Dionne Miller Named Vice President of Academic Affairs

Middlesex College has named Dr. Dionne Miller as its next vice president for academic affairs following a nationwide search. Miller arrives at the College after serving as associate provost and associate dean for academic affairs at LaGuardia Community College at the City University of New York (CUNY) in Queens.

Miller will serve as the chief academic officer at Middlesex College, the largest two-year community college in the State of New Jersey, providing leadership for the Division of Academic Affairs and all credit-bearing courses and degree programs. Miller will also support the development of pathways from noncredit to credit programs as part of a college-wide focus on supporting students to be successful at Middlesex College and at a transfer institution and in the world of work.

“I am both excited and honored to join the Middlesex College community as vice president of academic affairs,” said Miller, of Mount Vernon, New York. “This role is not only a professional milestone but also a profound reflection of the transformative power of public higher education. I have long been an advocate for the essential role that academic institutions play in shaping both individual lives and society at large.”

Miller brings a strong understanding of community colleges and public education, where she has spent the past 30 years of her career. Her extensive background in higher education includes serving as a faculty member, associate dean of academic affairs, and associate provost at LaGuardia Community College. As associate dean, Miller oversaw all aspects of new program development and managed the college’s curriculum-related governance processes as well as dual enrollment high school programs.

At Middlesex College, Miller will support the College’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, which focuses on access to education, student success, community engagement, and a welcoming and inclusive campus that’s home to a diverse student body, 42% of whom are first generation.

Miller has firsthand experience of supporting a broadly diverse campus community—LaGuardia is home to students from over 133 countries and 54% are first-generation college students.

“I am eager to contribute to an academic environment that continually strives for excellence—one where every student has the opportunity to explore their passions, develop as both scholars and citizens, and thrive in all aspects of their personal and professional journeys,” Miller said.

“I am thrilled to welcome Dionne Miller to Middlesex College as our next vice president of academic affairs,” said Middlesex College President Mark McCormick. “Dionne brings an impressive record of academic leadership and collaboration, innovation in curriculum and program development, and support of student success at every step in a student’s academic journey. I look forward to partnering with and supporting Dionne in the expansion of opportunities for students of all backgrounds to grow and succeed at Middlesex College.”

Miller’s work in academic affairs at LaGuardia led to several program innovations, including the development of a new physical sciences program, new majors in education and film and television, a new ethnic studies option, and new tracks in biotechnology, animal science, and health humanities. In fall 2024, Miller oversaw a new facilities management track in business administration that was developed in collaboration with the International Facilities Management Association Foundation.

Miller led student success initiatives at LaGuardia including two apprenticeship programs: the first, with Mastercard for the college’s Network Administration and Information Security (Cybersecurity) program, launched in fall 2022 and resulted in 16 students gaining full-time jobs at the company so far; the second, with Wells Fargo for the Programming and Software Development major, launched in September 2023.

As the vice president of academic affairs at Middlesex College, Miller will facilitate the development of articulation agreements with the College’s many transfer partners to provide a seamless transfer for students when they graduate. This work follows her achievements at LaGuardia, where she developed several articulation agreements, including a transfer initiative for the liberal arts social science and humanities major with the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, the first for the major. Miller also developed transfer pathways with John Jay College of Criminal Justice and The New School.

In fall 2023, Miller launched a new office of Global and Experiential Learning at LaGuardia to provide support to faculty and staff in incorporating global and experiential learning in their courses. The office serves as a platform for the LaGuardia community to facilitate global engagement and connection and includes study abroad opportunities, professional development resources for faculty, and collaborative online learning.

Miller has taught chemistry at LaGuardia Community College since 2009 and served as a lecturer at two other CUNY colleges—the City College of New York and Bronx Community College—as well as at the University of Technology in Kingston, Jamaica. Her many additional accomplishments at LaGuardia include co-writing a proposal for the physical sciences program, which launched in fall 2019. She also developed the college’s first hybrid online course in general chemistry.

She holds a doctorate in chemistry from the Graduate School and University Center at CUNY and a master’s degree in chemistry from the Graduate School at CUNY. Miller steps into the role of vice president of academic affairs after the March 2024 departure of Dr. Linda Scherr, who left the position to become the chief academic officer for the New Jersey Council of County Colleges. Dr. Theresa Orosz served as acting vice president for academic affairs.