Troy D. Paino will become UMW’s 10th president July 1.
Paino has been president of Missouri’s public liberal arts and sciences Truman State University since May 2010. The 6,200-student school is ranked the “No. 1 Public University in the Midwest Region” by U.S. News & World Report.
“I am fully aware of UMW’s reputation for academic excellence and commitment to developing the qualities of mind and heart necessary for reflective citizenship,” Paino said. “I am honored to have been selected to lead this great university forward in its critically important mission.”
Paino also served as Truman State provost and vice president for academic affairs. Previously, he served as dean of Winona State University College of Liberal Arts in Minnesota. He earned a doctorate and a master’s degree in American studies from Michigan State University. He holds a juris doctorate from Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy from Evangel University.
His teaching and scholarly interests include American higher education, 20th-century cultural and social history, and American legal history. He has written extensively on the history of American sports and in 2008 published a book, The Social History of the United States: 1960s.
Paino serves on the board of directors of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and he is a member of the Association of American Colleges and Universities President’s Trust for Liberal Education and America’s Promise. He is president-elect of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, and he serves as treasurer of the Council on Public Higher Education in Missouri.
As president of Truman State, Paino has developed a reputation as a personable, student-focused leader who shows great passion for student life. He is highly engaged with all constituencies on campus and is a recognized leader at both the state and national levels.
He is married to Kelly Paino, a reading specialist and educator in early childhood and elementary education. The Painos have two daughters, Sophia and Chloe.
The appointment of the president is, by statute, the responsibility of the UMW Board of Visitors. The board held a public vote to ratify the contract for appointment of the institution’s 10th president at its regular meeting on Feb. 18.
Read more about President Paino in the fall/winter edition of UMW Magazine