Bashar Hanna Named Bloomsburg University’s 19th President

The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education unanimously selected Dr. Bashar W. Hanna to be the next president of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania on Monday, effective July 1.

Hanna is a professor of biology and former vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown. He previously was associate provost at Ithaca College and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and interim provost at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.

“Bashar Hanna has a broad range of both teaching and administrative experience, and has worked closely throughout his career with both students and faculty,” said Board of Governors Chair Cynthia D. Shapira. “With his vast array of skills, his knowledge and his experience, we are confident he will be an excellent leader for Bloomsburg University.”

Hanna said he is honored to have been selected to serve as Bloomsburg’s next president and looks forward to returning to the State System.

“I am grateful to the Bloomsburg University family, especially the presidential search committee and Council of Trustees, and to Chancellor Brogan and his team as well as the Board of Governors for selecting me to serve as the 19th president of this wonderful university,” Hanna said. “I look forward to collaborating with Bloomsburg’s highly accomplished faculty, staff and administrators to help our students realize their personal and professional aspirations.”

The Board’s action comes at the conclusion of a national search for a successor to David L. Soltz, who will retire in July after serving for nine and a half years as Bloomsburg University president.

Hanna holds three degrees from Temple University, a Bachelor of Arts in biology, a Master of Arts in developmental biology and a Ph.D. in developmental neurobiology.

Hanna began his academic career at Temple University as assistant director of the Ronald McNair Faculty-in-Training Program, where he mentored McNair scholars, assisting them in gaining admission into doctoral programs at Harvard University and the universities of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, California-Berkeley and Florida. He later was an instructor in the departments of biology and mathematics at Temple; the founding director of the university’s Math & Science Resource Center; and served as assistant vice provost for research and sponsored projects and associate dean of the College of Science and Technology.

He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Drug Discovery Institute and the American Association of University Administrators, of which he was president for two years. He also has served with a variety of other organizations, including the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County and the National Council on Undergraduate Research.

Dr. Hanna’s comments during Monday’s announcement can be seen on the Chamber’s Facebook page.