Dear Members of the CMC Community:
I am pleased to announce that Sharon Basso, who currently serves as Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Students at Lehigh University, has been selected as our new Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students.
Sharon has dedicated her entire professional career to fostering the academic success and personal growth of college students. With over three decades of experience in student affairs, Sharon has an outstanding reputation as a trusted counselor and empathic supporter of students and is an innovative, strategic, and effective leader in higher education. In her work with students, faculty, and staff, she has been dedicated to the growth of a healthy, inclusive community.
Sharon has spent much of her career at Lehigh University, where she oversees 18 departments in student affairs and is responsible for the management of nearly 60 professional and administrative staff. She has been honored with many awards at Lehigh, including the Tradition of Excellence Award, which she has received six times since 2005. She is known for her tireless work ethic and unflagging commitment to students and her staff. In 2014, under Sharon’s leadership, Lehigh University was named as one of the “30+ Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs” by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education and the American College Personnel Association.
Prior to her role at Lehigh, Sharon was a psychological counselor at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She will bring her strong training in counseling and leadership to CMC. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Lafayette College, where she also played Division I basketball. She has a master’s degree in college counseling and student development administration from Shippensburg University. She also earned a doctorate in educational leadership, administration, and policy from the University of Delaware.
On behalf of the entire CMC community, I would like to congratulate Sharon and thank the Search Advisory Committee for their superb work: Torrey Sun, Michelle Chamberlain, Richard Chino ’90, Georgette DeVeres, Jai Dungca ’18, Christine Horne ’17, Dianna Graves ’98, Nyree Gray, Brian Landeros ’18, Shana Levin, Kwali Liggons ’16, Stan Skipworth, and Kristin Weyman. I am also especially grateful to the many faculty, staff, and students who extended their generous hospitality to the candidates and provided insightful evaluations and guidance during the selection process.
Please join me in extending a very warm welcome to Sharon Basso and her partner, Ed Shupp, as they join the CMC community on July 1!
Very best,
Hiram
Hiram E. Chodosh
President, Claremont McKenna College