Isaacson, Miller Recruits Provost for Dartmouth
June 26, 2025 – Boston-based Isaacson, Miller has recruited Santiago Schnell as the new provost of Dartmouth College. John Muckle, Becky Piper, Stephen Kalogeras, and Ethan Thomas led the search. “Santiago Schnell is a brilliant, multidisciplinary scientist, a humanistic and humane thinker, and a talented administrator with deep experience of what it takes to lead a world-class research university,” said Sian Beilock, president of Dartmouth. “I am looking forward to having him as a colleague and partner and am delighted to welcome him to Hanover.”
“Santiago won us over from day one. He is a world-class scholar and a joyful and passionate leader who knows how to help higher education institutions thrive,” said Brendan Nyhan, the James O. Freedman presidential professor and professor of government, who chaired the advisory search committee. “He has a proven record of success and innovation. I can’t wait to see what he can do at Dartmouth.”
Mr. Schnell is an internationally renowned mathematical biologist who studies the molecular continuum between health and disease. He is the William K. Warren Foundation dean of the College of Science at the University of Notre Dame, where he is a professor of mathematical and quantitative biology. He will officially join the Dartmouth community on July 1, as provost David Kotz completes his term at the end of June.
As provost, Mr. Schnell will oversee the Geisel School of Medicine, Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, Thayer School of Engineering, and Tuck School of Business. He will also play a critical role and collaborate with the dean of Arts and Sciences in the ongoing creation of a new school that is bringing the faculty of arts and sciences and the division of student affairs under a unified administrative and budgetary structure.
“I’m looking forward to stimulating that unity of knowledge and exploring how, across the schools, we can work more effectively to solve problems that make an impact beyond any one specific academic discipline,” said Mr. Schnell. “What drew me to Dartmouth is its rare convergence of liberal arts education and research excellence. Human beings are historical—we flourish only through civilization and the transformative power of education. Liberal arts are essential to achieving self-determination, and research is the means by which universities seek, discover, and communicate truth across all fields of knowledge. This synthesis places Dartmouth in a position of national and global influence. It stands poised to become a unique beacon—‘vox clamantis in deserto’—for the future of higher education. Serving Dartmouth is a singular opportunity to help shape that future.”
Founded in 1769, Dartmouth is a member of the American Association of Universities and consistently ranks among the world’s greatest academic institutions with a rich scholarly tradition. It educates 4,400 undergraduates and 2,100 graduate students with 937 faculty across the arts and sciences and four graduate and professional schools: the Geisel School of Medicine, the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, the Thayer School of Engineering and the Tuck School of Business.
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A nationally recognized search firm focused on recruiting transformational leaders for mission-driven organizations, Isaacson, Miller has conducted thousands of placements over more than three decades. More than half of the firm’s work has been in academia, involving university presidents, college chancellors and deans. The firm has filled top leadership posts at Wellesley College, Washington State University, Miami University, Howard University, Bowdoin College, Dartmouth, NYU, Virginia State University, and the University of North Carolina, among others.
The Search Team
Mr. Muckle heads the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) practice area for the firm, building scientific capacity at many leading academic institutions. He also has engaged in a number of the firm’s most recent university president and provost searches. In addition, Mr. Muckle is a leader in the firm’s healthcare practice, where he oversees the recruitments of deans, department chairs, division chiefs, and biomedical center and institute directors. He has assisted clients such as Duke University, Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, the University of Iowa, and the University of Pennsylvania, among other leading academic healthcare organizations to attract talent at all levels.
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Ms. Piper joined Isaacson, Miller in 2015 and has since worked on a broad array of higher education academic and administrative searches, with a particular focus on advancement. Recent clients include: Harvard University; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; University of California, Berkeley; University of Maryland, College Park; Washington University in St. Louis; Dartmouth College; and Amherst College. Prior to joining IM, Ms. Piper began her career at Harvard University where she worked as the briefing/administrative coordinator in the office of the president.
Mr. Kalogeras joined Isaacson, Miller as an associate in 2021. Prior to joining the firm, he worked with art and design students at Parsons School of Design at The New School as assistant director of Academic and Career Advising. His experience working in education spans from higher education to school counseling 6th-12th grade students.
Mr. Thomas joined Isaacson, Miller as a search coordinator in 2017. He manages the logistical and administrative aspects of searches led by Mr. Muckle, including recent presidential searches at New York University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, and The Ohio State University. As a managing search coordinator, he supports internal recruiting, training, and management of the search coordinator cohort.
Related: The High Demand for Higher Education Leaders Continues
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
