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Ellucian acquisition deal closes
The acquisition of Reston-based higher education software company Ellucian by investment firms Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners has been completed, the companies announced Wednesday. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. New York-based Blackstone and Texas-based Vista Equity acquired Ellucian from Texas-based TPG Capital and Los Angeles-based Leonard Green & Partners. “Toda[...]
Va. Tech names real estate program for Blackwoods
Virginia Tech’s real estate program will now be named for the Blackwood family, a familiar name to those in the state’s real estate industry. Willis Blackwood, founder and president of Richmond-based Blackwood Development Co. Inc., his wife, Mary Nolen Blackwood, and their children, Morgan Blackwood Patel and Nolen Blackwood, donated $2 million to the program […]
World view
Want to see the world? Head for Blacksburg. Well, at least that’s one way you might look at it. Virginia Tech, which sits in the New River Valley (population: approximately 44,300), boasts the largest number of international students of any college or university campus in the state. In pre-COVID years, about 4,000 international students populated […]
Education
MAKOLA M. ABDULLAH PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY, ETTRICK While many college presidents enjoy basketball, few have Abdullah’s moves. In March, a video of him tying up an opponent went viral, receiving millions of views and appearing on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” Abdullah has overseen dramatic turnarounds at Virginia State University since he became its 14th president in […]
Hampton Roads universities ink deal to establish public health school
The presidents of Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University and Eastern Virginia Medical School signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday to establish Virginia’s first school of public health. The MOU solidifies the plan announced in January to develop a regional school of public health and address health inequities. The universities will now apply for accreditation […]
Piedmont Virginia Community College president to retire
Frank Friedman, the president of Piedmont Virginia Community College, will retire in May 2022, the school announced this week. Friedman, the Albemarle County college’s fifth president, has been at the top since 1999. Virginia Community College System Chancellor Glenn DuBois and the PVCC board will conduct a national search to find the next president. “It […]
Danville Pittsylvania chamber leader leaving for U.Va. job
Alexis Ehrhardt, president and CEO of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, will leave for a job at the University of Virginia, the chamber announced Wednesday. In her new role at U.Va., she will be the executive director for state government relations and special assistant to the president. Her last day at the chamber […]
Chancellor of Virginia’s community colleges to retire in summer 2022
Glenn DuBois, chancellor of the Virginia Community College System, will retire at the end of June 2022, he announced Tuesday. DuBois was hired in July 2001 and is the longest-serving chancellor in VCCS history. He has led the system through three strategic plans and into a fourth. “I announce this today knowing that with our […]
Virginia Tech names chief administrative officer
Virginia Tech has hired Charlene Casamento as its associate vice president for enterprise administrative operations, effective July 30, the university announced Wednesday. Casamento will work alongside Virginia Tech’s leadership, serving as the university’s chief administrative officer and executing university operational initiatives. She reports to Dwayne Pinkney, the university’[...]
Mary Baldwin University appoints first chief diversity officer
The Rev. Andrea Cornett-Scott has been named Mary Baldwin University’s first chief diversity officer, effective Aug. 1. Cornett-Scott will be responsible for campuswide diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and resources. Her duties will include assessing the need for training initiatives on cultural competency, racial sensitivity, gender equity and other topics. She reports to Pamela Fox, [&h[...]
Va. Tech Graduate School appoints next dean
Virginia Tech has named Aimée Surprenant of Memorial University of Newfoundland as the next dean of its graduate school, effective Sept. 1. Surprenant will lead the Graduate School’s budgetary, admissions and program development operations. She will serve as a member of the executive vice president and provost’s leadership team and as an adviser to graduate […]
Northam proposes $111M for undergrad financial aid
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday that he wants to designate $111 million in federal aid to financial aid for undergraduate students: $100 million for public higher education institutions through the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia and $11 million for private institutions eligible for SCHEV’s Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant program. The General Assembly [&hellip[...]
