New changes in Academic Affairs leadership

Karen Talentino (above) will complete her term as Vice President for Academic Affairs on June 30. Dean Jeff Trumbower (photo below), will assume the interim VPAA role beginning July 1.

Saint Michael’s College President Jack Neuhauser issued the following announcement on Thursday, June 28: “Dr. Karen Talentino will complete her term as Academic Vice-President at the end of June, 2018 and assume a full-time faculty position beginning with the fall 2018 semester. Karen will be available to confer with Dr. Sterritt during July and August as Dr. Sterritt wishes. I am pleased to announce that Dr. Jeffrey Trumbower has agreed to assume a combined role of Dean and Interim Academic Vice President on July 1, 2018.”

“The College and I personally owe a debt of gratitude to Karen for the hard work and many accomplishments in a difficult time in higher education. I am glad that she will be able to return to her first love of teaching, something she has planned to do for some time,” Neuhauser wrote in his statement.

Talentino said of her ten years as VPAA: “It has been an honor to serve as the chief academic officer at Saint Michael’s College. I have enjoyed working with my academic colleagues on a number of exciting initiatives, including a number of grants for capital expenses and faculty development, curricular revisions, and the development of the undergraduate research program. I came to Saint Michael’s in 2008 because of the passionate and engaged students and the accomplished faculty.  It has been rewarding to be part of a community that is committed to the liberal arts education of students, to prepare them to contribute to the world that is in such great need of compassionate and thoughtful leaders.”  She said she looks forward to returning to teaching “because sharing my love of biology with others has always been my greatest joy.”

Jeff Trumbower

Trumbower described how he will approach his new dual role for optimal effectiveness and why he feels prepared to take on the challenge: “I deeply appreciate the mentorship that Karen has provided during the latter part of my previous deanship (2008-14), and in the past year after my return to administration,” he said. “I wouldn’t be able to contemplate assuming both roles for this interim period without having worked so closely with her.  I look forward to working with our new president in the months ahead as we chart a course for Academic Affairs in these challenging but exciting times.”