Dana Mohler-Faria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dana Mohler-Faria
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Mohler-Faria in 2008
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| President of Bridgewater State University | |
| In office 2002–2015 |
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| Preceded by | Adrian Tinsley |
| Succeeded by | Frederick W. Clark |
| Massachusetts Special Advisor for Education | |
| In office January 4, 2007 – March 11, 2008 |
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| Governor | Deval Patrick |
| Preceded by | office established |
| Succeeded by | office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Education | Cape Cod Community College (associate) Boston University (BA, MA) University of Massachusetts Amherst (Ed.D.) |
Dana Mohler-Faria is an American educator who was the eleventh president of Bridgewater State University. He led the university from 2002 until he retired in 2015.
He also worked in government as a Special Advisor for Education to Deval Patrick, who was the governor of Massachusetts. This role was later replaced by a new position called the Secretary of Education in 2008.
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Early Life and Education
Dana Mohler-Faria served in the United States Air Force for four years, from 1966 to 1970. After his military service, he focused on his education.
He earned an associate degree from Cape Cod Community College. He then went to Boston University, where he received both a bachelor's and a master's degree in history. Later, he earned a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
He lives in Mashpee, Massachusetts, with his wife and son.
Career in Education
Mohler-Faria has worked at several colleges. From 1975 to 1984, he was the Director of Financial Aid at Cape Cod Community College. He then worked at Bristol Community College and Mount Wachusett Community College in leadership roles.
In 1991, he started working at Bridgewater State College (now a university). For eleven years, he was the Vice President for Administration and Finance. In 2002, he became the president of the college, taking over from Adrian Tinsley. He retired in 2015.
A Noteworthy Leader
When Mohler-Faria became president of Bridgewater State, it was a special moment. He was the first person of color to lead the university. He was also only the second person of Cape Verdean heritage in the United States to become the president of a college or university.
Retirement and New Rules
When Mohler-Faria retired, there was a disagreement about how much he should be paid for his unused vacation days. The rules at the time allowed college leaders to be paid for a certain number of vacation days they hadn't taken.
Some people questioned the number of vacation days he had saved up, especially since he had taken many trips for work. The university said these trips were to raise money and awareness for the school. This public discussion led the governor of Massachusetts to support new laws. These laws now limit how much unused vacation and sick time state workers can save up.
Community Work
Mohler-Faria has also been a member of the advisory council for the Wampanoag Language Immersion School. This school is a project to help bring back the Wôpanâak language, which is spoken by the Wampanoag people.
