This year, Dr. Donald Monnin was named the College’s new Vice President for Mission. Dr. Monnin takes on the role after the retirement of longtime employee Sister Louis Rustowicz. As Vice President for Mission, Dr. Monnin serves as a member of the College’s collaborative leadership team and plays a key role in overseeing operational aspects of mission integration at the College.
Dr. Monnin has been an integral and involved part of the Villa community for two decades, having served as a professor of philosophy and religious studies since 1999. In addition to teaching, Dr. Monnin has developed several new courses, including Catholic/Franciscan Studies, Spirituality and Work, Women and Religion and more. During his time at Villa, Dr. Monnin has been a co-chair of the Middle States Steering Committee, and the chair of both the Service Learning Revision Task Group and the Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee. He’s also played a role on several committees, including the Advisory Committee on Campus Security, the Mission Integration Committee, the Online Learning Committee and more.
Dr. Monnin earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from SUNY Albany, a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry and a Master of Arts in Theology from Christ the King Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry in Applied Ministries from the Graduate Theological Foundation in South Bend Indiana. He belongs to the American Academy of Religion and American Association of Philosophy Teachers. In 2018, Dr. Monnin was named the College’s Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year.
Villa Maria welcomed Becky Strathearn as its director of admissions. In her new role, Strathearn will help the College meet its undergraduate enrollment goals by creating and implementing a strategic plan and leading the admissions team.
Strathearn comes to Villa as a leader with over 15 years of experience and a history of exceeding organizational goals. She was previously employed at the University at Buffalo, where she was responsible for degree audits and ensuring students met the University’s requirements for graduation. Prior to that, Strathearn held several roles at ITT Technical Institute. Most recently, she served as a college director, where she was responsible for the overall direction of an $8 million operation and supervised over 50 staff members. In addition, she was directly responsible for the growth and profitability of the Institute by delivering quality educational programs and services. During her time at ITT Tech, Strathearn started up of the Institution’s Philadelphia campus, which opened in 2011 and grew to be the largest campus in the company by 2015.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Strathearn served the country as an automated logistical specialist in the Army National Guard, and has served time in both Kuwait and Iraq. Strathearn holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from SUNY Geneseo and a Master in Business Administration from ITT Technical Institute.
