Provost Maureen Finney named 2026 Insight Into Academia Trailblazer in Higher Education
For her distinctive work to support students’ academic success and well-being, to launch noteworthy programs, and more, Nazareth University Provost Maureen Finney is a 2026 Insight Into AcademiaTrailblazer in Higher Education. This national honor recognizes senior leaders whose bold, strategic innovations have advanced institutional excellence, strengthened community and connectedness, and created meaningful, measurable impact for students, employees, and the broader academic ecosystem.
Finney will be featured alongside 17 other distinguished honorees in the March 2026 issue of Insight Into Academia magazine.
“Maureen embodies every facet of what it means to be a trailblazer. Her leadership is defined not only by her strategic vision, but by her unwavering commitment to creating an inclusive, student-centered, and future-ready institution,” said Maria Hopkins, Nazareth University associate provost. “She challenges entrenched norms with both courage and clarity, expands access and opportunity through intentional collaboration, and fosters a culture where faculty, staff, and students feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive. Through her innovative approaches, campuswide engagement, and deep care for the people she leads, Maureen is actively shaping the next generation of higher education.”
Finney has spurred significant innovation since she began as provost at Nazareth in 2022. One of her most significant accomplishments as provost was a full-scale student success self-study that continues to have an enormous impact on the University’s students. The self-study highlighted the importance of strengthening support for critical transition points – first-year entry, transfer integration, and persistence through to graduation.
She leveraged Title III grant resources to transform processes and expand the university’s student success infrastructure – including the transition to EAB’s Navigate360 system, which established a comprehensive platform that streamlines communication, strengthens faculty-advisor connections, and supports proactive, seamless interventions for students.
Recognizing that academic success is inseparable from well-being, Maureen advanced a holistic framework that integrates mental health resources across the student experience. Through her support, the Well-Being Collective was created to pull together resources and build mental health resources and outreach across the university community.
With a professional and academic background as a physician assistant and PA program director, Finney demonstrated trailblazing leadership by spearheading the development of Nazareth University’s new hybrid physician assistant master of science program — one of the few of its kind in the nation and directly aligned with workforce demands.
“We believe the future of higher education depends on leaders who are willing to challenge convention and embrace bold, impactful innovation,” says Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of Insight Into Academia magazine. “The 2026 Trailblazer honorees represent the highest levels of strategic leadership in the field, and we are proud to celebrate their extraordinary accomplishments.”
Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.
Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.
