Nazareth University has named a new president.
University officials announced that Maureen F. Finney will become the school’s 11th president, effective July 1, 2026. Finney has served as provost at the university since 2022 and was unanimously selected by the board of trustees following a six-month national search that attracted more than 100 applicants.
Finney will succeed current president Elizabeth L. Paul, who plans to step down in June after six years leading the university.
Board of Trustees Chair John Drain said Finney’s leadership and commitment to student success helped set her apart during the search process.
Since becoming provost, Finney has led several major initiatives aimed at strengthening academics and improving the student experience. Those efforts included restructuring the university’s academic system from five schools into three colleges and launching several new programs, including a hybrid master’s-level physician assistant program, an online graduate degree in music education, and a graduate program in school psychology.
The university also introduced new undergraduate degrees during her tenure, including programs in technology, artificial intelligence and society, applied behavioral analysis, and social innovation and entrepreneurship.
University leaders say Finney has also focused heavily on student life, overseeing improvements to campus housing and implementing new student success tools. Those efforts have contributed to a record fall-to-fall retention rate and strong post-graduation outcomes, with 99 percent of graduates employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months.
Finney said she is honored to take on the role and plans to continue building on the university’s academic strengths and commitment to student success.
Before joining Nazareth, Finney served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Hilbert College in Hamburg. She also spent 20 years at D’Youville University in Buffalo, where she served as a professor, department chair, and dean in the School of Health Professions.
Finney is also a New York State-registered physician assistant and practiced clinically for 24 years in an underserved area of Buffalo.
A native of Buffalo, Finney holds degrees from Niagara University, D’Youville University, and the University at Buffalo. She and her husband have two daughters.
