Hired
Lamata Mitchell – Kettering College (Ohio)
Kettering College, a small private college owned by a nonprofit healthcare network in Kettering, Ohio, has tapped Lamata Mitchell as its next president.
Mitchell most recently worked as the chief learning officer at AdventHealth, another nonprofit healthcare provider based in Florida. Both institutions are tied to the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
President’s corner: How to energize growth while keeping a small school feel
At AdventHealth, Mitchell collaborated with neighboring AdventHealth University to identify and develop new academic credentials to address regional healthcare workforce shortages, the Dayton Daily News reports.
Retiring
Lizbeth Martin – Notre Dame de Namur University (Calif.)
Lizbeth Martin will retire from Notre Dame de Namur University next July, concluding five years of a transformative tenure.
Martin oversaw the private, Catholic-based institution’s strategic pivot to graduate and online programs while disbanding many of its undergraduate degrees in the process. As a result, the institution achieved its first year-over-year enrollment increase in over a decade, according to a university statement.
Notre Dame de Namur also reached a purchase agreement with UC Investments, the investment branch of the University of California system, to sell its campus as it seeks to downsize its physical footprint.
Stepping down
DeRionne Pollard – Nevada State University
DeRionne Pollard is stepping down from Nevada State University, effective July 31. The news comes just a month after she signed a contract renewal following her first four years as president.
Pollard described her next career move a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” leading the American Association of Community Colleges, which serves over 1,000 institutions and 10 million students across the country, The Nevada Independent reports.
Nevada State credits Pollard for her help transitioning the institution from a college to a university, and for building new graduate programs, scaling enrollment in key programs and launching the first athletics program.
Ed Seidel – University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming will be looking for a new leader, following Ed Seidel’s recent announcement to step down at the end of his contract in 2026.
University faculty passed a no-confidence vote in Seidel in April following his decision to demote a popular dean, which prompted concerns about shared governance, Cap City News reports.
However, he garnered praise from the school’s board and the state governor for his help elevating the University of Wyoming to R1 Carnegie Classification status and developing a new workforce initiative that integrates state community colleges and employers.
“He has moved the university forward, and I especially appreciate his leadership in establishing the Wyoming Innovation Partnership, which has strengthened higher education and workforce development,” Gordon said in the UW release.
Mahyar Amouzegar – New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Mahyar Amouzegar has announced his plans to step down from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Techology after just 14 months on the job.
Amouzegar’s notice of resignation mentioned a recent incident in which the school’s board reversed an accepted offer for a recent hire without notice, El Defensor Chieftain reports.
“This action—taken during a last-minute emergency meeting, just days before the Office of the President candidate’s start date and following his relocation—deviates from professional norms and undermines institutional trust,” he wrote.
