Mike Lovorn, Ph.D., dean of education, has announced he will step down from his position next month. Expressing a desire to return to his K-12 roots, he has accepted a position as headmaster and executive director at an international high school in Wisconsin.
Lovorn, who joined Saint Mary’s in March 2021, supported the strategic plan through accomplishments in budget reduction, program development, new enrollment generation, accreditation, partnerships, grant writing/management, and revenue/resource stewardship. Highlights include:
- Developing and launching international Education Specialist (Ed.S.) and Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed.) programs, increasing enrollment by more than 100
- Leading efforts to redesign the undergraduate education experience into a mission-centered 3+1 (education major + licensure-bearing MAT)
- Working with talented faculty and program directors to support successful accreditation visits by the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) and the Board of School Administrators (BOSA)
- Renewing and enhancing relationships with Catholic partners including the Aim Higher Foundation, Catholic Schools Center for Excellence, and the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation
- Co-leading a $1.2 million National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program grant to increase the number of teachers of color and teachers from underrepresented backgrounds who pursue STEM licensure
- Streamlining graduate education programs while reducing overall expenses by $1.1 million
“Dr. Lovorn’s contributions will help advance our future efforts in the School of Education,” said Dr. Max Bonilla, provost and dean of faculties. “We will build momentum based on the work done by Dean Lovorn and the entire faculty and staff in the school. The school is critical to our success as we work to attract more students to the field of teaching and education leadership as it was envisioned hundreds of years ago by Saint John Baptist de La Salle .”
Jack McClure, Ph.D., program director of the Ed.D. in Leadership program, will serve as interim dean in the transition. A national search will be conducted for a new dean.
