Dear Colleagues,
As I mentioned in my earliest days as president and during the inauguration, Chapman is continuing a strong tradition of building on its past success to reach new heights of excellence.
People are the cornerstone of that excellence, and I am so impressed by the immense talent we continue to build at Chapman among faculty, staff, and administrators. This includes the recent appointment of Rick Bischoff as our new enrollment management leader, who complements our existing leadership strength.
Assembling and growing the right team is integral to Chapman’s future trajectory, as it has been for so many decades. To that end, I have some exciting news to share that will help our university continue to ascend for many years to come.
General Counsel Hima Vatti will report to me, effective Jan. 1, consistent with my view on the importance of institutional integrity and compliance. Hima, an accomplished administrator and strategist who has advised multiple institutions throughout her career including Caltech, has already demonstrated her invaluable counsel and institutional mindset as Chapman and all higher education institutions navigate increasingly complex landscapes and regulatory environments. She consistently offers proactive, sound counsel across the university in highly thoughtful and collaborative ways. Hima is leading several initiatives for the university, and she is in the process of maturing and enhancing the newly renamed Office of the General Counsel (previously the Office of Legal Affairs). This reset will enable her to focus more fully on big-picture strategy that will move us forward effectively and successfully. I am incredibly confident in her leadership.
Marie Williams is being promoted to Senior Vice President of Marketing and Public Affairs, also effective Jan. 1. In addition to Strategic Marketing and Communications, the Office of Community Relations will report to Marie. Since joining Chapman, Marie quickly became a trusted adviser to me, President Emeritus Daniele Struppa, and to many others, as she is a seasoned, multi-time higher education VP who also brings agency and public affairs experience. Among other achievements, she has led a department-wide evolution to make Chapman’s marcomm effort increasingly strategic and deliberate, and she is strengthening SMC’s focus and collaboration involving enrollment management. Marie’s new model has put SMC on the right path, and we have experienced significant gains already. More broadly, Marie understands our strengths as an institution and our immense potential to reach new heights. She brings tremendous vision and an unwavering strategic focus to her work, and I am excited for the impact and influence her leadership will have as she expands her portfolio.
Finally, the national search for our permanent Chief Operating Officer will also kick off in January. I have asked Hima to chair this search and Marie to join the search committee. I anticipate a productive search process that will attract a pool of high-caliber candidates and yield an experienced leader who will guide our ongoing financial and operational growth.
My optimism in our future could not be stronger, anchored by our special and talented Chapman Family.
Enjoy the holiday season and new year, and I look forward to seeing you in 2026.
Best,
Matt