Grand Valley State University has selected a woman as the western Michigan school’s president for the first time in its history.
The appointment of Philomena Mantella as the school’s president was unanimously approved Tuesday during a special board meeting at the university’s Allendale campus.
She says in a statement that the school is among those helping to “carry the promise of a degree and a path to prosperity for learners from all backgrounds.”
Mantella is currently senior vice president and chief executive officer of the Lifelong Learning Network at Northeastern University in Boston.
She has a Ph.D. in college and university administration from Michigan State University and degrees in social work from Syracuse University.
She’ll replace Thomas Haas, who earlier announced plans to retire this year as the school’s president.
Grand Valley State University, one of the 100 largest universities in the nation, attracts nearly 25,000 students with high-quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities. Grand Valley is a comprehensive university, serving students from all 83 Michigan counties and dozens of other states and foreign countries. Grand Valley offers 90 undergraduate and 41 graduate degree programs from campuses in Allendale, Grand Rapids and Holland, and from centers in Muskegon, Traverse City and Detroit. The university is dedicated to individual student achievement, going beyond the traditional classroom experience, with research opportunities and business partnerships.
Source: “GVSU appoints fifth president; first woman“, Grand Valley State University News Release, January 22, 2019.