Fitchburg State University President Richard S. Lapidus today announced the appointment of Dr. Patricia A. Marshall as the institution’s next provost and vice president for academic affairs.
Dr. Marshall, who has served as deputy commissioner for academic affairs and student success at the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE) since 2015, will report to the Fitchburg State campus in July.
Dr. Marshall was selected for the Fitchburg State post after a national search to succeed Dr. Alberto Cardelle, who left in 2021 to assume the presidency of SUNY Oneonta.
President Lapidus said Dr. Marshall’s statewide work to enhance racial equity, narrow achievement gaps and improve student success made her an ideal fit for Fitchburg State’s position.
“Dr. Marshall’s proven track record of success, and her demonstrated commitment to improving outcomes for all students, align perfectly with Fitchburg State’s strategic goals,” President Lapidus said. “I am confident that Dr. Marshall’s dedication to creating opportunities for students, and realizing the institutional evolution that will support them, will serve Fitchburg State well.”
“I am excited to join Fitchburg State University, whose objectives of being a student-ready campus with an emphasis on social justice truly align with the work I have been doing with the Department of Higher Education,” Dr. Marshall said.
Commissioner of Higher Education Carlos Santiago praised Dr. Marshall as an exceptional leader within the department and the state’s system of higher education.
“Dr. Marshall will be sorely missed by her colleagues in the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education and by me, personally,” Commissioner Santiago said. “I know that the knowledge and experience gained since joining the DHE will serve her and Fitchburg State University well. The mixed emotions that I feel in losing her from the DHE are tempered by my confidence that she will continue her great work in the Massachusetts public higher education system.”
As provost and vice president for academic affairs, Dr. Marshall will be the Fitchburg State’s chief academic officer, overseeing major curricular initiatives and supervising the deans of the university’s five academic schools.