May 4, 2017

Hackettstown, N.J., May 4, 2017– Centenary University is pleased to announce that Dr. Amy D’Olivo, Vice President of Academic Affairs, is one of 45 mid-level administrators in higher education nationwide selected by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) to participate in the 2017–2018 Senior Leadership Academy.

Individuals chosen for the yearlong program are administrators in higher education who have been identified by their institutions as having the potential for senior leadership positions in independent colleges or universities. Dr. D’Olivo will participate in an opening seminar in San Antonio, Texas, November 3–5, 2017, and a closing seminar in Washington, DC, June 21–23, 2018. She also will undertake a mentoring program, work with experts, participate in webinars, and engage in a series of readings and case studies during the academic year.

The Academy is designed to prepare prospective leaders to assume positions as the chief officers in any division—including academic affairs, student affairs, finance, enrollment management, and advancement—in independent higher education.

“The need to prepare future leaders of colleges and universities has never been greater because the generation of people now in senior leadership positions on campus is rapidly approaching retirement,” says CIC President Richard Ekman. “Competition for the available places in the program was intense, and the review committee found the nomination materials to be most impressive. They (and I) believe that Dr. D’Olivo has the potential for highly effective leadership in a position of senior responsibility on campus.”

Dr. Amy D’Olivo, Vice President of Academic Affairs, has formerly served as Associate Provost, Academic Dean, and an Associate Professor of Sociology at Centenary University. Dr. D’Olivo holds a Ph.D. from Drew University in Religion and Society/Sociology of Religion, an M.S. in Applied Sociology from Clemson University, and a B.A. in Sociology from Clemson University.   Dr. D’Olivo’s specific areas of responsibility include student retention, faculty development, and oversight of academic programs and curriculum.

Dr. D’Olivo has over 20 years of teaching experience.  In addition to teaching at Centenary University, Professor D’Olivo has been an instructor of topics in sociology at Montclair State University, Warren County Community College, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Shaw University, and Limestone College.  In 2003, Dr. D’Olivo received the Distinguished Teaching Award at Centenary University.

While a member of the full-time teaching faculty, Dr. D’Olivo worked closely with community organizations assisting with research and data analysis. In addition to her other responsibilities, Dr. D’Olivo currently works closely with community partners strengthening relationships with local high schools and colleges for the purpose of increasing access to higher education for area students.  Collaboration with local agencies has resulted in a number of partnerships and several grant opportunities including serving as a researcher on a highly competitive Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Planning Grant in 2014.

Dr. D’Olivo has presented at several local and regional conferences, served as a chapter reviewer for several textbooks, and published original work including a co-authored introduction to sociology text book.  Articles written by Dr. D’Olivo can be found in Law Enforcement Today, ILEESE The Magazine for First Responders, and The Encyclopedia of Criminal Justice.  Current scholarly interests include student retention, leadership in higher education, and mentorship.

“I can speak on behalf of the entire Centenary University community when I say that Dr. D’Olivo’s dedication to her work is appreciated each and every day; I am thrilled to know that her continued success is being recognized and appreciated on a broader level as well,” says Dr. David P. Haney, President of Centenary University. “Dr. D’Olivo’s professional and academic achievements continue to impress.”

Sixty-one percent of participants in the first Senior Leadership Academy cohort (2010–2011) have advanced in their careers, and 25 percent of participants in the recently completed 2014–2015 cohort already have earned more advanced positions.

“These indicators suggest that CIC is helping to meet the leadership needs of higher education by offering highly effective leadership development programs for modest fees to member institutions,” Ekman says.

Expanding participation in the 2017–2018 Senior Leadership Academy, this year the American Express Foundation gave CIC a grant to support diversifying the leadership of independent colleges.

The Academy is co-sponsored by CIC, the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI), and Academic Search, Inc. Linda M. Bleicken, president of AALI, will direct the program. For more information about the Senior Leadership Academy, visit www.cic.edu/SeniorLeadershipAcademy.

CIC SENIOR LEADERSHIP ACADEMY PARTICIPANTS, 2017–2018

Keshia Abraham, Florida Memorial University (FL)

Judith Askew, Presbyterian College (SC)

Valerie Banschbach, Roanoke College (VA)

Trevor Bates, Heidelberg University (OH)

Shanna Benjamin, Grinnell College (IA)

Catherine Bishop, Augsburg College (MN)

Eric Boynton, Allegheny College (PA)

Kendrick Brown, University of Redlands (CA)

Fran’Cee Brown-McClure, Spelman College (GA)

Andrea Bucklew, Alderson Broaddus University (WV)

Jeremy Buckner, Carson-Newman University (TN)

David Canton, Connecticut College (CT)

Amy D’Olivo, Centenary University (NJ)

Maureen Finney, D’Youville College (NY)

Tamara Floyd-Smith, Tuskegee University (AL)

Meredith Goldsmith, Ursinus College (PA)

Gil Gonzalez, Whittier College (CA)

Michael Hammond, Taylor University (IN)

Laura Hartley, George Fox University (OR)

Brad Hastings, Mount Ida College (MA)

Karen Hunt, Wittenberg University (OH)

Mitchell Kinsinger, Augustana University (SD)

Mary Beth Knight, Wofford College (SC)

Michael Laney, Our Lady of the Lake University (TX)

Barbara Lawrence, Guilford College (NC)

Allyson Lowe, Carlow University (PA)

Rochelle Mason, Colorado College (CO)

Michelle Mattson, Rhodes College (TN)

Caroline Maurer, Messiah College (PA)

Jewerl Maxwell, Gordon College (MA)

Karla McCain, Austin College (TX)

Jamie McMinn, Westminster College (PA)

Megan Mustain, St. Mary’s University (TX)

Ryan Neal, Anderson University (SC)

Saib Othman, Marian University (IN)

Veronica Petak, College of Saint Mary (NE)

Lance Richey, University of Saint Francis (IN)

Bartolo Santamaria, College of Saint Elizabeth (NJ)

Timothy Schorr, Viterbo University (WI)

Robert Shea, Roger Williams University (RI)

Elizabeth Skomp, Sewanee: The University of the South (TN)

Diana Sousa, University of Saint Joseph (CT)

Victoria Spivak, Dominican University (IL)

Jamie Whitaker Campbell, Biola University (CA)

John Woell, Albion College (MI)

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Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary University’s academic program integrates a solid liberal arts foundation with a strong career orientation. This mix is designed to provide an educational experience that prepares students to succeed in the increasingly global and interdependent world.

Centenary University’s main campus is located in Hackettstown, N.J., with its equestrian facility in Washington Township (Morris County). The Centenary School of Professional Studies offers degree programs online and in two locations: Parsippany and Edison, online, as well as corporate sites throughout New Jersey.

The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) is an association of 768 nonprofit independent colleges and universities and higher education affiliates and organizations that has worked since 1956 to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of private higher education’s contributions to society. CIC is the major national organization that focuses on providing services to leaders of independent colleges and universities as well as conferences, seminars, and other programs that help institutions to improve educational quality, administrative and financial performance, and institutional visibility. CIC conducts the largest annual conferences of college and university presidents and of chief academic officers. CIC also provides support to state associations that organize programs and generate contributions for their member colleges and universities. The Council is headquartered at One Dupont Circle in Washington, DC.

Headquartered in Washington, DC, the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI) is committed to the broad development and support of leadership in higher education by creating and implementing programs and other forms of assistance that enable academic leaders in various administrative positions to be successful in their roles and to advance to higher positions of responsibility. AALI prepares leaders for private and public higher education through programs operated in partnership with CIC and AASCU. The Becoming a Provost Academy, with AASCU, and the Senior Leadership Academy, with CIC, prepare mid-level administrators for vice presidencies. The Executive Leadership Academy, conducted with both AASCU and CIC, prepares vice presidents for presidencies. AALI is supported by Academic Search, Inc.

Academic Search, Inc. is an executive search firm dedicated to serving higher education institutions and related organizations and is the only search firm in the nation with a formal relationship to a premier leadership development program. Based in Washington, DC, it is the wholly owned subsidiary of the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI). This relationship strengthens the ongoing commitment by Academic Search to leadership development as well as the identification of outstanding candidates for positions. Academic Search provides substantial financial support to CIC’s signature leadership programs, including the Executive Leadership Academy and Senior Leadership Academy, through grants by AALI.