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The ninth president of Augustana College

Dr. Andrea Talentino

Dr. Andrea Talentino

Dr. Andrea Talentino will become the ninth president of Augustana College on July 1, 2022. Her selection was announced on campus Dec. 7, 2021.

She will be inaugurated on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, on Homecoming weekend.

The ceremony will coincide with Augustana Homecoming weekend.

President Steven C. Bahls announced his retirement on Jan. 25, 2021, after 18 years of service.

A Transition Committee will be co-chaired by Trustee Chris Coulter ‘94, of Peoria, Ill., and W. Kent Barnds, Augustana executive vice president.

Other members of the Transition Committee include:

Trustees

Denise Garrett, associate general counsel, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bettendorf, Iowa.

Dr. Ann Die Hasselmo, higher education consultant in executive search, Academic Search, Inc., Seabrook, Texas.

Doug Hultquist, co-founder (retired), QCR Holdings, Moline, Ill.

Christina Garrett Klein, pastor, Edgebrook Lutheran Church, Chicago.

Peter Simshauser, chief legal officer, Motional AD Inc., Boston.

Administrators

Pastor Melinda Pupillo, college chaplain.

Keri Rursch, vice president of marketing and communication.

Sam Schlouch, assistant vice president of institutional advancement.

Faculty members

Dr. Allie Haskill, professor and chair of communication sciences and disorders.

Dr. Sangeetha Rayapati, professor of music; voice, vocal pedagogy and diction.

Selection process

Starting in February 2021, a committee of trustees, faculty members, administrators and a student representative worked with an executive search firm, Academic Search, to conduct a national search to identify exceptionally qualified candidates. (For more information about the process, see Frequently Asked Questions.)

John Murabito, chair of Augustana’s board of trustees, led the search committee. Murabito, a 1980 Augustana graduate, serves as executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Cigna.

Committee members

John Murabito '80, chair and trustee
Wiley Adams '82, trustee
Barbara Lundblad '66, trustee
Michael Gapen '91, trustee
Gail Richard '76, trustee
Lee Selander '72, trustee
Diane Hill '66, trustee
Dr. Doug Parvin, faculty 
Dr. Megan Havard-Rockwell, faculty 
Dr. Mariano Magalhães, faculty
Anna Castro '95, administrator
Kelly Bethke, coach, faculty
Lauren Hall '22, student

Listening sessions

Academic Search conducted virtual listening sessions from Feb. 24-26 to hear from the campus community what important skills and qualities candidates should possess. Email invitations were sent to faculty, staff and students.