capital and real estate development for the 10-campus UC system. Ms. Kim also served at UBS Public Finance as Managing Director and Group Head for the company’s Higher Education Group, Western Region. Her role included serving as a strategic financing partner for senior finance leaders, presidents and chancellors, and board members. She earned her master’s in public policy from the University of Chicago and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. Read more here.

Dr. Sarah Pingel has been appointed as the new Vice President of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS).  As noted in the press release, "Sarah brings nearly 20 years of experience in the field of education to NCHEMS, most recently serving as a senior researcher at Ithaka S+R, where she focused on public policy issues facing postsecondary education, with a particular focus on finance and affordability. Sarah also served as a principal at the Education Commission of the States and led multi-year projects related to state financial aid and workforce and postsecondary connections."  Read more here.

Wilberforce University has appointed Dr. Vann R. Newkirk to serve as its next president. Dr. Newkirk will be the 23rd president of the country's oldest private historically Black university beginning in July, 2023. Dr. Newkirk brings a wealth of experience in higher education, having served in various leadership roles at several institutions. He presently serves as an interim associate vice president at Alabama A & M University in Huntsville, and is a former president of the historic Fisk University in Nashville (TN) where he also served as provost and vice president of academic affairs. Dr. Newkirk holds a B.S. in sociology from Barber-Scotia College, an M.A. in history from Winthrop University, an M.S. from North Carolina Central University, and Ph.D. in history from Howard University. Read more here.