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Dr. Lori E. Ciccomascolo, an accomplished educator, scholar, and academic leader whose career spans more than three decades, has been named vice president for strategic initiatives and chief of staff at William Paterson University in Wayne.
“William Paterson is delighted to welcome Dr. Ciccomascolo back to campus, where she previously completed a prestigious ACE Fellowship,” said President Richard J. Helldobler. “Her extensive experience in academic leadership, together with her familiarity with the University community, positions her well for success in pursuing strategic partnerships and managing key initiatives across the institution.”
"I am genuinely excited to join William Paterson University as chief of staff and vice president for strategic initiatives. WP has a deep commitment to student success and community impact and I look forward to working for President Helldobler and with the Board, Cabinet colleagues, and the entire WP community to help advance that mission,” says Ciccomascolo. “I first came to know this community four years ago as an ACE Fellow, and it's a privilege to now call myself an official Pioneer."
In her role, Ciccomascolo will oversee focused priorities for the University, including the progress of the institution’s Strategic Plan 2026-31. She will also collaborate with key stakeholders to pursue new external partnerships and support. In addition, she will serve as chief of staff for the Office of the President and the William Paterson Board of Trustees.
Ciccomascolo served most recently as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Springfield College in Massachusetts. At Springfield, she led the development of its Academic Strategic Action Plan, co-led the Curricular and Cocurricular pillar of the college's 2035 Strategic Plan, introduced a new bachelor's degrees in data science communications and creative media, co-chaired the Student Success Committee, and collaborated with the dean of Arts and Science and faculty on a proposal for a new three-year degree pathway in partnership with the national College-in-3 Exchange initiative.
Prior to Springfield, she was a tenured professor, dean, and administrator at the University of Rhode Island from 2002 to 2024. Her roles included service as the associate vice president for student success from 2017 to 2024; dean of URI’s Feinstein College of Education and Professional Studies from 2014 to 2017; and interim dean of the College of Human Science and Services from 2012 to 2016.
During the 2022-23 academic year, Ciccomascolo was an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow in residence at William Paterson University. The ACE Fellowship provides executive leadership development in higher education that enables participants to engage in comprehensive experiential training while being mentored by senior leaders at a host institution. She was a member of the 2011-12 cohort of the HERS Institute for Women in Higher Education Leadership.
Ciccomascolo serves on the board of the ACE Council of Fellows, as well as the board of LGBTQ Leaders in Higher Education. She is the co-editor of two books, Social Justice and Putting Theory into Practice in Schools and Communities and The Dimensions of Physical and Health Education: An Introduction to the Discipline, as well as numerous book chapters, journal articles, and professional presentations.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in corporate communication and master’s degree in exercise science from Southern Connecticut State University and holds an EdD in curriculum and teaching from Boston University.
