D’Youville Announces New Vice President for Academic Affairs

D’Youville Announces New Vice President for Academic Affairs

Buffalo, New York – April, 2021 – Natalia F. Blank, PhD, has been named vice president for academic affairs at D’Youville following a nationwide search to fill the position that began in January.

“Dr. Blank brings a wealth of administrative, teaching and research experience, alongside her innovative, student-centered and inclusive leadership style. She has the vision, experience and relationship building skills that will prove invaluable in successfully leading the academic arm of the university,” says D’Youville President Lorrie Clemo, PhD.

“D’Youville has always led the way in higher education, from being the first institution in Western New York to offer four-year degrees to women through today when we are a few short weeks away from opening the Health Professions Hub which will, once again, revolutionize Western New York and higher education as a whole,” Clemo says. “We are beyond pleased to have Dr. Blank join our efforts in serving as a university of the future and we know that her skill sets will be a tremendous addition to D’Youville.”

Blank is currently the associate vice president for academic affairs at Norwich University where she has also taught in and served as chair for the department of chemistry and biochemistry, was the founding director of the Norwich University honors program, and led decennial accreditation efforts. Additional experiences include roles at Dartmouth College, Middlebury College, and the Russian Federal Nuclear Center.

“In addition to Dr. Blank’s noted scholarship, publications, and patent credentials, her ability to lead every level of our community is also what fostered her appointment,” Clemo says. “It became very clear during her time on campus that there was a natural alignment between Dr. Blank and the strategic university plan that D’Youville has established for the coming years.”

As the vice president for academic affairs, Blank will work closely with university leadership to ensure that D’Youville continues to climb in national rankings for student social mobility and academic excellence. Blank will also take on an active role in the creation of new academic programs to best meet the needs of future students while also serving current students by strengthening existing programs within the university’s four schools.

“I am excited to join the D’Youville community at this time of its ongoing transformation into an exceptional institution committed to outstanding teaching, scholarship, and service to our students,” says Blank. “I look forward to working with faculty and staff on the next phases of D’Youville’s evolution.”

Blank holds a B.Sc. in chemistry from Nizhegorod State University and a PhD in organic/organometallic chemistry from Dartmouth College. She will assume her role as the vice president for academic affairs at D’Youville in July.