Hired
Shadow JQ Robinson – Frostburg State University (Md.)
Shadow Robinson begins his tenure as Frostburg State University’s next president in July.
Provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Arkansas–Fort Smith, Robinson launched new degrees and programs in education, nursing and advanced manufacturing. First-year enrollment has increased by 20% under his tenure, according to Frostburg State.
Robinson earned a Ph.D. in theoretical nuclear physics from Rutgers in 2002. He has held faculty positions at Millsaps College in Mississippi and the University of Southern Indiana, and served as the dean of the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences at the University of Tennessee at Martin.
Retired
Eric Spina – University of Dayton (Ohio)
The University of Dayton will be searching for a new president following Eric Spina’s decision to retire. President since 2016, Spina will step down by June 2027.
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Spina spearheaded the university’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign in two decades, which raised over $450 million and exceeded its philanthropic goal by 13%.
Dayton has seen its number of Pell-eligible students double, thanks to a slate of scholarships, grants and academies aimed at enrolling underrepresented and lower-income students.
Stanley Wearden – Methodist University (N.C.)
Stanley Wearden has announced his intent to retire from Methodist University on June 30, 2027. At 72 years old, he will have served the North Carolina institution for eight and a half years by the time he steps down.
Some of Wearden’s major accomplishments include improving student retention and graduation rates, building an online school that offers 30 academic programs and partnering with six community colleges.
Stepping down
William Bisset – Lourdes University (Ohio)
William Bisset stepped down as president of Lourdes University, following the university’s decision to close at the end of the academic year.
President since June 2023, Bisset focused on building partnerships and expanding academic offerings. He had previously served as the head of enrollment management at Marymount University in Virginia and for over two decades at Manhattan College in New York City.
A new president, Nancy Linenkugel, was appointed to oversee the university’s closure.
Jonathan Brand – Cornell College (Iowa)
The Cornell College Board of Trustees has launched a national search for the institution’s 16th president after Jonathan Brand announced he will conclude his tenure at the end of his contract in June 2027.
Brand, who became Cornell’s 15th president in 2011, has guided the college through two successful reaccreditation cycles and helped raise more than $200 million to support academic initiatives. He has also led major campus developments, including a new literary arts center, a summer research institute and the construction or renovation of eight buildings and three athletic fields.
Brand taught courses in politics throughout his 16-year presidency.
Kristin Sobolik – University of Missouri–St. Louis
Kristin Sobolik will conclude a six-year tenure when she steps down as president of the University of Missouri–St. Louis.
Since first joining the university in 2017 as provost, Sobolik has launched more than a dozen new academic programs, increased graduation rates and raised the endowment. The university has also deepened workforce initiatives in engineering, geospatial technology and nursing.
Sobolik will transition to chancellor emerita when she steps down in July.
