Caltech, Valparaiso, U. of Michigan and More

Kenneth Alexander, mayor of Norfolk, Virginia, and vice chancellor for strategic partnerships at the Virginia Community College system, has been named interim president of Richard Bland College, effective May 11.

Loren Blanchard, president of the University of Houston Downtown, has been appointed president of California State University, Long Beach, effective May 1.

Manny Diaz Jr., interim president of the University of West Florida, has been appointed the institution’s permanent president, effective Feb. 1.

Ray Jayawardhana, provost of Johns Hopkins University, has been named president of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), effective July 1.

Tony Kline, executive vice president of Trine University in Indiana, has been appointed president of the institution, effective June 1.

Brian Konkol, former vice president and dean at Syracuse University, became president of Valparaiso University in Indiana on Jan. 1.

Jennifer Mnookin, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, has been named president of Columbia University, effective July 1.

Teresa Rich, interim president of Yakima Valley College since 2024, was named permanent president of the Washington state institution on Jan. 8.

Kent Syverud, chancellor and president of Syracuse University, has been appointed president of the University of Michigan, effective July 1.