English professor named to top spot at Marin’s Dominican University
Dr. Nicola Pitchford, a professor of English, has been named president of Dominican University of California. Her term begins July 1, 2021.
She joined Dominican in 2011, serving first as Dean of the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (now the School of Liberal Arts and Education) and, since 2014, as vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of the Faculty. In 2018 she stepped in as Dominican’s interim president while President Mary B. Marcy completed a research sabbatical.
The announcement stated that the focus of the incoming president will include more refinement of the effort to create “the Dominican Experience” which includes “hands-on learning, personalized mentoring, and community engagement.” Pitchford co-chaired the effort which began in 2014.
The background of Dominican’s 10th president includes working as a pastry chef as well as playing bass and flute in an experimental rock band, the university’s announcement stated. She was born in the United Kingdom but came the U.S. as a teen.
After graduating cum laude from Pomona College with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing, Dr. Pitchford initially planned a career in social work but ended up working as a professional baker, and then in political and community organizing. She eventually earned both an masters of arts and a PHD from the University of Wisconsin in English, with an emphasis on modern and contemporary U.S. and British literature.
Before joining Dominican, Dr. Pitchford served as associate vice president for Academic Affairs and associate chief academic officer at Fordham University from 2009-2011. Dr. Pitchford joined the faculty at Fordham in 1995 as an assistant professor of English and received tenure in 2001. She also served as director of Graduate Studies in the Department of English, co-director of the Literary Studies Program, and as Chair of the Department of English
In a 2012 interview with the Marin Independent Journal, Dr. Pitchford explained why she was drawn to pursue a doctoral degree in literature: “I found that I wanted to be able to think about ways of looking at the world as a means of creating more of a just world.”
She begins her term on July 1, 2021.
Dominican University of California is a private university founded in 1890 as Dominican College by the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael. It is one of the oldest universities in California.
