Education 2023: TROY D. PAINO

It’s been a big year for Paino and the public liberal arts university he oversees. In March, UMW received the largest financial gift in its 115-year history — a $30 million bequest from a 1959 alumna to support undergraduate research and scholarships. The month before, Paino received the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators’ 2023 President’s Award for his compassionate approach to strategic planning and decision making, his personal attention to student ideas and feedback, and his commitment to understanding diverse perspectives.

The university also received a National Science Foundation grant for STEM scholarships, congratulated its second Goldwater Scholar in two years, and announced plans for a lab school and a new theater building.

President since 2016, Paino previously was president of Truman State University in Missouri and holds doctoral and master’s degrees in American studies from Michigan State University, a law degree from Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy from Evangel College. He serves on the boards of the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Virginia Business Higher Education Council.