Mitchell College recently welcomed Dr. Mika Nash as the college’s first provost.
“Dr. Nash is deeply committed to the transformational work we do at Mitchell College. With 25 years of experience in academic administration, strategic planning, and organizational change, she is an excellent addition to our senior leadership team and will help us continue to innovate and grow. I look forward to working with her to advance Mitchell College’s strategic priorities in service to our exceptional students,” said President Tracy Y. Espy, Ph.D.
In this new role Nash serves as provost and chief academic officer, providing strategic leadership for the college’s academic mission. She advances academic excellence, innovation, and student success across the institution.
Nash also leads initiatives that strengthen student retention, improve completion, and expand workforce-aligned academic programs. She also supports development of high-impact learning experiences that enhance student engagement and academic achievement.
Working closely with the president and senior leadership, she helps shape and implement the college’s strategic agenda, fostering collaboration across academic and administrative units to support institutional effectiveness.
In addition, Nash advances partnerships with industry, community organizations, and educational institutions to broaden student opportunities. These partnerships help position the college to address evolving regional and national workforce needs.
Deep Leadership Experience in Higher Education
Nash joins Mitchell from Core Education, PBC, a public benefit corporation working with small and mid-sized higher education institutions. Its mission is to achieve operational effectiveness, technology efficiency, market expansion, and successful capital strategies through innovative shared services. There she served as senior vice president of Academic Innovation and Pathways.
As the organization’s senior academic leader, she advised executive leadership and worked with senior leadership with affiliate institutions.
“I was drawn to Mitchell College for its mission as a transformative and inclusive learning community and look forward to contributing to its growth and sustainability. The radically supportive, empowering environment that Mitchell offers its students inspires me, and I am committed to leading in a way that creates a lasting impact for the students, faculty, and broader Mitchell community. It is an honor to join the team at Mitchell College under President Espy’s leadership,” said Nash.
Nash spent the bulk of her career in higher education prior to her private-sector role. She was provost and senior vice president for academic and student affairs at Rosemont College in Bryn Mawr, Penn., and executive vice president for academic affairs at American International College in Springfield, Mass.
Prior to that she served for more than a decade as dean of continuing professional studies at Champlain College in Burlington, Vt, and in roles at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vt., including dean of its School of Hospitality and Restaurant Management.
She also held research positions at the University of Vermont.
Nash earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and doctorate in higher education leadership and policy studies from the University of Vermont.
