He will succeed Dr. Laura Casamento, who will retire on July 31, 2023, following her highly accomplished seven-year presidency.

“Utica University’s future as a leader in higher education and an influential contributor in the region continues to grow,” says Pfannestiel, who currently serves as Utica’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “I am honored to serve the institution and its amazing students, faculty, and staff along that path.

“As with many universities, we face challenges which together we will address head-on with the same spirit that has become a hallmark at Utica,” he continues. “My wife and I are excited about what the future holds for all of our Pioneer family.”

“This decision follows a national search and comes after careful and exhaustive consideration of a highly qualified group of finalists, each of whom made a distinct and compelling case for the opportunity to lead this institution. The fact that this search garnered such remarkably capable and experienced candidates is testament to the growing international reputation of Utica University as an innovative and dynamic institution of higher learning – a reputation enhanced in no small measure through the efforts of our incoming president over the past five years.”

Pfannestiel has 25 years of experience in higher education, as a faculty member, school dean, and senior administrator. Through the course of his tenure as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Utica, he has led and collaborated closely with faculty on a variety of initiatives to raise the academic profile of the university and further its mission. Chief among these achievements was the recently implemented redesign of the university’s general education curriculum, as well as the launch of a number of innovative academic programs designed to address emerging workforce and societal needs, including the M.S. in Social Work, the Family Nurse Practitioner M.S. and graduate certificate, the M.S. in Data Science, and others. Under Dr. Pfannestiel’s leadership, the university has met a rapidly changing undergraduate market with its first A.S. and B.B.A. degree programs, providing a greater variety of career pathways for students of all backgrounds.

“I am honored to serve this institution and its amazing students, faculty, and staff.”

He played a pivotal role in the university’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, protecting the health and safety of the entire campus community while working cooperatively with faculty and staff to keep the learning enterprise on track through an innovative mix of virtual, in-person, and hybrid instruction.

“Above all of his many qualifications, Dr. Pfannestiel possesses a deep and abiding appreciation for the student experience at Utica University and the transformative power of higher education,” Brvenik says. “He has built strong relationships with our students, playing an active role in campus life beyond the traditional scope of his role as provost. He closely identifies with the families we serve and the challenges they face, drawing on his own experience as a first-generation student at the University of Arkansas.”

Prior to joining Utica University, Pfannestiel served on the faculty of Clarion University of Pennsylvania for 20 years, earning the rank of professor of history. During his time at Clarion, he also served as Dean of the College of Arts, Education, and Sciences, interim provost, and acting president.

Pfannestiel earned his Ph.D. in History from the College of William and Mary, where he was a Woodrow Wilson Foundation Fellow in the Humanities; completed post-graduate studies at Duke University as a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow in Economics, and completed his B.A. in History and Economics at the University of Arkansas as a Fulbright College Scholar summa cum laude.

A native of Oklahoma, Pfannestiel and his wife Dr. Aimee Zellers, an associate professor of philosophy at Carlow University, reside in Sauquoit, N.Y.

PROFESSIONAL DEDICATED TO IMPROVING EQUITY OUTCOMES

Congleton currently serves as assistant vice chancellor for equity and inclusion at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to that appointment, she was the vice president of equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at Chatham University in Pennsylvania.

In her scholarship and career, she has focused on the ways in which institutional policies and practices inhibit thriving, full equity, inclusion and justice for underserved communities. She believes in the importance of people uniting to have challenging social justice conversations as a way to create understanding and improve equity outcomes.

Congleton earned a Ph.D. in education and organizational leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She holds an M.S. in community services from Michigan State University and a B.S. in agricultural and extension education from The Pennsylvania State University.

In 2019, Congleton was named a Woman of Excellence by the New Pittsburgh Courier. She is also a member of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education and an alumna of its prestigious Standards of Professional Practice Institute. She serves on the Black Girl Equity Alliance Advisory Board, the research arm of Gwen’s Girls, and the GED Testing Service Transformation team.

FOCUS ON CREATING PATHWAYS FOR SUCCESS

Congleton will build on the success of C.J. Harkness, who recently transitioned from chief diversity officer to the director of spiritual life for BW.

“C.J.’s leadership has been instrumental in elevating the core value of inclusiveness that has been a cornerstone of BW since its founding. As we welcome Randi to the BW community, we look forward to the strategic direction and initiatives she brings to diversity and inclusion across all facets and constituencies of the University,” stated BW President Bob Helmer.

“She and her staff, which includes the Center for Inclusion, will provide the vision and leadership for understanding diversity in all its dimensions and for creating pathways to success for students and employees,” continued Helmer.

“Her work will unite her with BW faculty to further strengthen the infusion of diversity into the curriculum. She also will engage with alumni, as well as local and national leaders, to advance diversity, equity and inclusion beyond the boundaries of our campus,” he added.

“Randi has a proven record of success. She is a collaborator whose creative and strategic thinking offers organizations new and exciting opportunities to create a more equitable and inclusive future,” said Helmer.

INSPIRING LEADER WITH INTEGRITY, INTELLECT

In 2020, Congleton was interviewed for a Chatham University blog, where she articulated the markers of a truly inclusive campus and how all individuals can be better advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion.*

“When you consider inclusion, it’s from a 360° perspective, from using teaching practices that honor different ways of understanding to including individuals from different backgrounds in the curriculum,” she noted.

Congleton believes there are important questions to ask, such as, “Are we filling needs for students who are housing- or food-insecure? Are we making space for the great things that international students, students of color and students from the LGBTQIA+ community bring to the table? Can disabled students find van-accessible spots? If we have retention challenges for certain populations of students, how can we step up and assist in closing the gap?”

She then asked, “What does inclusion look like when we are doing well?” She responded, “It looks like strong retention and support for faculty and staff of color. They provide personal and scholarly value as well as mentorship.

“If you see someone as a human worthy of feeling that they matter and them being here is important — you have to show up for them. It requires saying, ‘I want to do my best because I want to honor all of who you are. So, I’m going to learn how to say your name and what pronouns you prefer and what makes you feel affirmed. When I mess up, because I’m human and humans mess up, I will take up the hard task of being comfortable with the uncomfortable and learning how to do better,'” she went on to say.

“To be able to treat each other in this way means that the learning is stronger, the connection is stronger and the students that we send into society become stronger,” she emphasized.