DePauw Stories

Three new vice presidents are joining DePauw in advance of the 2022-23 academic year. To get a glimpse of their personal and professional philosophy and values, we asked them to provide a quote that speaks to them, as well as a personal statement about their motivation to work at DePauw.

JOHN MARK DAY is DePauw’s new vice president for student affairs and dean of students. He comes from Oklahoma State University, where he was director of leadership and campus life for seven years.

INSPIRATION: “If you don’t like the way the world is, you change it. You have an obligation to change it. You just do it one step at a time.”

-Marian Wright Edelman, president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund

IN HIS OWN WORDS: “When students find places to belong, engage in meaningful endeavors and successfully navigate their well-being, they set themselves up for a lifetime of substance. Focusing on the exemplary student experience allows us to partner with our students as they realize the full potential of a DePauw education.”  

DIONNE JACKSON is DePauw’s vice president for institutional equity. She most recently was the chief equity officer for the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, and previously was vice president for diversity and inclusion, chief diversity officer and a tenured associate professor of education at her undergraduate alma mater, Hendrix College.

INSPIRATION: “What I really would like said about me is that I dared to love. By love, I mean that condition in the human spirit so profound it encourages us to develop courage and build bridges, and then to trust those bridges and cross the bridges in attempts to reach other human beings.”

-Maya Angelou, poet, memoirist and civil rights activist

IN HER OWN WORDS: “As a graduate of a liberal arts institution, I know the significant impact a liberal arts education can have on the life of an individual. This, coupled with DePauw’s values of collaboration, freedom of expression and diversity and inclusion, is the reason why I am excited to join the DePauw University community. I look forward to engaging in our strategic efforts around institutional equity to bridge access and opportunity through our policies, procedures and programs.”

ANDREA YOUNG is DePauw’s vice president for finance and administration. She most recently was interim president of Ripon College and previously was vice president for finance and director of strategic initiatives.

INSPIRATION: “A university is not about results in the next quarter; it is not even about who a student has become by graduation. It is about learning that molds a lifetime, learning that transmits the heritage of millennia, learning that shapes the future.”

- Drew Gilpin Faust, president emerita of Harvard University

IN HER OWN WORDS: “The power of a DePauw education lies in its deep tradition of the liberal arts in the context of an innovative and personalized experience for students. There is palpable excitement from students, faculty, staff, alumni and trustees about DePauw’s future as we implement the Bold & Gold strategic plan. As the vice president for finance and administration, I look forward to working with all campus constituencies to set strategic funding priorities and frameworks for measuring success while continuing to be thoughtful stewards of DePauw’s resources. I am eager to engage the community in transparent conversation about our institutional data and financial health as we make decisions that will allow DePauw to be a thriving university for generations to come.”