Shenandoah University’s newest academic administrator, Adrienne G. Bloss, Ph.D., joined Shenandoah’s senior leadership team on July 8 as vice president for academic affairs (VPAA). Formerly the associate dean for academic affairs and institutional relations at Roanoke College, Dr. Bloss succeeds Bryon L. Grigsby, Ph.D., who departed Shenandoah in June to become president of Moravian College and Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pa.
In her new role, Dr. Bloss serves as the university’s chief academic officer and is responsible for hiring and evaluating faculty, conducting academic planning and supporting faculty teaching, scholarship and curricular planning. She works with deans and directors on regional and specialized accreditation and collaborates with the president and other members of the senior leadership team to develop academic priorities, support enrollment management and implement the university budget.
“I’m so excited to be a part of Shenandoah’s vibrant community of ideas and possibilities,” said Bloss. “The university has a deep dedication to quality education and personal development. Many people contribute to making Shenandoah a wonderful place — students, faculty, staff, trustees, and alumni, along with a great community in and around Winchester.”
Even though she is settling into her new job, Dr. Bloss is certainly no stranger to Shenandoah. She received and completed the prestigious American Council on Education (ACE) Fellowship with the university during the 2010–11 school year and spent that time learning alongside President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D., and other senior administrators. As an ACE Fellow, she focused on the areas of budget process, institutional advancement and institutional identity. The fellowship also included seminars, intensive learning opportunities and campus visits across the country.
“My ACE fellowship gave me a broader understanding of the landscape of higher education and how individuals and institutions can contribute to the educational challenges we face as a nation and a world,” said Bloss. “It also gave me the opportunity to get to know Shenandoah — its core values, its history, its programs and, most importantly, its people. Tracy was a wonderful mentor, and I am looking forward to working with her and everyone in the community as Shenandoah takes its place as a leader in higher education.”
At Roanoke, Bloss served as associate dean for academic affairs and institutional relations and professor of computer science and mathematics. She oversaw general education as well as curricular and faculty development and led the implementation of a new general education curriculum in 2009. Previously, she served on the faculty at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University as an assistant professor of computer science.
Bloss earned her bachelor’s degree in systems engineering from the University of Virginia, master’s and doctoral degrees in computer science from Yale University and, in 2006, completed the Management Development Program at Harvard University. “I am thrilled to welcome Adrienne to the ranks of senior administration at Shenandoah,” said President Fitzsimmons. “Her impressive academic credentials and extensive resume made her the clear and unanimous choice for this position. Adrienne understands our institution and will excel in identifying ways to raise our university’s academic profile.”