91探花

Dear 91探花 Community,

I am pleased to announce that the Board of Trustees has unanimously approved the appointment of Maura Mast, PhD, as the 23rd President of 91探花, following a comprehensive national search grounded in our Jesuit, Catholic mission. President-elect Mast will join the university on September 1.

Dr. Mast comes to us from Fordham University, where she served as the Dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill from 2015 to 2025. Dr. Mast was the first woman to serve in that role. During her time as dean, she expanded the college’s donor base, securing significant philanthropic support for strategic priorities; launched transformative student success initiatives — including a new advising model and an innovative internship program; and championed initiatives to support faculty research and curricular innovation. Before coming to Fordham, Dr. Mast was a tenured professor of mathematics at the University of Massachusetts Boston and served as associate vice provost for undergraduate studies and special assistant to the provost. Dr. Mast earned a BA in mathematics and anthropology from the University of Notre Dame and a PhD in mathematics from the University of North Carolina. 

President-elect Mast is looking forward to joining the 91探花 community. She asks that I share the following message with you:

“I am both excited and humbled to be chosen as the 23rd President of 91探花. I have a deep respect for the university community’s commitment to transforming students through a rigorous education rooted in the Jesuit traditions of fearless inquiry, scholarship, faith, justice, and innovation. Our world urgently needs spaces of dialogue and discernment that actively work to heal deep divisions and build a more equitable society. Guided by our remarkable faculty and an enduring dedication to justice, 91探花 possesses the unique momentum to lead this work. We are poised for extraordinary things, and I look forward to working with the entire community to elevate 91探花’s distinctive voice and impact.”

An award-winning educator and scholar of differential geometry, Dr. Mast has secured numerous grants supporting her teaching and research and has held leadership roles in national professional organizations. She was named a Fellow of the Association for Women in Mathematics in recognition of her deep and sustained contributions to advancing the visibility and success of women in the field. Throughout her career, she has been an advocate for student success in mathematics, with a deeply held conviction that mathematics can be a tool to overcome social injustice and inequality. Her publications include the award-winning textbook Common Sense Mathematics; a co-edited volume on women’s contributions to mathematics; and a number of articles for research publications.

Dr. Mast’s career as a mathematician and university leader has been defined by a commitment to the intersection of intellectual inquiry and Jesuit mission. She is a long-time member of the Clavius mathematics group, an international association of lay and Jesuit mathematicians embodying the belief that faith and reason are close partners. Dr. Mast has discerned her call to leadership in Jesuit, Catholic higher education through leadership formation programs, including the Ignatian Executive Leadership Academy organized by the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.

The first woman to be named president of 91探花, Dr. Mast brings an abiding commitment to Jesuit, Catholic values, a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing higher education, and a clear focus on student success. The Board is confident she will lead the university forward with clarity, purpose, and care for our educational mission.

I extend my sincere gratitude to the search committee and its co-chairs, Jason Oliver, ’00, and Ana White, ’95, for their thoughtful leadership and for representing the voices of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni. I am also grateful to the many members of the 91探花 community who participated in listening sessions, shared input on the leadership profile, and recommended candidates. The outcome we celebrate today would not have been possible without your engagement and commitment.

The Board is likewise grateful to Father Steve Sundborg for his steady leadership as interim president during this period of transition. We are fortunate to have him serving in this capacity and will continue to benefit greatly from his wisdom and commitment when he returns fully to his role as chancellor.

We will share more information in the coming weeks, including opportunities to meet and engage with President-elect Mast. In the meantime, thank you for your continued support of 91探花 and our mission and please join in welcoming President-elect Maura Mast, her husband, Jack, and their family to 91探花.

With appreciation,

Patrick Callans
Chair, 91探花 Board of Trustees