Molloy College Announces Dr. James Lentini As new President

Dr. James Lentini, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, will become the seventh president of the College. Lentini was unanimously approved by the Board.

“After a comprehensive national search, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Lentini as Molloy’s next president,” said John McEntee, chair of Molloy's Board of Trustees. “Dr. Lentini is a passionate and thoughtful leader with a proven track record of success in academic program development. His experience in inspiring, leading, and sustaining transformational change will allow Molloy to build on the distinguished service and visionary leadership of Dr. Drew Bogner, Molloy’s current president.”

“I am thrilled and honored to have been selected as the next President of Molloy College,” said Lentini. “Molloy has a tremendous history and culture, and I look forward to working with Molloy’s dedicated faculty, staff, students, and alumni to build on the success that has made the College one of the finest institutions in the region.”

Lentini came to Oakland University in 2013. Prior to his appointment there, he served as dean of the College of Creative Arts at Miami University (Ohio) from 2007-13. He was the founding dean of the School of Art, Media and Music at The College of New Jersey from 2003-07 and served on the faculty and administration in the Department of Music at Wayne State University (WSU) from 1988-2003.

A Detroit native, Lentini received a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) from the University of Southern California, a Master of Music degree from Michigan State University, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Wayne State University. He also successfully completed the Management in Leadership in Education program at Harvard University.

As Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at Oakland University, he worked closely with deans and faculty in overseeing the development of new and innovative academic programs, including a newly-formed School of Music, Theatre and Dance and the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, which graduated its charter class in 2015.

An internationally recognized composer and classical guitarist, Lentini is a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences GRAMMY awards and is a recipient of, among other musical honors, the Andres Segovia International Composition Prize. His compositions have been performed and recorded by national and international ensembles, and Gramophone magazine called him “an American classical music success story.”

Lentini will assume the role in July 2020, when Dr. Drew Bogner, the current president of Molloy College, steps down on June 30, 2020.