Buffalo, NY – Canisius University President John J. Hurley has appointed Daniel A. Dentino, PhD, vice president for student affairs and dean of students. As a strategic leader and integral member of the president’s senior leadership team, Dentino will advise college leadership on current developments in higher education as they specifically relate to student affairs. He is responsible for advancing the Catholic Jesuit mission of the college and implementing initiatives to support diversity and inclusion throughout the Division of Student Affairs, which includes the offices of Campus Ministry, Intercollegiate D1 Athletics, Public Safety, Student Life, Counseling Center, Student Health Center and International Student Programs. Dentino is also jointly responsible for the overall operations of the Griff Center for Academic Engagement and the Office of Study Abroad and International Partnerships.
“Dan impressed the search committee and the campus community with his experience, energy and enthusiasm,” said President Hurley in announcing the appointment. “I am confident that he will bring a number of fresh perspectives and creative approaches to student life at Canisius.”
Dentino comes to Canisius from Cleveland State University where he is currently working in an interim capacity in student life. He previously served as vice president for student services and mission identity at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, WV. During his tenure, Dentino collaborated with the Division of Academic Affairs to develop a new academic success center to more closely align academic resources, academic advising, and the student outreach and retention team. He established a new Diversity and Inclusion Office to better address the needs and concern of the university’s growing population of first generation students, international students and students of color. Dentino also revised housing protocols and policy to enhance campus safety and security. The changes led to a dramatic drop in alcohol related incidents on campus by 90 percent over a two-year period. Under Dentino’s leadership, student satisfaction also climbed to its highest mark in more than a decade and student retention rates among first to second year students rose from 64 percent to 79 percent. In 2017, Dentino’s efforts on behalf of Wheeling earned him the university’s Administrator of the Year Award.
“Preparing graduates to be responsible, informed and engaged citizens living thoughtful lives of service with and among others is what a liberal education is all about and in my opinion, nobody does this as well as the Jesuits,” said Dentino. “I welcome this opportunity to serve the students at Canisius using these beliefs and values.”
Prior to Wheeling University, Dentino was vice president for student life at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, KS; dean of student development for Bethany College in Lindsborg, KS; and vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, FL.
He earned a doctorate of philosophy and systematic theology from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. Dentino also holds a master of arts degree in religious studies from Providence College (Rhode Island) and a bachelor of arts degree in theology from Franciscan University in Steubenville, OH. His professional affiliations are many and include the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), the Jesuit Association of Student Personnel Administrators (JASPA), the Association for Student Affairs at Catholic Colleges and Universities (ASACCU) and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU).
One of 28 Jesuit universities in the nation, Canisius is the premier private university in Western New York.
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