Marymount Announces New Provost

Marymount is pleased to announce that the search process for its new provost has drawn to a successful conclusion. From a distinguished national pool, the University has selected Hesham El-Rewini, Ph.D., P.E. as the newest member of the Marymount team.

Dr. El-Rewini is an experienced leader with a proven track record of success at both private and public universities. He has extensive experience in teaching, academic affairs, strategic planning, fundraising, financial management, and public speaking. He will begin his duties at Marymount on July 15, 2019. 
“We are excited to bring on a new provost with exceptional academic experience,” said Dr. Irma Becerra, President of Marymount University. “It was clear that Dr. El-Rewini’s experience and disposition was perfect for the needs and values of Marymount.”

“The search committee felt that Dr. El-Rewini has the experience to help Marymount thrive in this competitive higher education environment,” said Dr. Liane Summerfield. “He has a strong appreciation for Marymount’s history and mission and sees that as a strength as we move forward with the leadership of our new president.””

Dr. El-Rewini has been serving as the Dean of the College of Engineering and Mines at the University of North Dakota since 2008. Under his leadership, the College has experienced unprecedented growth and success, with on-ground and online enrollment increases, an improved retention rate, increased annual research expenditures, and increases in physical space and student scholarships. In addition to his duties as dean, Dr. El-Rewini also concurrently served as Senior Vice Provost between 2017 and 2018. As an educator for nearly 30 years, he has extensive experience in the academic field, including serving as chair of the department of Computer Science and Engineering at Southern Methodist University (SMU) and an assistant/associate/full professor and as a chair ad interim of the department of Computer Science at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He has conducted funded research, published numerous research articles, supervised M.S. and Ph.D. students, and coauthored several books including one of the first books in the area of Parallel Computing.  He received his Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from Oregon State University in 1990.

Dr. El-Rewini is married to Dr. Sherine Talaat, an internal medicine physician, and has three children, daughter Zeinab, a recent graduate from the University of North Dakota, son Bassel, currently attending Columbia University, and daughter Yassmine, a high school senior.  
The search process was led by Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates. The search committee included faculty, staff, administrators and trustees, and was co-chaired by Dr. Summerfield and Ms. Patricia Miller Steis, a member of the Marymount Board of Trustees.
Dr. Becerra and the campus community would like to sincerely thank Dr. Jeanne Matthews for the exceptional work she has done as interim provost since September!
We would also like to thank each of the members of the provost search committee for their dedication throughout the search process:

  • Dr. Liane Summerfield : co-chair; Professor, Health & Human Performance
  • Ms. Patricia Miller Steis : co-chair; Marymount Board of Trustees; Managing Director, Marsh USA
  • Dr. Matt Bakker : Associate Professor, Sociology
  • Dr. Christina Clark : Dean, School of Design, Arts & Humanities
  • Anthony D’Andrea : Student Government Association President
  • Dr. Alex Mbaziira : Assistant Professor, IT/Datascience/Cybersecurity
  • Sr. Jacquelyn Porter, RSHM : Professor, Theology & Religious Studies
  • Michelle Steiner : Executive Director, Center for Teaching & Learning
  • Diana Talbert : Staff Council President
  • Dr. Gwen Vredevoogd : Collection Development Librarian, Library & Learning Services