Alan Silva, PhD, will assume the position of Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs in June, bringing more than two decades of executive experience in higher education. He most recently served as Provost and Executive Vice President at Marian University in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Dr. Silva joins a newly structured leadership team that includes Executive Vice President/Chief of Staff George Williams, PhD, Vice President for Advancement Victoria Pineda, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs Alycia Maurer, PhD, and Associate Dean for Graduate Affairs Vanessa Clark, PhD.
Like Dr. Silva, Pineda starts in June and arrives with a wealth of experience, most recently as Vice President of Institutional Advancement at the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine in El Paso. A Certified Fundraising Executive, she has been responsible for more than $75.1 million in individual donations at various universities and nonprofits.
A self-described “cradle Catholic,” Dr. Silva grew up with a strong faith, studied the lives of popes and thought he might become a priest. “The Catholic roots of Our Lady of the Lake University are very important to me,” he said. “This is my third Catholic institution.”
His previous school, Marian University, was founded by the Sisters of St. Francis. He also served as Provost and Executive Vice President at St. Catherine University, a school in St. Paul, Minnesota, founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.
“I have a great fondness for the charism of the Sisters and what they’ve done to create great institutions of higher education,” he said.
A former English professor, Dr. Silva is an avid reader of literature and poetry. He is a film enthusiast, enjoys live theater and is passionate about sports, especially basketball.
He is excited to start at OLLU.
“I want to lean in very strongly into the Catholic and Hispanic parts of this institution,” he said. “I want to build new programs. I want to strengthen existing academic programs so that students and faculty can flourish at OLLU.”