Mount Saint Mary College is proud to announce that Evan Merkhofer has been named Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA).
As VPAA, Merkhofer serves as the Chief Academic Officer, providing leadership and direction for academic affairs. He is responsible for the administration of all academics at the college, including the Mount’s School of Business, School of Nursing, and School of Arts, Sciences, and Education.
“The Mount is a leader of higher education in the Hudson Valley, and I’m very excited for the opportunity to help it thrive,” said Merkhofer. “I look forward to continuing to support the Mount’s strong academic portfolio, offering students a high-quality education with personalized attention from our faculty.”
Merkhofer was named Interim VPAA in August of 2023 before taking on his current role.
“During the past year and a half, Evan has shown excellent leadership as Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs, implementing effective strategies and moving the college forward on multiple fronts,” said Dr. Robert Gervasi, President of the Mount. “His tireless work ethic and dedication to our students has guided his efforts.”
Since his arrival in 2014, Merkhofer has been a highly-engaged member of the Mount community. In addition to his work as a Biology professor, he has served as director of the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE), coordinator of the Investigating Research on Campus (iROC) speaker series, and chair of the Division of Natural Sciences.
Merkhofer graduated from Gettysburg College with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2002. He earned a PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2010, where he studied the role of transcription factors in breast cancer. He subsequently completed an IRACDA fellowship at the University of California-San Diego.