Bay Path Welcomes Natalia Blank as Vice President of Academic Affairs

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University announced that Natalia Blank has been elected to serve as vice president for Academic Affairs, which was effective Jan. 2. Blank will serve on the executive leadership team and work across all divisions at the university.

In her role, she will articulate a clear and compelling vision for the academic enterprise that builds on Bay Path’s innovative approach to higher education, marshals the collective talents of faculty and staff in an environment of collegiality and cooperation, and use data-driven decision making and strategic thinking to optimize the student experience, from access through successful completion, as well as the academic operations of the university.

After a national search, Blank comes to Bay Path from D’Youville University in Buffalo, N.Y., where she served as vice president for Academic Affairs. She joins the leadership team with nearly 20 years working in university administrative roles, including associate provost for Academic Affairs and Assessment at Norwich University in Vermont.

“Natalia has the experience and the ability to lead and envision innovative and results-oriented academic initiatives,” Bay Path President Sandra Doran said. “Her commitment to students, faculty, and staff is apparent, and she will be integral to our university’s work in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.”

For more than 20 years, Blank has served in various roles on both the faculty and administrative side in education. As a teacher-scholar, she has been the author of numerous publications, earned several awards and honors for teaching excellence, and has received multiple grants in support of student and faculty research. She received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Nizhegorod State University in Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia, and went on to receive her doctorate in organic/organometallic chemistry from Dartmouth College.

“Immediately, upon meeting and speaking with members of the Bay Path community, I felt a connection to the mission and vision of the university,” Blank said. “I am excited to join President Doran, her leadership team, faculty, staff, board of trustees, and alumni in helping our students achieve their goals. I believe that innovative and entrepreneurial institutions like Bay Path will change higher education by becoming a model for responsive, successful learning experiences that will transform the futures of students.”