Gaetan T. Giannini, Ed.D and Darryl C. Mace, Ph.D.
Giannini to lead graduate and adult expansion; Mace to oversee growth of Holleran Center
Alvernia University names longtime educator, administrator and entrepreneur, Gaetan T. Giannini, Ed.D as vice president for graduate and adult education. The university also announced that inaugural vice president for mission, diversity and inclusion Darryl C. Mace, Ph.D., will now oversee the expansion of Alvernia’s mission-centric service through the Holleran Center for Community and Global Engagement.
“Gaetan’s background as a scholar, educator, senior administrator and particularly an entrepreneur will serve him well as he leads our expansion of graduate and adult programs and the expansion of our geographic footprint to benefit future generations of adult students by ensuring our local employers have skilled employees to support the economies of Reading, Pottsville, Philadelphia, Northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond,” said Alvernia President John R. Loyack. “Since his arrival, Darryl’s ability to cultivate supportive and inclusive campuses has greatly benefited our diverse community. His leadership of the Holleran Center will allow the university to expand its mission of serving the underserved through student service, supporting those in need while creating community-based experiential learning for our students.”
ABOUT GIANNINI
In his new role, Giannini will lead the Office of Graduate, Adult and Continuing Studies. He is tasked with the growth of enrollment, program development, and community outreach for adult, graduate and professional education through process improvement and new program development.
“I am excited about joining the forward-thinking and conscientious team of educators at Alvernia,” said Giannini. “My role will allow me to use the experience I have amassed over my career to assist in continuing Alvernia's trajectory of becoming a leading regional university. Serving graduate students, undergraduate adults, and the professional development needs of companies and individuals is a personal passion and an integral step in creating a thriving educational community for this century and beyond.”
Before arriving at Alvernia, Giannini served the previous two years as an assistant professor of business and chair of International Business, Marketing and Pharmaceutical Marketing Majors at DeSales University. His other higher education experience includes serving as the dean of business and entrepreneurial initiatives at Montgomery County Community College, the dean of the school of adult and graduate education and chief marketing officer at Cedar Crest College and as a tenured professor in marketing and management.
Giannini is the author of Marketing Public relations: A Marketer’s Approach to Public Relations and Social Media (Pearson-Prentice Hall 2010) and has over 15 years of experience in sales and marketing management for technology-based companies as well as owning a marketing consulting firm. He continues to write, research, and consult in the areas of managing relationships with non-traditional students and higher education marketing as well as public relations and social media.
Giannini holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Gwynedd Mercy University, a
Master of Business Administration and Certificate in International Business from Seton Hall University, and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Temple University.
Giannini begins his new appointment on August 1, 2022.
ABOUT MACE
Since joining Alvernia in December 2021, Mace has provided strategic leadership for the Office of Mission and Ministry and established the Office of Justice, Equity and Inclusion. Mace has worked with the campus community to ensure that mission, diversity and inclusion are central in all decision-making at the university, that Alvernia’s environment is welcoming and supportive for all students, faculty and staff, and that the culture of the university is one in which conversations about challenging issues are safe and educationally productive.
Mace will deepen this work through oversight of the Holleran Center, promoting the success of all students through programs, service, and experiential learning opportunities and developing strategic community partnerships that holistically address cultural, educational, and civic growth with unity and respect.
“There are natural synergies between Mission and Ministry and the Holleran Center,” Mace noted. “I am excited to build out ever stronger collaboration as, together with the Office of Justice, Equity and Inclusion, our division fosters a sense of belonging for the entire Alvernia community. This realignment allows us to embed further our core values of service, collegiality, humility, contemplation, and peacemaking.”
Before arriving at Alvernia, Mace was a tenured professor at Cabrini University, where he helped establish and co-chaired the university’s Inclusivity Council and served as the chief diversity and inclusion officer across Cabrini’s academic affairs division. Under his leadership, Cabrini achieved many firsts, including developing an inclusivity strategic plan, a statement of inclusive excellence, a diversity and inclusion climate survey, and a university wide assessment protocol centered on diversity and inclusion strategic goals.
Mace holds a graduate certificate in women's studies and a doctorate in African American history from Temple University. He has also earned bachelor's degrees in History and Speech Communication from Pennsylvania State University. He is the recipient of the 2013 Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, and a grant from the Interfaith Youth Core for their We Are Each Other’s Racial Equity & Interfaith Cooperation Award.
