Rusiloski is named president of Delaware Valley University

Longtime educator and college administrator Benjamin E. Rusiloski has been named Delaware Valley University’s 14th president.
No stranger to the Doylestown institution, Rusiloski first came to DelVal in 1994 where he began his career in higher education as an assistant professor of chemistry. He went on to chair two academic departments, serve as dean of the School of Life and Physical Sciences and later, vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty.

He was serving as interim president before being selected as president in late October.
“I’m honored and humbled to serve in this position,” said Rusiloski, during an interview. “This institution has excellent faculty and staff who are personally invested in the success of each student. DelVal’s academic programs give students the skills and experience they need to be successful,” he added, in a statement.
The new president follows Maria Gallo, who served in the position from 2016 to 2021, when she left to become chancellor of the University of Wisconsin, River Falls.
While celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, Rusiloski said the university is well-poised for the future. Last fall a health care administrator program was added to the curriculum in partnership with Doylestown Health.
Next year, DelVal will launch its first master’s degree in its physician’s assistant program and it first master’s in speech pathology. The physician’s assistant programs, said Rusiloski, attracted 1,000 applicants for 20 openings, while the speech pathology degree has 300 applicants for 15 spots.
“My goals are to offer and develop programs that have market interest for students and meet market demand. In an ideal world, we check both of those boxes.”

And, he noted, a student’s education “is not just about a first job, it’s about their career trajectory.”
The university, with 1,639 undergraduates and approximately 500 graduate students, now has nine master’s degree programs and one doctoral degree.
Rusiloski has been at the forefront of the university’s experiential learning initiative, Experience 360, which began in 2012. With a focus on blending classroom learning and “real world” experience, e360, as it’s known, offers students opportunities for internships, career exploration experiences, leadership training and study abroad programs.
“Throughout the search process, Dr. Rusiloski’s work in experiential learning really stood out to us,” said Majid Alsayegh, chair of the university’s board, in a statement. “As Delaware Valley University celebrates 125 years of providing students with both knowledge and relevant real-world experience, we wanted a leader who could continue to build on that legacy. He’s truly passionate about DelVal’s mission of ‘science with practice’ and committed to preparing students for success after graduation.”
The university is exploring a $10 million facility for poultry science, as it seeks corporate investments. Pennsylvania, said the president, has moved from 10th in producers of poultry to eighth in the country.
As a school with a focus on agricultural and environmental sciences, DelVal is clearly concerned with climate change, Rusiloski said. It offers a major in sustainable agriculture and is continuing to examine regenerative agricultural practices and environmental sustainability.
Moving forward, Rusiloski said, community and corporate partnerships will play a key role in supporting higher education.
Rusiloski, 53, earned his bachelor’s degree from King’s College and his doctorate from Duke University. He lives with his wife and three children in Doylestown Township. 

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