Dr. Laura Moriarty, a criminal justice scholar with over 25 years of experience leading academic programs, has been named provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University, effective as of Sept. 2.
Moriarty said, “I am very fortunate to be part of such a great community and look forward to moving the University forward in the years to come.”
President Paul Brown said he was impressed with Moriarty’s skills as an administrator and her commitment to academic excellence. He commented, “She brings tremendous management experience to Monmouth.”
Moriarty joins the Hawk community from her previous position as a tenured professor and Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), a public research university serving more than 30,000 students and 2,000 faculty. She is succeeding Dr. Thomas Pearson, who stepped down on August 29 after 22 years in the position.
Brown believes because of her years of experience with higher education combined with her understanding of what it takes to translate a plan into action, “she brings a fresh perspective and practical experience to the position of our chief academic officer.”
According to Brown, the process of selecting a new candidate to fulfill the position as provost began in March shortly after Pearson decided to return to the faculty as a full-time professor in fall 2015.
Brown said a comprehensive national search for the new provost drew in a pool of almost 70 highly qualified applicants. The candidates were reviewed by a seven-member advisory panel made up of faculty members and deans across a number of schools and departments.
As stated in an article published in The Outlook on April 30, some of the members of the advisory group consisted of Nahid Aslabeigui (professor of economics), Grey Dimenna (Vice President and General Counsel), Rekha Datta (professor of political science), Robin Mama (Dean of the School of Social Work) and David Marshall (Chair of the Mathematics Department).
“Much like the presidential search process, three finalists were invited to campus for interviews and open meetings with faculty and staff members,” said Brown.
After the on-campus sessions, members of the community and advisory board provided feedback on the finalists through conversations and surveys. “At the end of the process, faculty and staff clearly communicated their choice of Dr. Moriarty,” Brown added.
Pearson helped Moriarty in August with her transition to the new position by providing her with some orientation to the annual schedule of the provost, the organization and culture of Academic Affairs, and the contractual responsibilities of the provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “I am very confident that she will do very well in her new position,” said Pearson.
Leah McGonigle, a senior history student, said, “I do feel that provost Moriarty does have big shoes to fill just because I know that Dr. Pearson is the type of person that pulls out all the stops to do his job and did such in his position as provost.” McGonigle hopes Moriarty will continue to uphold and improve the academic programs at the University. She commented, “I’ve had nothing but good experiences here so I would hope that the high standards both students and professors are held to will continue.”
Moriarty has held the positions of department chair/director, assistant/associate dean, associate vice provost, and vice provost, totaling over 16 years of progressive administrative responsibility.
A respected leader in academia, Moriarty specializes in the field of criminal justice with a focus on victim’s issues. She is the author/co-author, editor/co-editor of eight scholarly books and numerous refereed academic journal articles. Moriarty is the past president of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) and a 2013 recipient of the ACJS Founders Award for outstanding contributions to criminal justice education. “I certainly feel my criminal justice faculty background will serve me well in this post,” she commented.
Most recently Moriarty oversaw the creation, implementation, and approval of entrepreneurial programs centered on professional development at VCU that brought new revenue streams to the university. “The provost must increase private support and support from local, state, and federal sources through increased grant and contract activity,” Moriarty said.
“There are ample opportunities for Monmouth University to create niche programs that increase revenue and stature,” she said.
Additionally Moriarty participated in the evaluation and implementation of a university-wide strategic plan at VCU, “Quest for Distinction.” Under Brown’s leadership, Monmouth University is also underway in its own strategic planning process, with final stages expected to be completed in October, in which Moriarty will be expected to help implement.
Brown said, “As we prepare to implement a new strategic plan for Monmouth University it was also important that our provost had a demonstrated record of outstanding executive and academic leadership experience. As a university, we need to move quickly to not only stay competitive with our peers, but also accelerate the trajectory of success that [the University] has experienced over the years.”
As the University’s Chief Academic Officer, Moriarty will also have the broad responsibility for leading the University’s academic life across eight schools and five centers of distinction. Moriarty said there are many goals to be accomplished in her first year serving at the University, but her main focus will be on the strategic plan and the reaffirmation of the University’s accreditation.
According to Pearson, the strategic planning process that began execution during his last two years as provost will continue to include significant strategic review and development of the graduate programs.
Michael Kelvy, a senior history and secondary education student, said, “I feel that with all the changes the University is implementing, the new provost is just another change toward the future. Hopefully [provost Moriarty] has some positive ideas that will bring more popularity to the school and she has the drive to want to do as well as Dr. Pearson.” Kelvy was initially shocked to hear that provost Pearson would be stepping down, especially with the passion that he stores in order to spread excellence at the University, but he is excited for the University’s future.
Pearson hopes that within the next five years provost Moriarty leads the University in defining the programs and providing the necessary guidance and support to take Monmouth University to a higher level in terms of its academic reputation and its value to our students. He said, “We have a strong faculty and very qualified students in place and I hope in the next year she will develop a good knowledge of our University culture in order to lead the way in the coming years.”
“Monmouth University was described to me as a ‘family’ while I was interviewing, and I am beginning to experience that feeling on a daily basis,” Moriarty said. She feels the outreach of the community before officially began her service as provost and since arriving has been an incredible experience in her path of advancing to her next level of her administrative career. She added, “I am very fortunate to be part of such a great community and look forward to moving the university forward in the years to come.”
