Dear Tulane Community:

We are pleased to announce that Amelia Manning will join Tulane University as Dean of the School of Professional Advancement, effective August 1, 2025. Amelia brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in higher education. She previously served as Chief Operating Officer at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), where she established and delivered on a vision for growth, more than doubling student enrollment.

During her tenure at SNHU, Amelia enhanced student success by developing internal capabilities in predictive analytics, course design, and faculty development. She led the implementation of a new student information system.

She oversaw the upgrade of customer relationship and learning management platforms, enabling more personalized and data-informed student support that contributed to increased student engagement, higher retention rates, and growth in re-enrollment.

She also serves on the American College of Education board and is Vice Chair of Urban College of Boston.

"It is an honor to join Tulane University, and I am excited to work alongside a talented and dedicated team to further enhance our students' educational experiences and success," Amelia said. "I was drawn to Tulane and its School of Professional Advancement because of the long-standing commitment to increasing access to high-quality, workforce-aligned programs. I look forward to leading the next phase of growth and impact for the School of Professional Advancement."

Amelia holds a Master of Arts in Counseling Education from the University of New Hampshire and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Saint Michael's College. She completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Amelia will join Tulane as the School of Professional Advancement enters an exciting new phase. She succeeds Ilianna Kwaske, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Senior Professor of Practice, who took on the role of interim dean starting in January 2024 following the departure of former Dean Suri Duitch. Ilianna led SoPA with ambition and dedication during this time, and we are grateful to her for her commitment to SoPA and its mission.

We sincerely thank the search committee members for their direction during this process. Their dedication to selecting a leader whose vision and values align with the School of Professional Advancement's mission will help propel the school to new heights.

Please join us in welcoming Amelia Manning to Tulane and supporting her leadership of the School of Professional Advancement.

Sincerely,

Michael A. Fitts
President

Robin Forman
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost