Dear Colleagues,

I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Mary Oling-Sisay will join HSU as the next Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies. Dr. Oling-Sisay currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Development & Inclusive Excellence and Dean of the California School of Education at Alliant International University. She holds faculty rank of professor and is a core faculty member in the doctoral program of Educational Leadership and Management. Dr. Oling-Sisay's appointment is effective August 15, 2019.

Dr. Oling-Sisay brings more than 20 years of academia experience to HSU as both a faculty member and as an administrator. Her professional experience paired with her passion and commitment to the importance and value of educating and preparing students to be responsible members of diverse societies makes her an ideal fit with HSU.

A broadly prepared leader, Dr. Oling-Sisay has experience in both academic and student affairs. She has leveraged this preparation to facilitate intentional collaborations between academic affairs and student affairs to attain a positive student life cycle. Her career is characterized by several themes - transformational change, student success, research and innovation, academic excellence, international education, faculty/staff success, and inclusive excellence.

An accomplished educator, Dr. Oling-Sisay is well versed with program specialty accreditation including the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC), and American regional and national higher education accreditation processes. She has served as an Accreditation Consultant Evaluator for the North Central Association of Schools & Colleges/ Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is a current peer Evaluator for the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

Dr. Oling-Sisay's accomplishments include transforming the school of education at Alliant International University from a small school to a centerpiece of the university's strategy and to a school of over 1000 students. This entailed a successful and unqualified CCTC specialty accreditation. Her most recent achievement - this past week - is the approval by CCTC of an Administrative Services Credential program at Alliant. Additionally, Dr. Oling-Sisay has successfully overseen the development of online program offerings and related outcomes measures. She has also been instrumental in the implementation of several new academic offerings including credential programs and associated student success support. Dr. Oling-Sisay has successfully established and facilitated important partnerships in the community, including K-12 partnerships to create clinical practice sites for preservice teacher candidates as well as degree candidates in school psychology and school counseling programs.

Dr. Oling-Sisay is active with community and professional organizations and previously served as Vice President and President of Wisconsin Women in Higher Education leadership. Dr. Oling-Sisay's degrees include a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California; a Master‘s in Public Communications from Fordham University; and a Baccalaureate degree in English Literature & Linguistics from Makerere University. Dr. Oling-Sisay is the recipient of the prestigious fellowship of the American Council on Education (ACE) Executive Leadership program and is a graduate of the Higher Education Resources (HERS) Institute for Women in Higher Education Leadership at Bryn Mawr College. In her spare time, Dr. Oling-Sisay enjoys learning new languages (she speaks 10 languages), mentoring, spending time on her sewing machine and painting.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Mary Oling-Sisay to HSU!

Alex Enyedi
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs