Adelphi University Names New Vice President for Student Affairs

Adelphi University has appointed Ronald Sentwali Bakari, PhD, as its new vice president for student affairs and dean of students. Dr. Bakari is currently vice chancellor for student success at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS).

Dr. Bakari will have responsibility for several units at Adelphi, including Health Services, Student Involvement, Student Conduct, Residential Life, Counseling and Support Services, Student Access, the Center for Career and Professional Development, and the Interfaith Center. He will begin his new role on December 3, 2019.

“Dr. Bakari’s impressive career and track record is well aligned with Adelphi’s relentless dedication to student success,” said President Christine M. Riordan. “Additionally, his passionate support of students’ multicultural understanding complements Adelphi’s firmly held values of diversity and inclusion, civic engagement, and global awareness.”

Before UCCS, Dr. Bakari served as dean of students and senior student affairs officer at Drake University. He has also worked at Texas Christian University, Hartwick College, the State University of New York at Oswego and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. In 2015, Dr. Bakari served as dean of students for a Semester at Sea.

Aligning significantly with important Adelphi values, Dr. Bakari also passionately supports promoting and infusing global and multicultural understanding among students—an appreciation he gained through numerous international experiences as a student, faculty member and administrator. A recipient of the International Education Administrators Fulbright Award to the United Kingdom in 2013, he also participated in an African American faculty delegation to Israel and has developed and co-led faculty- and staff-directed travel courses to Israel, Egypt and Turkey.

Dr. Bakari earned his PhD in College Student Personnel Administration and Leadership at the University of Northern Colorado. His undergraduate and master’s degree studies were completed at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He has presented at national conferences, including the Association of International Education Administrators, Diversity Abroad, the National Association of Student Affairs Administration, the American College Personnel Association, and the National Conference on Race & Ethnicity.

“I am confident that Dr. Bakari’s leadership will help us further enrich our students’ academic experiences and overall outcomes—present and future,” Dr. Riordan added. “Our community looks forward to his bright vision and leadership.”