Meet the New Members of the Provost Team

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Gabriel O. Bermea as Associate Vice Provost for Academic Advising and Transitions, effective May 1, 2025.

Gabriel Bermea has been a dedicated advocate for student success throughout his career. Over the last 10 years, he has served as Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Director of the Academic Advising Center at the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley, and Assistant Vice President of Student Success at Tarleton State University.   

In his previous roles, Bermea demonstrated his ability to foster academic excellence and student success as evidenced by the following outcomes:

• Contributed to 20% increase in transfer student enrollment and record setting 80% first year retention rate with implementation of new academic advising model.  And implemented a campus-wide Early Warning System pilot resulting in 62% faculty engagement and over 75 advising appointments for students identified at-risk at the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley.
• Increased the first time in college retention rate by 5% and increased institutional enrollment by 6.16%, both within a one-year timeframe at Tarleton State University.
• Created four new academic recovery intervention programs for up to 2,500 undergraduate learners resulting in a 10% increase in student persistence and enhanced exploratory major students' success with implementation of a new advising model which resulted in an 88% retention rate — 22 percentage points higher than the 66% retention rate for those who did not seek guidance at University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Dr. Bermea holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education and Organizational Change from Benedictine University. He has continually showcased a commitment to professional development and collaborative leadership in the field of academic advising and transitions. Additionally, he has consistently contributed to the academic advising literature through his active research agenda. His academic expertise and vision will play a vital role in supporting students as they navigate their educational journeys and in enhancing academic advising practices across campus.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Daniel Thompson as Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Success effective July 1, 2025.

Dr. Thompson received his B.A. in theology and philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, his A.M. degree in religious studies and his Ph.D. degree in Theology from The Divinity School at The University of Chicago. He has served in leadership roles for 20 years including department chair at St. Mary’s University and department chair at the University of Dayton, where he currently serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies.  Dr. Thompson has experience in improving student success by promoting the pedagogical and professional development of faculty and has worked to develop programming for faculty capabilities for teaching and professional success. This experience will assist Dr. Thompson as he works closely with the Office of Faculty Development to design and evaluate professional development programs for faculty as well as identify faculty of distinction for excellence in teaching, research, service, and mentoring through state, national and international awards.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Anna Finn as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Provost effective July 1, 2025. 

Dr. Finn earned her bachelor’s degree in literature and philosophy from American University and her master’s and Ph.D. degrees in English from the University of California, Irvine. As a proud native Texan, she brings her experience as associate chancellor and chief of staff at the University of California, Santa Cruz as well as Special Assistant to the Provost at University of California, Riverside to Texas State University. Her skill set includes strategic organizational planning, project management, executive advising and communication support. 

In her new role, Dr. Finn will support the provost in overseeing academic operations and advancing strategic initiatives and special projects. She will also provide critical support to the provost’s leadership team in their work across the university.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jorge Figueroa as Vice Provost for Academic Innovation (VPAI) and Success effective August 4, 2025.

Dr. Figueroa earned a Master of Arts in TESOL and Bilingual Education from the University of Findlay and a Doctor of Philosophy in Professional Studies in Education from Capella University. Dr. Figueroa currently serves as the Vice Provost for Curriculum and Strategic Initiatives at Texas Woman’s University where he has led university-wide initiatives in curriculum development, program approval, accreditation compliance, and strategic academic innovation as well as carrying out a lead role in planning and executing the Provost’s key academic strategic initiatives. This experience will assist Dr. Figueroa as he will be responsible for ensuring the academic quality of all programs across the university, including programs for credit and noncredit in all modalities. He will promote and support the integration of academic innovation practices across the entire institution. The VPAI will also advance the goals of Texas State University by providing leadership for the following areas: curriculum and academic program development and approval, commencement, general education core curriculum, program accreditation and assessment, and institutional accreditation.