Albertus Magnus College Announces 3 Promoted to Leadership Positions
Fulfills Strategic Priority of Leading in Academic Innovation
New Haven, Conn, May 4, 2022 – Albertus Magnus College is pleased to congratulate the promotion of three faculty members to leadership positions in the Division of Academic Affairs. Effective July 1, 2022, Dr. Ross Edwards will be the Dean of Academic Affairs for the Traditional Undergraduate Program; Dr. William Aniskovich will be the Dean of the Tagliatela School of Business and Leadership; and Dr. Jonathan Sozek has accepted the position of Director of the newly established Albertus Magnus College Arts and Humanities Collaborative.
“The College’s Strategic Plan, Albertus 2025, establishes as the College’s first priority is to lead in the arena of academic innovation. These individuals will bring expertise and provide key leadership to making this a reality,” said Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Sean P. O’Connell.
Dr. Ross Allen Edwards, a resident of Hamden, received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University
of Minnesota. He joined Albertus in 2012 and is currently an Associate Professor
in the Department of History and Political Science. Since July 2016, he has served
as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, leading a variety of initiatives that
have positively impacted student retention and success as well as initiatives aimed
at promoting curricular assessment and innovation. These have included co-chairing
strategic planning and NECHE continued accreditation work groups, co-chairing the
General Education Program Taskforce, overseeing General Education program assessment,
and leading the establishment of the Albertus’ Community Garden. In his new position,
Dr. Edwards will provide leadership in strategic and long-term planning efforts; and
direction in the areas of curriculum development, policy planning, and management
of the Traditional Undergraduate Program.
Dr. William Aniskovich, a resident of Branford, earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of
Law. Prior to joining Albertus in 2014 and assuming his current role as Chair of
the Tagliatela School of Business and Leadership in 2017, Dr. Aniskovich held a number
of leadership positions: CEO & Managing Director of Stonington Behavioral Health,
Inc., where he continues to serve; State Senator in the Connecticut General Assembly
for the 12th District; and Member of the Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher
Education. As Chair of the Tagliatela School, Dr. Aniskovich created several new
academic initiatives, including the Masters in Public Administration, the Healthcare
Management concentration within the MBA, and new Bachelor of Science programs in Supply
Chain Management and Project Management. As the school’s first Dean, Aniskovich extends
the College’s commitment to excellence by engaging community stakeholders in shaping
the programs offered and ensuring that they meet the needs of current and future students
and employers.
Dr. Jonathan Sozek has accepted the position of Director of the newly established Albertus Magnus College
Arts and Humanities Collaborative, which includes the departments of Art and Communication,
English, History and Political Science, Languages and Culture, and Philosophy and
Religion. Dr. Sozek received his Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Brown University.
He holds degrees in related fields from Sarah Lawrence College, McGill University,
and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium. He joined Albertus in 2019 as
an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. His
leadership experience includes service as Director of Faith Formation at Saints Isidore
and Maria Parish in Glastonbury, Conn., and as Co-Director of the Albertus Honors
Program. Dr. Sozek currently serves on a number of College committees and is a member
of the Meister Eckhart Center Advisory Board. The purpose of the newly-established
Collaborative is to advance curricular and co-curricular academic programing in the
arts and humanities with an emphasis on promoting the Dominican tradition of disputatio
as a method of arriving at the truth through deep listening and dialogue, communication,
problem-solving, and open-mindedness. As its first director, Dr. Sozek will lead
development of a strategic vision for the Collaborative and oversee its operational
functions.
About Albertus Magnus College
Founded in 1925, Albertus is a coeducational Catholic College in the Dominican tradition. Albertus' values- and liberal arts-based education is recognized by external rankings such as US News & World Report, Money, and The New York Times, and has been named a Top 10 Military Friendly School. For ten consecutive years, at least 95% of Albertus graduates have attained employment or gone on to graduate studies within six months of completing their degrees. The College has an enrollment of approximately 1,300 students across its traditional undergraduate, accelerated adult undergraduate, and graduate program levels. Proud to enroll a student body where nearly half of its undergraduate students receive Federal Pell Grants and are first-generation college goers, Albertus is known for its innovative curricular offerings, recently launching new Bachelor's degree programs in Nursing, including BSN and Connecticut's first LPN-to-BSN; General Health Sciences; Interdisciplinary Studies; and Public Health.
Among its graduate offerings is the State of Connecticut's only Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling program, and it is just one of three schools to offer a Master of Science in Human Services. In 2025-26, Albertus is celebrating its historic 100th Anniversary and completing implementation of the Albertus 2025: Lighting the Way to a Second Century strategic plan, with a bold vision to "be a destination liberal arts-based college, distinguished in its interdisciplinary and experiential approach to education, rooted in Dominican values, that prepares students for lifelong civic engagement and success." To learn more, please visit albertus.edu.