Organization & Personnel

The legal body that governs the university is the board of trustees. It is the final authority on setting our important policies, on the definition of major goals, and on the preservation of the academic mission. The financial health of the university is one of its chief responsibilities.

The board selects members who have demonstrated their understanding of the purpose of this institution, the commitment it has to higher education, and the unique contribution St. Thomas can make as a Catholic liberal arts university.

The chief executive officer of the university is the president. She is responsible to the board of trustees for the functioning of the university and the administration of its policies.

Under the direction of the governing board, the president of the university must make sure that adequate means exist for communication, decision-making, and governance.

The president delegates appropriate authority and responsibilities to the faculty, as described in the Faculty Handbook, and to various members of the university administration, among them: the executive vice president and provost who is responsible for all academic units and academic support services and the day-to-day administrative operations of the university, vice president for mission, vice president for business affairs, vice president for enrollment, vice president for student affairs, vice president for innovation resources and technologies, vice president for development and alumni relations, chief marketing officer, chief of staff, and general counsel.

The Corporation

Patrick G. Ryan
Board Chair 

Amy R. Goldman
Board Vice Chair

Robert K. Vischer, Ph.D.
Interim President

Sara Gross Methner, J.D.
Secretary 

Mark D. Vangsgard
Treasurer

 

The Board of Trustees

Please visit the Board of Trustees website for the most current listing of Board members.

 

The President

Robert K. Vischer, Ph.D.
Interim President

Eddy M. Rojas, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Provost

Phil Esten
Vice President and Director of Athletics

Sara Gross Methner
General Counsel

Karen M. Lange, Ed.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs

Kymm Martinez
Chief Marketing Officer

Amy G. McDonough
Chief of Staff

Fr. Christopher Collins
Vice President for Mission

Erik Thurman
Vice President for University Advancement

Mark Vangsgard
Vice President for Business Affairs and Chief Financial Officer

Yohuru Williams, Ph.D.
University Chair, Professor and Founding Director, Racial Justice Initiative

Kha Yang
Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence

 

Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost

Eddy M. Rojas, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Provost

Academic Deans

Buffy Smith, Ph.D.
Dean, Dougherty Family College

Amy F. Smith, Ph.D.
Dean, School of Education

MayKao Y. Hang, D.P.A.
Dean, Morrison Family College of Health

Laura Dunham, Ph.D.
Dean, Opus College of Business

William Tolman, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

Christopher J. Thompson, Ph.D.
Academic Dean, St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity

Joel A. Nichols, J.D.
Interim Dean, School of Law

Don H. Weinkauf, Ph.D.
Dean, School of Engineering

 

Vice Presidents

Edmund U. Clark, Ed.D.
Chief Information Officer and Vice President for Innovation & Technology Services

Omar Correa
Vice President for Enrollment Management

Karen M. Lange, Ed.D.
Vice President, Student Affairs

Wendy N. Wyatt, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

Nora Fitzpatrick
Associate Vice President, Office of Financial Planning and Budgeting

Tonia Bock, Ph.D.
Associate Vice Provost for Accreditation, Assessment and Curriculum

Sheila Yeh, Ph.D.
Associate Vice Provost for University Libraries

Katharine Hill, Ph.D.
Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement

Tim L. Lewis, Ph.D.
Associate Vice Provost for Global Learning and Strategy and Senior International Officer

Lisa Waldner, Ph.D.
Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Student Achievement