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Dana Mohler-Faria

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Dana Mohler-Faria
Mohler-Faria in 2008
President of Bridgewater State University
In office
2002–2015
Preceded byAdrian Tinsley
Succeeded byFrederick W. Clark
Massachusetts Special Advisor for Education
In office
January 4, 2007 – March 11, 2008
GovernorDeval Patrick
Preceded byoffice established
Succeeded byoffice abolished
Personal details
EducationCape Cod Community College (associate)
Boston University (BA, MA)
University of Massachusetts Amherst (Ed.D.)

Dana Mohler-Faria was the eleventh president of Bridgewater State University serving from 2002 until his retirement in 2015, and a member of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. He was formerly the Special Advisor for Education to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick prior to the creation of a cabinet-level Secretary of Education in 2008.

Personal life

Mohler-Faria received an Associate's degree from Cape Cod Community College, a bachelor’s and Master's degree in history from Boston University, and a Doctor of Education degree higher education administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force, serving from 1966 to 1970. He currently resides with his wife and son in Mashpee, Massachusetts

Professional life

L-R: Businessman Joseph M. Tucci, Mohler-Fairi, and Governor Deval Patrick in 2007
Mohler-Faira (center) in 2008 with Governor Deval Patrick (far right) and other officials

From 1975 to 1984, Mohler-Faria was Director of Financial Aid and the SACHEM Outreach Program at Cape Cod Community College. Following that post, he served as Assistant Dean of Administrative Services at Bristol Community College until 1987, and then in various leadership positions at Mount Wachusett Community College until 1991. In 1991 he began his association with Bridgewater State College, serving eleven years as the Vice President for Administration and Finance. In 2002, he succeeded Adrian Tinsley as President of Bridgewater State College. He stepped down at the end of the 2014-2015 academic year.

Upon retiring from his role as President, Dana Mohler-Faria caused controversy with his retirement payout, and the Massachusetts state auditor met with Bridgewater State officials due to it. Mohler-Faria followed Massachusetts Board of Higher Education policies, which allowed for departing higher education faculty members to be paid the full value of up to 64 days of unused vacation time, with any further unused vacation time being cashed out at twenty percent of its original value. However, the validity of his unused vacation time was called into question by the public, as the last three years of his tenure saw Mohler-Faria take 29 national and international trips to destinations such as: Cape Verde, Belize, and Las Vegas. The trustees of Bridgewater State claimed all of these trips were used to raise money or "boost awareness" for the university. Ultimately, this controversy led then Massachusetts Governor Baker to push for legislation to limit the accrual of unused vacation time as well as sick time by state workers.

According to his biographical sketch on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' website, Mohler-Faria, in ascending to the presidency of Bridgewater State University, became the "first person of color to lead Bridgewater State College and is only the second Cape Verdean in the United States to be elected the president of a higher education institution."

He is currently a member of the advisory council for the Wampanoag Language Immersion School, a partnership between the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project and the Montessori Academy of Cape Cod.

References

  1. ^ "Dr. Dana Mohler-Fari". The Cape Cod Foundation. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  2. ^ Dana Mohler-Faria, Special Advisor for Education
  3. Dana Mohler-Faria, Ed.D.; Eleventh President of Bridgewater State College Archived 2006-09-10 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Vasconcellos, Marc (7 July 2015). "After 24 years, Dana Mohler-Faria says goodbye to Bridgewater". Gatehouse Media, Inc. The Taunton Daily Gazette. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  5. Levenson, Michael. "State auditor to meet with state college officials over president's payout - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  6. Peters, Charlie. "Former Bridgewater State president collected $270,000 for unused sick and vacation time". New Bedford Standard-Times. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  7. Levenson, Michael (2016-03-11). "State auditor to meet with state college officials over president's payout - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  8. "Gov. Baker's Bill Would Limit Accrual Of Sick Time By State Workers - CBS Boston". www.cbsnews.com. 2016-05-25. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  9. Baird, Jessie. "School Board of Trustees". wlrp.org. Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project. Archived from the original on 28 November 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.

External links

Academic offices
Preceded byAdrian Tinsley President of Bridgewater State University
2002 - 2015 		Succeeded byFrederick W. Clark
Government offices
Preceded byNew Office Massachusetts Special Advisor for Education
January 4, 2007 - March 11, 2008 		Succeeded byOffice Abolished
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