Hired
Christopher L. Augostini – Emory University (Ga.)
Emory promoted Augostini from executive vice president and chief operating officer to president. He moves up on Sept. 1.
He has held his current position since 2017 and oversees all enterprise functions. Augostini was commended for his collaboration with Emory’s board of trustees, the Emory Healthcare board of directors, and the university’s executive, academic, administrative and healthcare leaders on the school’s long-term growth.
Augostini previously served for 17 years as senior vice president and chief operating officer at Georgetown University and held senior government positions with the city and state of New York.
Caroline Attardo Genco – University at Buffalo (N.Y.)
Genco, provost and senior vice president at Tufts University, will become the first female president of New York’s largest public university on Aug. 10.
As the chief academic officer at Tufts, Genco has led development of a unified academic strategy; expanded cross-school research; prioritized faculty recruitment, mentoring and leadership development; and driven an increase in research funding. She also played a key leadership role in institution-wide strategic planning, budget and capital planning, and major fundraising campaigns, the University at Buffalo noted in its announcement.
From 2015 to 2019, Genco was chair of the Department of Immunology at Tufts University School of Medicine. She is A nationally recognized researcher in microbiology and immunology,
Kevin Guskiewicz – Clemson University (S.C.)
Guskiewicz is leaving the presidency of Michigan State University to take the helm at Clemson on a yet-to-be determined date. He is a neuroscientist who also previously served as chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
As a researcher, Guskiewicz received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2011 for his pioneering work on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of sport-related concussions. His research has influenced college and pro football safety standards, Clemson Unviersity noted in its announcement.
Dawn Meza Soufleris – SUNY Brockport
Meza Soufleris is a three-time SUNY alumna who serves as vice president for student development and campus life at Montclair State University in New Jersey. She oversees a range of student-centered departments and is also an adjunct faculty member in Montclair State University’s higher education master’s program.
Her areas of expertise include student development theory, generational trends, Title IX, crisis management, the transition to college, and the impact of student engagement on retention.
Meza Soufleris was previously vice president for student affairs and enrollment management at La Salle University, and an administrator at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Michelle R. Johnston – University of Montevallo (Ala.)
Johnston, who had led four other colleges, will become the first female president of the University of Montevallo, which was founded in 1896 and where Johnston previously served as an administrator. It is Alabama’s only public liberal arts institution.
Johnston has been president of Georgia Southwestern State University since 2024 and also served as president of the College of Coastal Georgia, the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College in Ohio. As a leader, she has prioritized enhancing student success, ensuring excellence in academic and student development programs and expanding strategic partnerships and donor engagement, the University of Montevallo said.
Chris Mallett – Weber State University (Utah)
Mallet, a graduate of Weber State, is the chief administrative officer at Northeastern University’s Roux Institute in Portland, Maine, where he works with industry, higher education, community partners, and donors to strengthen workforce development across Maine and the nation.
He was part of the founding team at Western Governors University, where he spent nearly 14 years helping to develop online competency-based education and expand access to postsecondary education. He begins his new role at Weber State on Aug. 1.
Donald J. Green – Valdosta State University
Green, now president of Gordon State College, has been a leader in the University System of Georgia for 10 years. He led Georgia Highlands College from 2014 to 2021, and was also president of Point Park University in Pennsylvania.
At Gordon State, Green strengthened the college’s financial footing, grew enrollment and kept more students on track to graduate and have impactful careers, University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue said.
Dr. Abagail ‘Abby’ Van Vlerah – Notre Dame of Maryland University
Van Vlerah, known as a “student success champion,” is vice president for student success and institutional strategy at Manchester University in Indiana. She created a health sciences recruitment plan to strengthen undergraduate-to-graduate pipelines, expanded collaborations with industry partners, and grew enrollment 40% by boosting visibility in regional markets.
She takes her post at Notre Dame of Maryland University on July 6.
Nelu Nedelea – Southwestern Adventist University (Texas)
Nedelea, who will be the 27th president in the university’s 133-year history, is a vice president for Mercy Health System. An ordained minister, he has served as a pastor in Romania and Canada, and takes office on July 15.
Anastasios “Stasi” Kamoutsas – Polk State College (Fla.)
Another Florida commissioner of education has been named president of one of the state’s public colleges. Kamoutsas has only been commissioner since last year and follow two of his predecessors, Richard Corcoran and Manny Diaz, Jr., into campus administration.
Kamoutsas had served as the Florida Department of Education’s chief of staff, general counsel, chief litigator and assistant general counsel. He also served as deputy chief of staff for Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Isaac Zúñiga – Richard J. Daley College (Illinois)
Zúñiga takes the helm of the Chicago-based institution after serving as executive vice president of academic and student success and chief academic and student affairs officer at Richland Community College in Decatur, Illinois. He also spent nearly 12 years at Kennedy-King College, where he held a range of student services leadership roles, including advisor, associate dean and dean.
More new hires
- Jacob Atkin, Lee College (Texas)
- Kirk Bennett, Western Technical College (Wisconsin)
- Ken Knelly, Clinton Community College (New York)
- Stacy Pfluger, Bakersfield College (California)
- Todd Shields, Arkansas State University System
Stepping down
Jonathan Alger – American University (Washington, D.C.)
Alger will leave American University on June 30 to become the first America 250 Fellow, a joint appointment with the American Council on Education and the American Association of Colleges and Universities. He will work to advance the role of colleges and universities in strengthening democratic institutions, civic learning and informed citizenship.
Alger became president of American University in 2024 and founded the Civic Life Initiative to foster civil discourse and problem-solving and spearheaded the Meet our Moment strategic plan. He was president of James Madison University from 2012 to 2024.
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