This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
Annette Diorio, who served as associate dean of students for the last five years, is now dean of students at the College.
President Daniel H. Weiss announced the appointment in a message to the campus community, along with other staffing changes taking place in a reorganization of the President’s Cabinet, Division of Student Life, and Office of the Dean of the College.
John McKnight has been appointed to the new position of associate dean of students and director of intercultural development, effective Jan. 1, 2011, and Erica D’Agostino will succeed McKnight as associate dean of the College and the class dean for first-year and second-year students.
Weiss announced the first staffing changes in the reorganization in a message to the campus on June 4. James F. Krivoski, who had served as vice president for student affairs and dean of students, has joined the President’s Office as executive assistant to the president and administrative secretary to the Board of Trustees. Stevie O. Daniels, who had served as executive assistant to the president and administrative secretary to the board during the last four years, has joined the Communications Division in the Office of Editorial Services. She is now associate director of college communications. These changes took effect July 1.
The College will undertake a national search for a new position in the Division of Student Life, vice president for campus life and senior diversity officer.
As dean of students, Diorio oversees a spectrum of activities related to student conduct and supervises the director of residence life, the assistant director of intercultural development, the director of religious life, and the director of the Landis Community Outreach Center, among other responsibilities. Her appointment took effect in July.
Diorio joined the College in 2000. For the past five years, she served as associate dean of students and was assistant dean before that. She also served as director of residence life for nine years.
“Annette’s service to the College – including service on a wide variety of committees – and, especially, to our students, has been exemplary. I am delighted that she is now dean of students and a member of my senior staff,” Weiss said.
Diorio has more than 20 years’ professional experience in higher education. At Lafayette, her experience includes developing and teaching a First-Year Seminar on college students in America and a course on the availability and consumption of foods in the United States and the world in the VAST (Values and Science/Technology) seminar series for sophomores.
In 2006, Diorio was honored as the recipient of Lafayette’s Cyrus R. Fleck Jr. ’52 Administrator of the Year Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to the campus community.
Prior to coming to Lafayette, she served at the State University of New York’s Technical College at Canton, SUNY’s College at Brockport, and Missouri Western State College. She holds an Ed.D. in educational policy and leadership from the University of Kansas. She did her undergraduate work at SUNY’s College at Cortland, earning a B.S. in education, and holds a master’s in education from St. Lawrence University.
“Both John McKnight and Erica D’Agostino will bring to their next roles experience and expertise that will serve them well,” Weiss said.
McKnight has served as associate dean of the College and the class dean for first-year and second-year students since joining Lafayette in May 2009. He came to Lafayette from Lehigh University, where he was director of multicultural affairs in 2008-09, following a year as associate director of multicultural affairs. He also was residence life coordinator at Lehigh for two years. McKnight holds a M.S. in higher education administration from Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind., and is pursuing an Ed.D. in administration and leadership studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. As an undergraduate, he majored in advertising at the University of Florida.
D’Agostino is a1995 Lafayette graduate who holds a doctorate in educational leadership, management and policy from Seton Hall University. She has served as the director of the Academic Resource Center/ATTIC (Academic Tutoring and Training Information Center) since 2007. Erica has led the ATTIC in significant growth in academic support programs and improvement of the College’s disability services. Prior to returning to Lafayette as a staff member, she taught psychology as an adjunct professor at Northampton Community College. She also was a school psychologist in two regional school districts and maintained a private practice. The College will soon begin a search for her replacement.
Leslie Muhlfelder, vice president for human resources and general counsel, will chair a search committee for the vice president for campus life and senior diversity officer. Reporting to the president and serving as a member of the President’s Cabinet, the vice president will collaborate closely with the provost and dean of the faculty and the vice presidents for business affairs, development and college relations, human resources, and communications. S/he will provide leadership as the chief student affairs officer and will develop and supervise initiatives to promote pluralism and dialogue on matters of diversity for the Lafayette community.
The search committee, now being formed, will include faculty, staff, and students. Krivoski is currently serving as vice president on an interim basis, with Diorio reporting to him. The dean of students eventually will report to the new vice president for campus life.