Provost/Chief Academic Officers

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.

Augsburg University has announced that Dr. Paula O’Loughlin will become the university’s new provost and senior vice president of academic and student affairs effective July 1, 2022. Dr. O’Loughlin has served as provost and dean of the faculty at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, since 2016. Prior to Coe College, she served in leadership positions at Gustavus Adolphus College and the University of Minnesota–Morris. Dr. O’Loughlin earned her PhD in political science from the University of Minnesota and her bachelor’s degree in government from Smith College in Northampton, MA. Read more here.

Wells College has announced the appointment of Dr. Susan Henking as Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. Dr. Henking has a long and distinguished career in higher education having served for over 25 years in the Department of Religious Studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, serving as interim vice president of academic affairs and student affairs, and later president of Salem Academy and College, and president and CEO of Shimer College.  Dr. Henking earned a B.A. in religion and sociology from Duke University. She later earned her M.A. at the University of Chicago Divinity School, where she also obtained her Ph.D. in religion and psychological studies.  Read more here.

St. Anselm College has announced the appointment of Dr. Sheila Liotta as the next Vice President of Academic Affairs. Dr. Liotta was appointed the founding dean of the School of Arts & Sciences at Providence College in 2009. Prior to serving as dean, Dr. Liotta was chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry for eight years. She obtained her bachelor's degree in chemistry from Rutgers University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Cornell University. Read more here.

Dr. Kara Battle has been selected as the Chief Academic Officer for Durham Technical Community College. Dr. Battle has served as the interim CAO at Durham Tech since April 2021 and has a long history with the institution. She has 28 years of experience in higher education, including her time as Dean of Science and Math at Durham Tech. She served as Director of Education at the Julius L. Chambers Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Institute at North Carolina Central University, and worked at Guilford Technical Community College, North Carolina A&T University, and Wytheville Community College (VA). Read more here.

The University of Montana has announced the appointment of Dr. Pardis Mahdavi as its next Provost and Executive Vice President. Dr. Mahdavi currently serves as Dean of Social Sciences at Arizona State University. She earned her B.A. in Diplomacy and World Affairs from Occidental College; an M.A. in Anthropology and an M.I.A. in Human Rights from Columbia University; and a Ph.D. in Sociomedical Sciences and Anthropology from Columbia University. She will assume the Provost and EVP position at the University of Montana in early summer 2022. Read more here.

Morris Brown College has appointed Dr. Anthony B. Johnson as its new Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Anthony Johnson brings to Morris Brown College extensive administrative experience having served at a broad range of higher education institutions including HBCU’s. He most recently served as the Interim Vice President for Academic Affair and Chief Academic Officer at Philander Smith College, Little Rock, Arkansas. Dr. Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi; a master’s degree in Elementary Education and a Doctorate in Education with a concentration in Special Education, Research & Statistics from Jackson State University. Read more here.

After an extensive national search, Cleveland State University has selected Dr. Laura Bloomberg, a nationally recognized leader in public and global policy education, as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Bloomberg is currently Professor and Dean of the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Read more here.

Blackburn College has announced the appointment of Dr. Karla McCain as Provost. She was the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Chemistry at Austin College, where her tenure spanned over 18 years. She held a variety of leadership positions prior to serving as AVPAA including Associate Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, Director of Accreditation, and Assessment and Program Director of Gender Studies. Dr. McCain holds a Ph.D. in Physical/Analytical Chemistry from the University of Utah, and a B.A. in Chemistry from Ohio Wesleyan University. Read more here.

The University of Northern Iowa has appointed Dr. José Herrera as its new Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. He will begin on July 12. An extensive author and lecturer on varying environmental sciences themes, his experience also includes researching and advising on the challenges and opportunities of first-generation college students and minority-serving institutions.