Provost College University Placement

Quincy University Names Dr. Sarah Vordtriede-Patton as Their next Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

QUINCY, Ill. – Quincy University announces Dr. Sarah Vordtriede-Patton as QU’s next Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. She will assume the role on July 1, 2023. The current QU Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Teresa Reed, is retiring at the end of this academic year after a distinguished career as a faculty member and administrator.

Vordtriede-Patton has 30 years of experience in higher education, ranging from her early years as an instructor to serving as the founding dean of the School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics at Columbia College in Columbia, Mo.

“Quincy University is a transformative institution housed within a vibrant community,” said Vordtriede-Patton, PhD, EdS. “I am humbled and overjoyed that 30 years in higher education have prepared me to participate in charting QU’s future as part of President McGee’s leadership team.”

Within the last decade, Vordtriede-Patton’s work includes management and professional development of faculty and staff, assessment and coordination of academic departments, strategic planning, budget management, accreditation and assessment reviews, and oversight of recruiting, marketing and advising.

“Sarah Vordtriede-Patton is an exceptional academic leader and a superb teacher and scholar,” said Brian McGee, PhD, president of Quincy University. “A lifelong Midwesterner,

accomplished scientist, and former Army reservist, she will be a wonderful member of the QU community.”

In addition to her current role as the Dean of the School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics at Columbia College, Vordtriede-Patton is a VALUE Institute certified scorer for the Association of American Colleges & Universities and a peer reviewer for the Chicago-based Higher Learning Commission, one of the largest accreditors of colleges and universities in the United States. Before assuming her position at Columbia College, Vordtriede-Patton was the Interim Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Iowa’s St. Ambrose University, where she worked for 15 years.

“Before her time at Columbia College, Dr. Vordtriede-Patton spent many years as a distinguished faculty member and administrator at St. Ambrose University, a Catholic university for which we have a high regard,” said Brian McGee, PhD, president of Quincy University. “She also earned her highest degree at another excellent Catholic institution. Dr. Vordtriede-Patton’s experience in Catholic and Christian higher education is an ideal match for our Catholic and Franciscan values at Quincy University.”

Vordtriede-Patton earned a PhD in Biology from St. Louis University. She also has an Education Specialist degree in Higher Education Administration from University of Missouri Kansas City. For eight years, Vordtriede-Patton served in the United States Army Reserve as a Medical Entomologist, including three years at the rank of captain.

“I look forward to partnering with the dedicated and accomplished QU faculty in guiding students in discovering and living out their full potential in service to their communities and society at large,” said Vordtriede-Patton.

In addition to her title as vice president for academic affairs, Vordtriede-Patton will be the first administrator at Quincy University to use the title of provost, a title often used for the chief academic officer at universities in the United States. The provost’s title has been used for many centuries in higher education and in church administration, including in the Roman Catholic Church. Vordtriede-Patton earned her bachelor’s degree at McKendree University, which, like Quincy University, is a member of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Founded in 1860 by Franciscan friars, Quincy University is a small Catholic university emphasizing the sciences, liberal arts and the professions. Quincy University offers undergraduate, graduate and adult education programs integrating practical experience and Franciscan values. Faculty and advisors work with students to design customized success plans to help them graduate on time, find their passion and prepare them for life. QU is a member of NCAA Division II for intercollegiate athletics.

California State University, Stanislaus Names Richard Ogle as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Richard Ogle has served in a variety of higher education teaching and administrative roles for many years on the Eastern Seaboard, but the new provost and vice president for academic affairs at Stanislaus State, announced Wednesday, will have reason to feel at home in the Central Valley.

It’s not just that Ogle grew up in Southern California. He is a first-generation high school and college graduate and will serve a student population at Stan State that is nearly 75-percent first generation.

“That is a connection that cannot be overstated,” said Stan State President Ellen Junn. “We are proud to be a University that serves predominately first-generation students, and Dr. Ogle has first-hand knowledge of that experience.”

Ogle’s most recent professional experience is as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). In 15 years at that university, Ogle also served as senior associate provost for Academic Affairs, chief enrollment management officer overseeing Admissions, Registrar and Financial Aid, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Psychology Department chair, clinical training coordinator and Psychology Department graduate coordinator.

“Dr. Ogle brings a wealth of diverse and significant expertise and achievements with him,” Junn said. “He is known for his enthusiasm, energy and collaborative style. We anxiously await his arrival on June 15.”

Ogle replaces Kimberly Greer, who is leaving to become interim provost at California State University, East Bay after serving as Stan State provost for four and a half years.

Ogle earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Point Loma Nazarene University, his Master of Arts in Psychology from San Diego State University and his Doctorate in Psychology from the University of New Mexico.

He completed his clinical internship and post-doctoral training at the Veteran’s Administration Health Care System of Puget Sound Seattle Division.

Ogle has worked in higher education for nearly 20 years, where he has established a collaborative and creative management style.

Ogle is an award-winning teacher and has been recognized for his skill in the classroom and as a mentor. He has published more than 25 peer-reviewed articles in his discipline in the field of substance abuse and the role of alcohol and other drugs in the perpetration of various forms of aggression/violence.

He is a licensed psychologist/health services provider and a clinical trainer/consultant. In addition, he has served in leadership positions on state and local boards leading him to be interdisciplinary by nature and to have broad and deep experience in advocacy, strategic planning and change management.

“We are excited to have Dr. Ogle join the Warrior team,” Junn said. “Our search committee is to be congratulated for its work in identifying exemplary candidates and arranging for the campus community to meet with them and provide feedback.”

Manhattan College Names Steven Schreiner as Provost

Steven Schreiner, Ph.D., P.E., will be Manhattan College’s next provost and vice president of academic affairs, effective July 6.

Schreiner will join Manhattan College from The College of New Jersey, where he has served as Dean of the School of Engineering since 2008.

“Steven Schreiner brings to Manhattan an extensive record of accomplishment as an educator and administrator,” said Dr. Brennan O’Donnell, president of Manhattan College. “He has a deep understanding of the ways in which liberal arts education and professional preparation complement one another, and a demonstrated ability to lead strategically in a complex environment.”

During his academic career, Schreiner developed several new and accelerated academic programs in his roles as dean and department chair. Working closely with TCNJ’s School of Education, he oversaw the creation of a new Master’s of Education in integrative-STEM for in-service teachers that utilizes online and blended modalities. In consultation with TCNJ’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, his team also created a public policy option within the undergraduate engineering science degree program that offers interested students the opportunity to combine political science and engineering while gaining internship experience through a partnership with The Washington Center. At Western New England University, he collaborated with both the business and law schools developing accelerated graduate degrees.

Schreiner spearheaded the development of new facilities including a 76,000-square foot STEM building. He also oversaw design for major renovations of laboratory, classroom, and support spaces at both TCNJ and Western New England University, where he was founding chair of biomedical engineering, and chair of the engineering undergraduate admissions committee from 2001 to 2008.

“I am honored to have been chosen as the next provost and vice president for academic affairs for Manhattan College,” Schreiner said. “The college’s focus on academic excellence founded in the Lasallian tradition creates an authentic educational environment where the search for truth is unfettered. I am impressed with Manhattan College’s mission and culture, and am looking forward to joining and contributing to this welcoming community.”

At TCNJ, Schreiner supported a National Science Foundation Advance Grant aimed at increasing the participation and advancement of women in academic careers in science and engineering. And as part of his role in the college-wide governance system, he helped lead the development of family-friendly tenure policies that included benefits for those who take maternity and paternity leave.

During Schreiner’s time at TCNJ, annual donations to the School of Engineering increased by more than 60% and applications increased by more than 80%. Schreiner prioritized undergraduate research and scholarship as a strategic priority, and led a task force of corporate and faculty advisors creating proper incentives and intellectual property policies that encouraged industry-college partnerships and research contracts.

At TCNJ, Schreiner oversaw an increase in international and study-abroad participation, including lowering barriers through curriculum integration. An accomplished grant writer, Schreiner facilitated increased grant writing among the TCNJ faculty in his school, moving from sporadic grant activity to an average of 20 submissions annually, totaling $15 million in the previous five years. He also secured resources for strategic initiatives and asset renewal, and oversaw development of 10 newly endowed scholarships.

Schreiner is a nationally and internationally recognized accreditation expert, serving as a commissioner and member of the executive committee of the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. He has also served on advisory boards at Clemson University and Vanderbilt University.

Schreiner received his B.S. in electrical engineering from Western New England University, and earned an M.S. and a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Vanderbilt University. He was also a National Institute of Health post-doctoral researcher in radiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.