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PRESS RELEASE

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — August 28, 2020 – Â鶹¹ÙÍø & Wales University (Â鶹¹ÙÍø) has appointed two vice presidents to the university’s Cabinet to serve as senior strategic advisors to the chancellor. W. Neal Fogg, Ph.D. joins as vice president of Planning and Research and Mike Raia joins as vice president of Strategic Communications, both newly created roles.

“As Â鶹¹ÙÍø moves to transform into a more comprehensive university, it is critical that our decisions regarding the expansion of academic programs and initiatives to recruit and retain students be informed by data collection and expert analysis,” said Â鶹¹ÙÍø Chancellor Mim Runey, LP.D. “Together, Neal and Mike bring the strategic experience necessary to ensure that all of our efforts are aligned and mission-driven.”

Neal Fogg, Ph.D. joined Â鶹¹ÙÍø earlier this month as vice president of Planning and Research. Fogg will be responsible for leading the university’s research to assist in the strategic development and planning processes across the university system. Prior to joining Â鶹¹ÙÍø on August 10, Neal was a special assistant to the president of Merrimack College in Massachusetts, serving as chief analyst and strategist on enrollment initiatives since 2015. His higher education experience includes his work as the assistant provost for planning and evaluation at Salem State University. In his 26 years at Northeastern University, he was an economist at the Center for Labor Market Studies and later its director of enrollment research. He earned his doctorate, master of arts and bachelor of arts degrees, all summa cum laude, in Economics at Northeastern University. As an undergraduate, he spent his junior year at the London School of Economics.

“I’m pleased to join Â鶹¹ÙÍø during a time of so much transformation. Chancellor Runey and her leadership team have a clearly defined vision to elevate Â鶹¹ÙÍø as a comprehensive university and a thoughtful understanding of how research and planning will help achieve that vision,” said Fogg.

Mike Raia, a Providence-based communications executive and Governor Gina Raimondo’s former top communications aide, is joining the university as vice president of Strategic Communications. In this role, he will be responsible for aligning Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s admission, marketing and communication strategies with the university’s academic and institutional priorities as Â鶹¹ÙÍø & Wales positions itself to become a more comprehensive university. Raia currently serves as Managing Partner of NAIL[PR], a full-service strategic communications, public relations, and executive communications firm that is aligned with NAIL Communications, one of Providence’s top creative and advertising agencies. Raia has a Master of Arts in Political Communication from the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management and a bachelor’s degree from Providence College. Raia will join the Â鶹¹ÙÍø later this fall.

“Even before COVID forced changes in our economy, higher education was changing more rapidly than nearly any other sector. Â鶹¹ÙÍø & Wales University saw this evolution coming and has taken meaningful steps to position the university for the future. I’m thrilled to join Chancellor Runey’s team and help further propel Â鶹¹ÙÍø forward,” Raia said.

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Founded in 1914, Â鶹¹ÙÍø & Wales University is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with more than 8,000 graduate, undergraduate and online students at its campuses in Providence, Rhode Island and Charlotte, North Carolina. An innovative educational leader, the university offers degree programs in arts and sciences, business, culinary arts, design and engineering, education, health and wellness, hospitality, nutrition and physician assistant studies. Its unique model integrates arts and sciences and industry-focused education with work experience and leadership opportunities, inspiring students to achieve professional success and lifelong personal and intellectual growth. The university’s impact is global, with alumni from 125 countries pursuing careers worldwide. For more information, visit jwu.edu.