Dr. Robert Scott has been appointed as the new president at Albany State University (ASU), effective May 1, 2025. Dr. Scott, who holds a Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology, will return to higher education after almost two decades working in the private sector. He is currently the president of research and development at The Kraft Heinz Co. Dr. Scott has also served in executive roles at Abbott Nutrition and The Coca-Cola Co. He spent his early career teaching and serving as an administrator at Boston College, Spelman College and Norfolk State University. Born in New Jersey and raised in Suffolk, Virginia, Dr. Scott was the first in his family to attend college. He attended Norfolk State University, a historically Black university in Norfolk, Virginia, as a DNIMAS Scholar. The DNIMAS Scholar program, created through a generous gift to the university, addresses the severe shortage of minority scientists in the workforce by attracting and producing undergraduates who can complete graduate degrees in STEM. After earning a biology degree from Norfolk State, he then entered the graduate program at Georgia Tech, with a research focus in cell and molecular biology, and became the first DNIMAS Scholar to receive a Ph.D. After receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Scott became a biology professor at Norfolk State. He later served as an associate dean at both Boston College and Spelman College. In these roles, he gained leadership experience, oversaw curriculum development, secured research funding and mentored future leaders, all while prioritizing student success. Read more.
Dr. Michael E. Hill has been appointed as the new president at Randolph-Macon College. The appointment is effective August 1, 2025. Dr. Hill will join the Randolph-Macon community after completing his tenure as President of Chautauqua Institution, an educational community in western New York dedicated to engaged dialogue and cultural enrichment. Dr. Hill previously led the non-profit Youth for Understanding USA and served in senior roles at United Cerebral Palsy, Washington National Cathedral, and The Washington Ballet. He was also a founding faculty member at George Mason University's Master of Arts Management program, where he taught in an adjunct role for more than a decade and was named faculty member of the year in 2011. Dr. Hill earned a B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication from St. Bonaventure University, an M.A. in Arts & Cultural Management from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, and an Ed.D. from Vanderbilt University. Read more.
Dr. Dean Pribbenow has been appointed as the new president at Millikin University, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Pribbenow currently serves as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Elmhurst University, a position he’s held since 2020. With over 20 years of experience in academic leadership, Dr. Pribbenow served as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean at Edgewood College before moving to Elmhurst. At Elmhurst, Dr. Pribbenow oversaw a $35M operating budget. He co-led the effort to secure the designation of Elmhurst University as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, writing a successful $3.4M Title V grant to support the project. He also contributed to comprehensive campaign activities and has a breadth of experience in fundraising and institutional advancement. Dr. Pribbenow earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Luther College and a Master of Science in Counseling with a Higher Education Concentration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Read more.
Dr. Jermaine Whirl has been appointed as the new president at Savannah State University (SSU), effective April 1, 2025. Dr. Whirl, an Aspen Fellow, most recently served as president of Augusta Technical College (ATC), a role he has held since November 2020. Dr. Whirl’s career includes nearly 20 years of service as a faculty member and administrative leader at public colleges and universities in his home state of South Carolina and in Georgia. He has previously worked at several institutions, including Greenville Technical College, Savannah Technical College, Georgia Southern University and East Georgia State University. Dr. Whirl grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, and earned an associate of arts degree at Trident Technical College and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Winthrop University. He holds an MBA in business administration from Charleston Southern University, an M.Ed. in adult education and community leadership from Armstrong State University (now Georgia Southern University) and an Ed.D. in organizational leadership from Valdosta State University. Read more.
Mr. Shane Smeed has been appointed as the new President at Utah Tech University. Mr. Smeed, a Utah native, has served as president of Park University in Missouri since November 2020 and brings over 25 years of experience in higher education to the new role. He began his tenure with Park University in 2015, where he served as the Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services, then became the Chief Operating Officer in 2016, and ascended to the Presidency in 2020. He holds a Master of Arts degree in student personnel administration from Saint Louis University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Keller Graduate School of Management. Read more.
Dr. Eileen Strempel has been appointed as the new Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost at the University of San Diego, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Strempel comes to USD following her tenure as the Inaugural Dean of The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, with faculty appointments in both the School of Music and the School of Education and Information Studies. She received her Bachelor of Music from the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, her doctorate from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, and has completed Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management. Dr. Strempel has served both as an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow and a 2022-23 Fellow in the AGB Institute for Leadership and Governance in Higher Education. Especially dedicated to the mentorship and sponsorship of women in leadership, she is a contributing author in the newly released book, Thriving as a Woman in Leadership in Higher Education. Dr. Strempel is a noted international opera singer and was honored as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Her musical interests focus on the compositions of women composers, and the breadth of her musical scholarly work includes eight recordings, dozens of commissions, articles, and edited volumes that examine the political, social, and musical contexts of the most influential female composers of our time. Read more.
Dr. Sergio Perez has been appointed as the new Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Southern Connecticut State University. Dr. Perez has served as the College Diversity Officer at Loras College since 2020, where he played a key role in integrating DEI principles throughout the institution. He holds an Ed.D. from Edgewood College in Higher Education and Leadership Studies and a Master of Science in Education in Student Affairs Administration from The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Dr. Perez will begin his duties at Southern Connecticut in late May.
Dr. Daniel Cox has been appointed as the new Dean of Natural Sciences in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University. He will begin his appointment on May 1, 2025. Dr. Cox brings an impressive record of leadership, scholarship, and innovation, with extensive experience fostering interdisciplinary research, faculty development, and student success. Dr. Cox has most recently served as Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at Georgia State University. He is a celebrated scholar of neuroscience whose distinguished research career will further strengthen ASU’s position as a leader in natural sciences education and discovery. Prior to his role as Associate Dean, Dr. Cox was Director of the Neuroscience Institute and the Brains & Behavior university-wide area of focus spanning three colleges and fifteen academic departments. Dr. Cox received his B.S. in Biology from Wake Forest University, Ph.D. in Cell Biology and Genetics from Duke University, and completed his postdoctoral training in Neuroscience as a Jane Coffin Childs Fellow for Medical Research and an HHMI Research Associate at the University of California, San Francisco. His research interests focus on uncovering molecular programs that drive neuronal circuit construction, with an emphasis on dendrite development, and elucidating the mechanistic underpinnings of pain perception, sensory neuropathies, and multimodal sensory processing. His laboratory has been continuously funded by the NIH for 20 years.
David M. Bellar has been appointed as the fifth President of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University. He will assume his new role on July 14, 2025. Dr. Bellar joins FranU from the University of West Florida where he serves as the Dean of Usha Kundu, MD College of Health. During his tenure, he received a $6.68 million grant to enhance health education facilities, secured scholarship funding and gifts of space for immersive learning experiences at two hospitals, aided in implementing strategies to improve NCLEX pass rates to 98% for the School of Nursing, created the first Staff Council on campus, helped secure a partnership with two major hospital systems to support clinical space for nursing programs, and developed a virtual cadaver lab to enhance Anatomy and Physiology education. Dr. Bellar holds a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from Kent State University, a M.Ed. in Secondary Education from John Carroll University and a B.S in Biology and Life Science Chemistry from John Carroll University. Read more.