Schultz Promoted to Provost, Executive VP of Academic Affairs

FORT MYERS, FLA – Hodges University president, Dr. John Meyer, announced the promotion of Dr. Diana Schultz to Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs. She joined Hodges University in 2017 as faculty for health sciences.

In her new role, she works with the president to formulate and implement academic and administrative policies. As the Chief Academic Officer of Hodges University, she also provides leadership and overall accountability for the regional and programmatic accrediting bodies.

“Dr. Schultz’s knowledge as a program director and experience in every aspect of academic leadership made her a natural choice to lead academic affairs,” said Dr. Meyer. “As the region’s first federally-designated Hispanic Serving Institution, she also brings a significant and unique understanding of our growing number of students that identify as Hispanic.”

Dr. Schultz, who is bilingual in English and Spanish, also has a basic knowledge of French. She brings over 20 years of expertise in instruction in genetics, biology, biotechnology and plant pathology. She earned her Ph.D. at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and her A.E. at the National University of Mar del Plata, Argentina. She has also earned certificates in Human Anatomy and Physiology from the University of Florida; Use of Genomics and Bioinformatics for the Development of Diagnostic Markers from the American Phytopathological Society; Molecular Plant Pathology from the 11^th Nordic Postgraduate School in Plant Pathology in Tisvildeleije, Denmark; and Advanced Plant Pathology and Vegetal Anatomy, both from the National University of Mar del Plata in Argentina.

In addition, she has also written research grants and scholarships. She has also served as an advisor for undergraduate research, a mentor in interdisciplinary research projects and an adviser for undergraduate theses. Her work has been published in multiple journals, and she has contributed to numerous abstracts and poster presentations. She has also taken her passion for plants and created a coloring and activity book for children to help inspire them to explore the agricultural sciences.

Hodges University, a regionally accredited, private nonprofit institution founded in 1990, prepares students to leverage higher learning in their personal, professional, and civic endeavors. With over 14,000 graduates, Hodges is recognized for developing programs uniquely designed and delivered to serve a diverse adult learner population. With a campus in Fort Myers, Florida, Hodges provides flexible day, evening, and online classes taught by world-class faculty for undergraduate and graduate degrees. Hodges is also the first Hispanic-serving institution in the region and is a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). More information about Hodges University is available at Hodges.edu.