Alverno College Names Wendy Powers Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Wendy Powers, Ph.D., has been appointed associate vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students. In this role, she will provide leadership in areas directly affecting student life including counseling and health services, residential life, student activities and leadership, campus ministry and wellness programs. She will also provide vision for student life policies, programs and services, and represent the College with the Board of Trustees, parents, the community and local law enforcement officials.

“We are so pleased to welcome Wendy to her new role in Student Affairs,” said Kathy Lake, vice president for Student Success at Alverno College. “She brings a wealth of experience to the College, and her vision and leadership will ensure our students have the best possible college experience.”

For 23 years, Powers has worked directly with students in higher education settings. She previously worked at Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Mo., where she served as the dean of Student Life. In that role she created inaugural assessment plans with each of the student life directors, helped reinvent summer registration days and new student orientation and developed international student support services. She also oversaw counseling and wellness, Greek life, residential life, religious life, student activities and student government. Prior to her work at Culver-Stockton, Powers worked at several other universities including West Virginia State University, University of Charleston in West Virginia and Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Powers earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Northern Illinois University, and her Master of Science degree from Drake University. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina in 2014. Powers is currently a member of the American College Personnel Association, the American Educational Research Association, the Association for the Study of Higher Education and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.

About Alverno College

Alverno College, a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college for women, exists to promote the personal and professional development of its students. The college has earned accolades and respect internationally for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, and has consulted with three U.S. presidential administrations on accountability and outcomes in higher education. For the last four years, Alverno College was ranked one of the top three schools in the Midwest doing “the best job of educating undergrads” by U.S. News & World Report. Educators from throughout the world visit Alverno to learn about its proven, student-centered teaching methods.

Alverno offers more than 35 major program areas of study, including graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology and business that are open to women and men. For more information about Alverno, visit www.alverno.edu or call 414-382-6100.