QUINCY UNIVERSITY WELCOMES NEW PROVOST AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

QUINCY, Ill. – Quincy University announces Dr. Sarah Vordtriede-Patton as QU’s next Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. She will assume the role on July 1, 2023. The current QU Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Teresa Reed, is retiring at the end of this academic year after a distinguished career as a faculty member and administrator.

Vordtriede-Patton has 30 years of experience in higher education, ranging from her early years as an instructor to serving as the founding dean of the School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics at Columbia College in Columbia, Mo.

“Quincy University is a transformative institution housed within a vibrant community,” said Vordtriede-Patton, PhD, EdS. “I am humbled and overjoyed that 30 years in higher education have prepared me to participate in charting QU’s future as part of President McGee’s leadership team.”

Within the last decade, Vordtriede-Patton’s work includes management and professional development of faculty and staff, assessment and coordination of academic departments, strategic planning, budget management, accreditation and assessment reviews, and oversight of recruiting, marketing and advising.

“Sarah Vordtriede-Patton is an exceptional academic leader and a superb teacher and scholar,” said Brian McGee, PhD, president of Quincy University. “A lifelong Midwesterner, accomplished scientist, and former Army reservist, she will be a wonderful member of the QU community.”

In addition to her current role as the Dean of the School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics at Columbia College, Vordtriede-Patton is a VALUE Institute certified scorer for the Association of American Colleges & Universities and a peer reviewer for the Chicago-based Higher Learning Commission, one of the largest accreditors of colleges and universities in the United States. Before assuming her position at Columbia College, Vordtriede-Patton was the Interim Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Iowa’s St. Ambrose University, where she worked for 15 years.

“Before her time at Columbia College, Dr. Vordtriede-Patton spent many years as a distinguished faculty member and administrator at St. Ambrose University, a Catholic university for which we have a high regard,” said Brian McGee, PhD, president of Quincy University. “She also earned her highest degree at another excellent Catholic institution. Dr. Vordtriede-Patton’s experience in Catholic and Christian higher education is an ideal match for our Catholic and Franciscan values at Quincy University.”

Vordtriede-Patton earned a PhD in Biology from St. Louis University. She also has an Education Specialist degree in Higher Education Administration from University of Missouri Kansas City.

For eight years, Vordtriede-Patton served in the United States Army Reserve as a Medical Entomologist, including three years at the rank of captain.

“I look forward to partnering with the dedicated and accomplished QU faculty in guiding students in discovering and living out their full potential in service to their communities and society at large,” said Vordtriede-Patton.

In addition to her title as vice president for academic affairs, Vordtriede-Patton will also serve as the provost, a title often used for the chief academic officer at universities in the United States. The provost’s title has been used for many centuries in higher education and in church administration, including in the Roman Catholic Church.

Vordtriede-Patton earned her bachelor’s degree at McKendree University, which, like Quincy University, is a member of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Founded in 1860 by Franciscan friars, Quincy University is a small Catholic university emphasizing the sciences, liberal arts and the professions. Quincy University offers undergraduate, graduate and adult education programs integrating practical experience and Franciscan values. Faculty and advisors work with students to design customized success plans to help them graduate on time, find their passion and prepare them for life. QU is a member of NCAA Division II for intercollegiate athletics. For more information, please visit www.quincy.edu or contact the Office of Community Relations at (217) 228-5275 or communityrelations@quincy.edu. Quincy University. Success by Design.