(Photo obtained from globalpartnersonline.org)
The following information was obtained from a press release published by Southern Nazarene University.
Today, President Newman announced that, with the approval of the Executive Committee of the SNU Board of Trustees, Dr. Lena Crouso is joining the Senior Leadership Team here at SNU as the inaugural Vice President for Intercultural Learning and Engagement. Dr. Crouso will officially begin her duties on July 1, 2018.
Dr. Newman commented, “The addition of Dr. Crouso represents a strategic commitment to our present and future. The depth and breadth of her education and experience will impact our institution immediately and I know her influence will create a powerful ripple effect. I look forward to learning from her, serving with her, and watching what God will do through her ministry in our community and across the Region.”
Dr. Crouso comes to us from Indiana Wesleyan University where she served as the Dean of the Office for Intercultural Learning and Engagement for the Residential Campus. She is a sought-after presenter, consultant and advocate on issues of race, diversity, equity and justice. At SNU, she will provide leadership for the design and implementation of institution-wide efforts to ensure diversity, inclusion, equity, respect, and the promotion of reconciliation in the SNU community.
Provost, Dr. Melany Kyzer, said, “I am excited about Dr. Crouso joining our team – she will be a great asset to us as we continue to learn how to best serve our diverse student population.” Dr. Kyzer continued, “She is a leader of compassion, integrity, warmth and generosity, as well as an educator committed to academic excellence.”
The daughter of Indian Immigrants, Dr. Crouso spent her formative years growing up in India, and states that her journey from Hinduism to Christ, and her diverse life path, have given her a heart and mind for the empowerment of all people through intercultural understanding and a desire to lead people in spiritual, emotional and social transformation and freedom.
“I am thrilled that Dr. Crouso will be joining us at SNU,” said Misty Jaggers, Associate Dean for Student Success. “With each conversation we’ve had, I’ve become more and more convinced that she is the person, ordained by God, to lead our campus in our endeavors to be a diverse and inclusive community,” said Jaggers.
Rev. Dr. Crouso is an ordained Elder in the Church of the Nazarene. She holds a doctorate in Multicultural Christian Counseling from Andersonville Theological Seminary and an Education Specialist Degree in Leadership from Stetson University, as well as an Educational Counseling Degree from the University of Central Florida. Currently, she will complete a second doctorate this spring in Transformational Leadership and Culture from the Bakke Graduate University. She and her husband, Kendall, are the parents of three grown daughters, Kayla (married to Alan), Chloe, and Addie, who share a love for Christian service here and in India.