The Mercy College Board of Trustees appointed Concetta M. Stewart, the college”™s provost and vice president of academic affairs, as interim president. She assumed responsibilities July 1.
Stewart will serve in the post while a comprehensive national search is conducted for a full-time president.
“I”™m excited to take on this role and to work with Mercy College”™s excellent faculty and staff,” she said. “I plan to focus my energy on enhancing the experience for Mercy”™s students and continue to improve the quality of education and programs we offer here at the college.”
Stewart came to Mercy College in 2012 after serving as dean and professor of the School of Art and Design at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. During her tenure at Pratt, she increased academic offerings by launching new degrees, programs and departments, including film and photography.
Prior to Pratt, Stewart served as dean of the School of Communications and Theater at Temple University in Philadelphia. During her deanship at Temple, enrollment doubled and she spearheaded the creation of an effective board of visitors. She also upped technology offerings and raised more than $12 million over eight years.
Stewart serves as a trustee of The American College of Greece and also serves on the boards of the American Council of Education”™s Inclusive Excellence Group and the Advertising Educational Foundation. She has been published widely on subjects relating to communications, education and technology, and edited a volume titled “Teaching and Learning with Technology: Beyond Constructivism.”
One of her first acts as Mercy”™s new leader was to post her goals and initiatives on YouTube.
Stewart holds a Ph.D. in communication and information studies from Rutgers University and an M.A. in media studies from The New School in Manhattan. Her undergraduate degree is from  Rutgers.
