President Robert A. Coons has announced the appointment of Tyler D. Kearney, PhD, as the Institute’s new vice president and chief business officer, starting April 17. In this role, he serves on Coons’ administrative cabinet and supports the college’s overall financial and operational oversight.

Kearney has spent the past six years as associate vice president of finance & administration at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He provided leadership for procurement services, property management, and auxiliary services (including the bookstore, campus dining, the student union, and campus theater), and coordinated system-wide budget and financial reporting.  He also provided support for residential life and human resources management during his time at LSU.

“Tyler’s experiences will be valuable in helping us continue establishing and then implementing initiatives within the Institute’s long-range strategic plan that build upon our past successes and meet future higher education challenges,” said Coons.

Kearney’s nearly 20-year career in higher education started at the University of Illinois with leadership roles in the Office for Planning and Budgeting, where his responsibilities included budget development and reporting, institutional research, and strategic planning. While at Illinois, he earned a doctorate in higher education, a master’s degree in business administration, and a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science and finance.

During his professional career, Kearney has contributed to scholarly papers published in Research in Higher Education, The Journal of Higher Education, Economics of Education Review, and The Journal for Education Finance, and he has made presentations, including one that earned a Best Paper Award, at several higher education finance conferences.