LEWISTON – After an eight-month search, Bates College announced Wednesday that it has found a new vice president for student affairs.
Rosanna Ferro, who has been working for a California nonprofit, will take over one of Bates’ most visible and high-ranking leadership positions beginning Dec. 2.
Rosanna Ferro Bates College
The college said Ferro has more than two decades “of leadership experience in higher education, driving initiatives that enhance both the academic performance and social-emotional development of college students.”
She fills a vacancy created last winter when Joshua McIntosh stepped down to become executive dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He had worked as a Bates vice president for a decade, including shepherding the college through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ferro has been serving as chief of education at College Track, a college access nonprofit that helps high school and college students succeed.
Bates President Garry Jenkins said he is thrilled that Ferro is coming to Bates.
In a prepared statement, Jenkins said, Ferro’s “extensive background in student affairs, her commitment to fostering inclusive communities, and her passion for higher education will be incredible assets as we continue to strengthen the student experience at Bates.”
The vice president for student affairs oversees 13 campus life and student services departments along with being a member of the senior leadership team at the college.
Ferro said in a prepared statement that throughout her career, “I have been driven by a deep passion for enhancing student engagement, promoting equity, and creating spaces where students feel empowered to grow, learn, and thrive.”
“I look forward to bringing this passion to Bates, an institution that is firmly committed to its students and to fostering a strong, inclusive community,” Ferro said.
Ferro served in a similar post at Ithaca College from 2017 to 2022. Before that, she held a dean’s post at Williams College for four years.
Ferro earned a doctorate, master’s degree and bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University, where her final dissertation focused on the ingredients for first-generation student success among Hispanic women.
At Rutgers, Ferro also served as an adjunct faculty member in its Department of Women’s and Gender Studies.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Join the Conversation
We believe it’s important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It’s a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. Read more...
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
For those stories that we do enable discussion, our system may hold up comments pending the approval of a moderator for several reasons, including possible violation of our guidelines. As the Maine Trust’s digital team reviews these comments, we ask for patience.
Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday and limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve.
By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is found on our FAQs.
You can modify your screen name here.
Show less
Join the Conversation
Please sign into your Sun Journal account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe. Questions? Please see our FAQs.