Deborah M. Cady Melzer, Ph.D., to be Loyola鈥檚 next vice president for student development and dean of students
Deborah M. Cady Melzer, Ph.D., has been named 麻豆精选鈥檚 next vice president for student development and dean of students.
Cady Melzer joins Loyola from Assumption University in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she is vice president for student affairs. She was selected after the completion of a national search and will begin at Loyola on July 18, 2022.
鈥淒r. Cady Melzer brings a deep understanding of the value of Jesuit higher education and an in-depth knowledge of supporting and enhancing comprehensive student development programs,鈥� said Terrence M. Sawyer, J.D., president of Loyola. 鈥淪he brings a wealth of experience with innovation and collaboration and has developed student life curriculums that address retention and support, diversity and inclusion, and overall student wellness. I look forward to seeing how Dr. Cady Melzer can lead and partner with our current student development professionals to strengthen the student experience at Loyola.鈥�
Prior to her tenure at Assumption University, Cady Melzer was vice president for student development and Title IX coordinator for Le Moyne College for nine years, following four years in progressively advancing leadership roles in student development for Fairfield University and Wellesley College. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Le Moyne.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited to be returning to Jesuit higher education鈥攁nd to be part of a community that is so focused on inclusive excellence. At Loyola, there is a real openness to making sure the community is available to all, not just so they can succeed but so they can thrive,鈥� Cady Melzer said. 鈥淥ne of the things that I felt during my visit to campus was a commitment to the students, the sense that students are at the heart of the institution, and also the sense of gratitude that people bring to the community. And President Sawyer just brings so much energy to the work.鈥�
Cady Melzer earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology from Saint Michael鈥檚 College, her M.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from University of Vermont, and her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Boston College. She also has a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University and has participated in the Ignatian Colleagues Program.
鈥淭hat was a transformative experience for me, particularly going to El Salvador and standing in the rose garden where Jesuits fought for the right to educate students,鈥� Cady Melzer said. 鈥淚 go back to that experience frequently, thinking about the role that education can play in people鈥檚 lives, how that can be transformative intellectually but also socially, spiritually, and economically.鈥�