Lewis University Names New President

ROMEOVILLE, IL — The Lewis University Board of Trustees has announced Dr. Christopher Sindt as the 11th President of Lewis University, according to a news release from the university. The current provost will assume the presidential role on July 1. “After a thorough and highly competitive national search, the Board unanimously concluded that Dr. Sindt is the right leader to guide Lewis into its next chapter,” Tim Ferrarell, chair of the Board of Trustees, said in a letter to the community. “Ultimately, Dr. Sindt’s exceptional record of leadership, his deep commitment to our Catholic and Lasallian mission, and his clear vision for the future of Lewis distinguished him as the ideal choice.”

Sindt joined Lewis University in 2018, and has served as provost, overseeing Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, Student Life, Athletics, and Campus Safety, according to a news release. Under his leadership, Lewis achieved a successful 10-year reaccreditation term from the Higher Learning Commission, launched multiple new academic programs, expanded international partnerships, and supported major institutional milestones, including the merger with St. Augustine College and the growth of sponsored research and fundraising efforts, the university said.

Before his move to Lewis, Sindt worked for 17 years at Saint Mary’s College of California. The American Council of Education Fellow served as program director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing, the associate dean of the School of Liberal Arts, the dean of the Kalmanovitz School of Education, the vice provost for graduate and professional studies, and the vice provost for academic affairs, according to a news release. Sindt earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his master’s and doctoral degrees in English from the University of California, Davis. He has also been honored with numerous awards and fellowships for his poetry, including the James D. Phelan award and fellowships at the MacDowell Colony and the Blue Mountain Center. He is the author of two collections of poetry, "The Bodies" and "System and Population," the university shared in a news release. “Sindt is widely respected across campus as a thoughtful, collaborative, and mission-driven leader,” Ferrarell added. “His deep understanding of Lewis’s culture and values, combined with his extensive experience in higher education, leadership and his passion for Lasallian education, will ensure strong continuity as we build upon the remarkable legacy of Dr. David Livingston.”