A mission-aligned administrator, Dr. Van Vlerah brings more than a decade of senior leadership experience in higher education, including service as an academic dean, a chief operating officer, and a vice president. She comes to NDMU from Manchester University in Indiana, where she is vice president for student success and institutional strategy and leads more than 70 employees in student services, athletics, academic support and operations, and mental health delivery.
In that position, Dr. Van Vlerah created a health sciences recruitment plan focused on strengthening undergraduate-to-graduate pipelines, expanding collaborations with industry partners, and enhancing visibility in regional markets that resulted in a 40 percent enrollment growth. She also played a pivotal leadership role in developing Manchester’s comprehensive strategic plan, ensuring the plan reflected institutional values and included metrics tied to student success, enrollment, and financial sustainability.