Santa Clara’s top administrators embody and celebrate our values, honor our history and traditions, and engage with the campus community to shape a vision for SCU’s future.
University leadership is comprised of the Board of Trustees, Chancellor, and the President's Cabinet. The Cabinet serves as an advisory board to the President on matters of strategic importance and on issues as requested by the President.
Acting President
Lisa Kloppenberg is a distinguished administrator, lawyer and educator with a passion for advancing Jesuit values and tradition. She joined Santa Clara University in 2013, serving as dean of the law school and interim provost, and was named Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs in March 2020 before transitioning to the role of Acting President in March 2021.
President's Cabinet
Athletics Director
Renee Baumgartner, Ph.D., is the Director of Athletics. Reporting directly to the President, Baumgartner oversees the administration of all Division I sports at Santa Clara.
Vice President for Mission and Ministry
Alison M. Benders, an experienced educator and theologian, is SCU's first vice president for mission and ministry.
Interim General Counsel
Bridget Colbert focuses on contract review and drafting, policy development, legal research, litigation support, review of government regulations, and communications with various schools and departments.
Vice President for Finance and Administration
Michael Crowley is vice president for finance and administration. He is the senior officer responsible for supporting the core activities of the University.
Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
T. Shá Duncan Smith, a highly experienced diversity educator and leader, guides and shapes the University’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
Vice President for University Relations
James Lyons leads the University’s fundraising, government relations, alumni relations, events and protocol, and marketing and communications activities.
Vice President for Enrollment Management
Eva Blanco Masias is responsible for setting and leading the strategic direction of all admission and recruitment efforts for first-year and transfer students, including oversight of all technical and marketing initiatives.
Chief of Staff
Molly McDonald serves as chief of staff and advises the president on University matters as well as external matters.
Acting Co-Provost
Kate Morris manages the day-to-day operations of the Office of the Provost and takes the lead on all Provost responsibilities and projects, alongside Acting Co-Provost Ed Ryan.
Chief Operating Officer and Senior Legal Counsel
Reporting to the President, John Ottoboni provides legal counsel, guidance, and policy analysis to the University, its President and Board of Trustees, senior administrative and academic officers, and other constituent units.
Chief Information Officer
As the University’s Chief Information Officer, Robert C. Owen is the principal member of the University’s executive team responsible for strategizing and implementing innovative uses of technology to strengthen the University’s position as a leading institution of higher education.
Vice Provost for Student Life
Jeanne Rosenberger provides leadership in developing innovative co-curricular programs and student support services that respond to student needs and campus issues related to student life outside the classroom.
Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Associate Professor of Law
Professor Margaret Russell has been a member of the Santa Clara University School of Law faculty since 1990, and is affiliated with the University’s Center for Social Justice & Public Service, the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, and the Center for Multicultural Learning.
