Administrative Leadership Updates

April 22, 2026

Dear Members of the Trinity Community,

I write today to share several important College leadership updates that reflect both the strength of our current Executive Leadership Team and our continued focus on aligning our organization to best support Trinity’s mission and strategic priorities. These changes are designed to strengthen collaboration and to position the College to advance our work with greater cohesion and impact.
I want to begin by recognizing two exceptional leaders whose expanded roles will be central to this next chapter.

Trinity’s chief academic officer, Sonia Cardenas, has been promoted to provost and dean of faculty and Scott M. Johnson ’97 Distinguished Professor of Political Science. Elevating her role from vice president to provost reflects the importance of our core academic mission as a college. Sonia will continue to lead academic affairs while taking on an expanded portfolio that further integrates the learning experiences of our students and advances the resources for teaching and research.

Sonia’s expanded role will include two major changes. The library will move into academic affairs, reflecting its essential role in supporting teaching, learning, and scholarship. In addition, the Career and Life Design Center will report to Sonia as part of academic affairs, providing students with a seamless experience across the Trinity Plus curriculum, more robust internship offerings, and success after Trinity as liberal arts graduates.

Anita Davis has been promoted to vice president for students, community, and institutional culture. Her portfolio will include student life, the Office of Community and Belonging, and the Office of Human Resources, bringing together key areas that shape the student experience, support our employees, and advance a strong and connected campus culture.

Anita is particularly well suited to this expanded role, which brings to bear her myriad experiences at Trinity and her previous institution, Rhodes College. During her career, she has advanced programs that enhance student access and success; integrated best practices and a continuous improvement mindset in divisional programming; partnered with faculty and staff governance; and overseen personnel matters, including developing recruitment and retention policies and practices. A practicing clinical-community psychologist, Anita brings to her work a strengths-based, collaborative, and action-oriented approach and a keen awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness.

As part of these changes, Gavin Viano, director of athletics and recreation, will report directly to me. Athletics and recreation play a vital role in the Trinity experience and in our broader institutional visibility, and this reporting structure reflects the importance of that work across the College.

Campus Safety will report to Scott Jordan, vice president and chief financial officer, aligning this function with the operational areas that support campus infrastructure, planning, and resources.

Matt Hyde, who reports to me, has been promoted to vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid, which recognizes his leadership strength and role in the community and the importance of student recruitment, enrollment, and financial aid and its effects for our market position and financial stability.

With the transition of the library to academic affairs, the technology and strategic analytics functions will continue as Technology, Data, and Innovation (TDI), which will encompass digital learning. Keeping these capabilities together ensures that as technology infrastructure, data and analytics, and AI continue to evolve, they do so in the service of Trinity’s core mission. Kristen Eshleman will continue her leadership of this area as vice president and chief information officer.

Taken together, these changes more clearly align our leadership structure with an integrated academic experience and a cohesive and supportive campus environment that will enable us to work more collaboratively across divisions of the College.

I am grateful to Sonia, Anita, and our colleagues across the Executive Leadership Team for their leadership and partnership in advancing our priorities. These updates position us well for what lies ahead, and I look forward to continuing this work together as we strengthen the Trinity experience and advance the College’s future.

Sincerely,

Daniel G. Lugo
President, Trinity College