Five Appointed to President’s Cabinet

By RetterJ | October 5, 2019

This year, the University appointed five individuals to leadership positions at Arcadia, solidifying the chief academic, development and alumni engagement, information technology, and finance roles, as well as a new position for strategic initiatives.

Dr. Jeff Rutenbeck, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs

Dr. Rutenbeck, who began his tenure at Arcadia on Aug. 15, previously served as dean of the School of Communication at American University, where he oversaw more than 110 full-time faculty and staff, 450 graduate students, and nearly 1,000 undergraduates in four academic divisions. Dr. Rutenbeck was a full professor at American, founding dean and full professor in the Division of Communication and Creative Media at Champlain College, and an associate professor of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Denver. An expert in digital media studies, he has published a book and dozens of refereed articles on topics including digitization, hyper-complexity, and media history.

Brigette A. Bryant, vice president for Development and Alumni Relations

A fundraising executive with more than three decades of experience, Bryant began her tenure at Arcadia on June 3. She previously served as the founding vice chancellor for University Advancement at the City University of New York, where she led fundraising efforts for the 25-campus system, supported an enterprise-wide advancement team, and managed a central office team. She secured several major gifts at CUNY, including a $1 million transfer scholarship for vulnerable students and a $20 million gift to name the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Bryant also integrated a faculty and staff giving program with a more successful Giving Tuesday effort, resulting in nearly $1 million in Fiscal Year 2019.

Rashmi Radhakrishnan, vice president and chief information officer 

Radhakrishnan, who began her tenure at Arcadia on Aug. 15, leads and manages Arcadia’s information technology (IT) efforts, assesses and plans for the University’s longterm technology needs, and oversees cybersecurity initiatives for Arcadia’s campuses around the world. Radhakrishnan previously served as vice president of Digital Strategy and Infrastructure and CIO at Albright College, where she managed all aspects of campus technology, including enterprise applications and data, information security, infrastructure, and communications. In 2013, Radhakrishnan was named a Top IT Pro by the Philadelphia Business Journal for her use of performance analytics and dashboards across Thomas Jefferson University, where she served as associate vice president of Information Resources.

Joseph Sun, director of Strategic Initiatives

Sun, who joined the Arcadia community on June 3, is an adviser to President Ajay Nair and his leadership team, facilitating the University’s strategic planning process, strengthening Arcadia’s partnerships, and managing external evaluations. Most recently, Sun served as vice rector (provost) of Forman Christian College University in Lahore, Pakistan. Prior to that, he spent 31 years at the University of Pennsylvania, serving as Penn Engineering’s vice dean for Academic Affairs and Wharton School’s director of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, among other roles. Fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, Sun has taught courses in technology, leadership, research conduct, race and ethnic studies, Asian American studies, and Chinese rural development.

Joan Singleton, chief financial officer and treasurer 

Starting Dec. 1, Singleton will manage the University’s financial resources, leading nearly 100 employees in the offices of Human Resources, Institutional Planning and Budget, Facilities Management, Public Safety, and Auxiliary Services. In her previous position as chief financial officer at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., Singleton oversaw resource allocation and budgeting, financial analysis and strategy, debt management, and cash flow optimization. Prior to that, Singleton served as vice president of Workforce and Organizational Effectiveness and Human Resources at the Milton Hershey School, where she facilitated a schoolwide strategic planning process to increase enrollment, support student success, and engage parent and family sponsors.