Fordham University has named a new provost: KerryAnn O’Meara, PhD, a Jesuit-educated scholar of higher education policy and practice with deep experience in managing strategic change at research universities.
She will become provost and senior vice president for academic affairs on July 1, taking the reins from Dennis C. Jacobs, PhD, who will retire from the role at the end of the academic year. O’Meara comes to Fordham from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she has been vice president for academic affairs, provost, and dean of the college for the past three years.
“Dr. O’Meara is a nationally recognized scholar of faculty careers, evaluation, and organizational change, whose research has informed policy and practice at institutions across the country,” said Fordham President Tania Tetlow in a statement announcing the appointment. She noted that O’Meara was elected a fellow of the American Educational Research Association in 2025 in recognition of her scholarship and its impact.
During the search process, Tetlow said, O’Meara “spoke compellingly about the distinctive promise of Fordham’s Jesuit education and the role of a provost in caring for both the work of the academy and the people who carry it forward.
“She understands the provostship as a role of accompaniment, stewardship, and collaboration, especially at a time when higher education faces real pressures and competing demands,” Tetlow said.
A Fordham Connection in the Family
O’Meara, who earned her bachelor’s degree at Loyola University Maryland, said she sought the role because of Fordham’s vision of being the first choice for students who seek to matter to the world, drawing on its Jesuit identity, world-class programs, and New York location.
“The pull I have felt toward Fordham—its Jesuit mission, its engagement with New York City, its community—is strong,” O’Meara said. “I myself was challenged, cared for, and formed by a Jesuit education. It is an honor and privilege to join Fordham at this important time in its history. The world has never needed what Fordham offers more.”
She also noted a family connection to Fordham: Her father, retired Army Brig. Gen. Richard O’Meara, graduated from Fordham Law School in 1975 after serving in Vietnam and went on to serve in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, becoming a successful trial attorney and advocate for human rights.
When applying to law schools as a returning vet, he found Fordham’s to be the most encouraging. “It’s not surprising that Fordham is ranked one of the best schools for veterans; Fordham gave my father a chance over 50 years ago, and it made all the difference to the good he has done in the world,” O’Meara said.
Long Experience in Leading Change
O’Meara has nearly three decades of experience in higher education as a professor and administrator. She holds a master’s degree in higher education administration from the Ohio State University and a doctorate in education policy from the University of Maryland.
At Teachers College she led campus-wide efforts to create a vision and action plan for the school, along with accountability measures. She joined Columbia from the University of Maryland, where for 16 years she served as both a professor and a leader of strategic initiatives. O’Meara led collaborations across the university to enhance research efforts, faculty recruitment and advancement, and interdisciplinary scholarship supported by the National Science Foundation, Tetlow said.
“Her experience navigating the demands of a large research university and supporting faculty across the sciences and professional fields will serve Fordham well as we advance our STEM ambitions in ways that remain grounded in the Jesuit intellectual tradition,” Tetlow said.
O’Meara said she looks forward to collaborating with deans, faculty, staff, and the president’s cabinet to imagine new programs in health and the sciences. “Such programs can create new and exciting ways for Fordham students to matter in the world and for Fordham to partner with and serve New York City,” she said.
