Carlow University has elevated Rhonda Maneval to the position of provost and vice president for academic affairs.
Maneval joined Carlow in 2022 as dean of the College of Health and Wellness and began also serving as interim provost in fall 2023. Her appointment as provost was announced Wednesday.
“Rhonda stands as a role model for fearless leadership, arriving in Pittsburgh with an unwavering dedication to the university’s needs from day one,” said Carlow President Kathy W. Humphrey. “Rhonda has been profoundly influential during her tenure. She is deeply committed to fostering student success and has guided so many toward their personal triumphs here at Carlow and beyond.”
As dean, Maneval led implementation of graduate-level programs in speech language pathology, physician assistant studies, occupational therapy and physical therapy, while also overseeing accreditation processes for both new and existing programs, Carlow officials say.
In an effort to address the health care workforce shortage, Maneval developed a partnership with UPMC to establish a surgical technology and associate degree program in respiratory therapy. She also coordinated a Licensed Practical Nurse program and created a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program to target a national shortage of mental health nurses.
Carlow officials credit Maneval with fundraising and growth efforts, citing her work to obtain a $2.6 million federal grant to support scholarships for students in master’s degree program for family nurse practitioners.
“I am honored and humbled to serve as provost of such a remarkable institution,” Maneval said. “Carlow’s deep commitment to the Sisters of Mercy mission aligns perfectly with everything I believe academic leadership should stand for. My focus will be on continuing to build programs that open doors for our students while ensuring that our faculty and staff are supported in the important work they do every day.”
Prior to working at Carlow, Maneval was vice dean of the College of Health Professions at Pace University in New York City for about seven years, and was director of nursing at Michigan State University.
She earned a B.S. in nursing from Penn State University, a master’s in nursing education from Villanova University and a doctorate in education from Penn State.