Staff News - July 2010

As Union Institute & University continues to grow in exciting directions, some key UI&U faculty and staff have taken on new roles, and some new faces have joined the UI&U family.

Cincinnati Center
Jon Mays Union Institute & University is proud to announce that Jon W. Mays has been as appointed as the new vice president for Enrollment Management, effective August 1, 2010.  Mays comes to Union, being highly recommended, after a long and successful career at the University of Cincinnati, where he held positions with increasing responsibility in a variety of areas, most recently as director of operations in the Office of Admissions.

Mays’s experience in enrollment management is extensive, having served in enrollment for nearly nine years. He was the lead resource for policies, procedures, data reporting and analysis, as well as improving the overall admissions process for incoming students. He has proven leadership skills in strategic recruitment, accountability, student information systems, and online application systems, and experience in institutional research and financial aid. He also served as the university bursar at UC for four years, having begun his career in the student accounts area.

Mays earned a bachelor’s of business administration in finance and a Master of Public Administration, both from the University of Cincinnati. He is a member of the Ohio and National Associations of College Admission Counseling.

Dr. Patricia Brewer Dr. Patricia Brewer, dean of the pre-cohort Ph.D. program, has been appointed associate provost for academic programs. She will continue to serve as the pre-cohort program’s dean, but will also work closely with UI&U Provost Dr. Richard Hansen to provide oversight of academic program planning, development, and evaluation.

Brewer is also responsible for the American Council on Education (ACE) State Affiliate Office and will further the university’s focus on adult learning theory and practice, including prior learning assessment. In addition, she will assist in the development of the university’s long-range plan, support institutional accreditation initiatives, and promote strong relationships with colleges and universities, including the development of articulation agreements. In her new role, Dr. Brewer will also serve on appropriate academic and curriculum committees and will represent the university to external constituencies and work closely with UI&U academic deans to support the needs of faculty to bring the best possible teaching and learning environment to fruition.

Brewer has extensive academic administrative experience through positions held at Sinclair Community College, Capital University and Walden University.  She is a Higher Learning Commission consultant-evaluator, and serves on the Accreditation Review Committee and the C-E Advisory Team that plans and conducts training for consultant-evaluators.

California Centers
Dr. James Rocheleau Dr. James Rocheleau, dean of the two California undergraduate centers will assume a new position as associate provost for special projects. Additionally, he will continue to be responsible for the marketing and outreach effort for the California centers, driving program development and expanding marketing opportunities in California. “I extend my gratitude to Dr. Rocheleau for the growth of the California Centers,” said Provost Dr. Richard Hansen. “Rocheleau has provided leadership in both Sacramento and Los Angeles for the past nine years, doubling the size of each center and expanding Union’s visibility and reach to new sites and programs. The university’s Criminal Justice program has seen its most visible success under his leadership.”

Dr. Beth Pastores-Palffy Dr. Beth Pastores-Palffy has been appointed dean of the California Centers in Los Angeles and Sacramento. She has served successfully as associate dean of the L.A. Center, and has been critically involved with the strategy to expand UI&U’s criminal justice management program in the L.A. area, as well as developing the successful child development major and outreach efforts.  Pastores-Palffy will continue to work toward consistent academic quality in tandem with a strong learner support system.

Dr. Fatemeh Fazely has been appointed associate dean of the Sacramento Center. In this capacity, Fazely will be fully responsible for the Sacramento Center and will work directly with Pastores-Palffy. Fazely has served successfully as a faculty advisor in the Sacramento Center and is chair of the emergency services management major. In addition, she has served as a member of the Faculty Council and as chair of the Faculty Council Human Resources Committee.

Dr. Paul Kim The Los Angeles Center is also proud to announce that Dr. Paul Kim has been hired as chair of UI&U’s criminal justice management program. Kim brings extensive experience to his new role. Now a consultant on police use of force, internal affairs, and Asian gangs/organized crime cases, Kim served in various roles with the Los Angeles Police Department for more than three decades, re-retiring from the LAPD at the highest civil service rank.

Kim has served as an adjunct associate professor of English/ESL for Los Angeles City College since 1979 and is a former commissioner for the Los Angeles County Criminal Justice Procedures Commission.

He is a former columnist for Radio Korea, the largest Korean language radio station outside Korea, and is also a former talk show host/columnist for TVK-24, an Asian-American cable T.V. network. A former Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, Kim is a recipient of the Republic of Korea Presidential Dong Baek Medal for public service in Los Angeles.

Montpelier Center
Jessica Van Deren has been named director of admissions for the Montpelier Center. Before accepting the position as director of admissions for Union’s Montpelier Center, she served as director of admissions for Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut, where she led all admissions and recruitment initiatives. She oversaw marketing publications, advertising, and recruitment efforts for the liberal arts college, and helped produce a successful outreach program for middle school and minority students. She also served as assistant director of admissions for Johnson State University in Johnson, Vermont, and as an admissions counselor for Trinity College of Vermont in Burlington.

The Montpelier native is happy to be back in her hometown and has big plans for UI&U’s Montpelier Center. She hopes to create a stronger, local presence for the university through marketing efforts in the Montpelier area. “It is so important that the local community in Montpelier be very familiar with all the great things we are doing at Union, and the kind of education we offer.”