This fall President Shirley M. Collado announced the creation of the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life, distinct from the Division of Academic Affairs and outside the Office of the Provost, and the appointment of Rosanna Ferro to lead the division.

“Rosanna is a talented emerging leader who has been heavily recruited by other institutions and has the multifaceted experience needed to lead within the complicated landscape of higher education today,” President Collado said. “I have been watching her career closely for many years, and I am thrilled that she has agreed to bring her leadership and expertise to Ithaca College.”

Ferro came to Ithaca College from Williams College, where she was associate dean of the college. Prior to joining Williams in 2013, Ferro held various positions at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, including leading the Office of Multicultural Engagement and serving as assistant director of learning communities.

At Rutgers and at Williams, Ferro launched and developed widely successful programs in the areas of student success; student retention; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and the first-generation college experience. Throughout her career, she has received numerous awards and recognitions including the Access and Inclusion Award from the New England College Personnel Association; the John Hernandez Leadership Award from the American College Personnel Association; and the Human Dignity Award from the Committee to Advance Our Common Purposes from Rutgers University.

Ferro holds a doctorate in education with a concentration in education, culture, and society; a master of social work with a concentration in administration, policy, and planning; and a bachelor’s degree in sociology, all from Rutgers University–New Brunswick.

“I am honored to be joining the Ithaca College community and the incredible team in student affairs and campus life,” said Ferro. “To join any college at a time of new beginnings and fresh energy is a rare opportunity, and to get to work with a student body as engaged and dynamic as Ithaca College’s is even rarer. I’ve been deeply impressed with how sincere everyone at IC is about the importance of the full student experience inside and outside the classroom, and I feel a strong connection to the college’s commitment to improve the experience of students from every background.”