May 22, 2017
Bashar W. Hanna named president of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg – The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education today
unanimously selected Bashar W. Hanna to be the next president of Bloomsburg University
of Pennsylvania, effective July 7.
Hanna is a professor of biology and former vice president for academic affairs and
dean of faculty at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown. He previously was associate
provost at Ithaca College and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and
interim provost at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.
“Bashar Hanna has a broad range of both teaching and administrative experience, and
has worked closely throughout his career with both students and faculty,” said Board
of Governors Chair Cynthia D. Shapira. “With his vast array of skills, his knowledge
and his experience, we are confident he will be an excellent leader for Bloomsburg
University.”
As vice president for academic affairs at Delaware Valley, Hanna helped implement
a $60 million capital campaign; launched a number of new undergraduate and graduate
programs, including the school’s first doctoral degree; and created articulation agreements
with five Pennsylvania community colleges, leading to a 40 percent increase in transfer
students. Delaware Valley achieved university status during his tenure as vice president
and dean of faculty.
“Success—both personal and institutional—has been a hallmark of President-select Hanna’s
career,” said State System Chancellor Frank T. Brogan. “He will be a valuable addition
to our presidential leadership team. I look forward to working with him on behalf
of the university and the entire State System.”
Hanna said he is honored to have been selected to serve as Bloomsburg’s next president
and looks forward to returning to the State System.
“I am grateful to the Bloomsburg University family, especially the presidential search
committee and Council of Trustees, and to Chancellor Brogan and his team as well as
the Board of Governors for selecting me to serve as the 19th president of this wonderful
university,” Hanna said. “I look forward to collaborating with Bloomsburg’s highly
accomplished faculty, staff and administrators to help our students realize their
personal and professional aspirations.”
The Board’s action today comes at the conclusion of a national search for a successor
to David L. Soltz, who will retire in July after serving for nine and a half years
as Bloomsburg University president.
Council of Trustees Chair Patrick Wilson said the Council believes Hanna has the “vision
and leadership qualities to build upon the reputation of Bloomsburg University and
continue the university’s forward momentum in preparing students for personal and
professional success.”
“On behalf of the Council of Trustees, we are excited to welcome him to the Bloomsburg
family, and we look forward to working with him to advance the collective goals of
the university,” Wilson said.
Mary Jane Bowes, who chaired the presidential search committee, also praised Hanna’s
selection, saying he has a “deep understanding of the university’s mission, vision
and values, and possesses the desired qualities to be the next president of Bloomsburg
University. The committee believed that Dr. Hanna would continue our tradition of
excellence and advance our effort to deliver a high-quality, student-centered educational
experience.”
Hanna holds three degrees from Temple University, a Bachelor of Arts in biology, a
Master of Arts in developmental biology and a Ph.D. in developmental neurobiology.
Prior to his appointment as vice president and dean at Delaware Valley in 2011, Hanna
served for two years as associate provost and lecturer at Ithaca College in New York.
He was dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Kutztown University from
2005 through 2009; and, previously, was the chief academic officer and dean of academic
affairs for DeVry University.
Hanna began his academic career at Temple University as assistant director of the
Ronald McNair Faculty-in-Training Program, where he mentored McNair scholars, assisting
them in gaining admission into doctoral programs at Harvard University and the universities
of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, California-Berkeley and Florida. He later was
an instructor in the departments of biology and mathematics at Temple; the founding
director of the university’s Math & Science Resource Center; and served as assistant
vice provost for research and sponsored projects and associate dean of the College
of Science and Technology.
Hanna has garnered more than $8 million in external funding for projects, programs
and scholarships during his career.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Drug Discovery Institute
and the American Association of University Administrators, of which he was president
for two years. He also has served with a variety of other organizations, including
the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County and the National Council on
Undergraduate Research.
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania has a current enrollment of about 9,700 students.
It offers 55 undergraduate degree programs and 19 graduate programs. The university
can trace its history to 1839, with the founding of what eventually became known as
the Bloomsburg Literary Institute. It became a normal school in 1869 and a university
in 1983, upon the creation of the State System.
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher
education in the Commonwealth, enrolling more than 100,000 degree-seeking students
and thousands more in certificate and other career-development programs. Collectively,
the 14 universities that comprise the State System offer more than 2,300 degree and
certificate programs in more than 530 academic areas. Nearly 520,000 State System
university alumni live in Pennsylvania.
The State System universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg,
Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The universities also operate branch campuses in Oil City (Clarion), Freeport and Punxsutawney (IUP), and Clearfield (Lock Haven), and offer classes and programs at several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and in Center City in Philadelphia.
Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The universities also operate branch campuses in Oil City (Clarion), Freeport and Punxsutawney (IUP), and Clearfield (Lock Haven), and offer classes and programs at several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and in Center City in Philadelphia.