Indiana University of Pennsylvania Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas Segar was an invited panelist for a state-wide Higher Education Summit, held August 12 in Harrisburg.
Segar was a panelist for “Shaping the Future of Education in Pennsylvania,” joining Philadelphia Chief Education Officer Debora Carrera; Pennsylvania Rep. John Schlegel; Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Associate Provost for Academic Innovation and Dean of Graduate and Continuing Education Timothy Slekar; Millersville University of Pennsylvania President Daniel Wubah; and Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency Senior Vice President of Federal Relations and Outreach William Lindsay and PHEAA Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Nathan Hench. Carly Sitrin, Chalkbeat Philadelphia bureau chief, was the panel moderator.
From left, panelists for “Shaping the Future of Education in Pennsylvania”: Philadelphia Chief Education Officer Debora Carrera; PHEAA Senior Vice President of Federal Relations and Outreach William Lindsay; IUP Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas Segar; Chalkbeat Philadelphia Bureau Chief Carly Sitrin (moderator); Pennsylvania Rep. John Schlegel; Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Associate Provost for Academic Innovation and Dean of Graduate and Continuing Education Timothy Slekar; Millersville University of Pennsylvania President Daniel Wubah; PHEAA Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Nathan Hench.
Segar’s panel and comments focused on the rapid transformation of the postsecondary education landscape, including how demographic shifts, workforce needs, and economic pressures influence institutional planning and state-level decision making. The panelists also discussed how the Pennsylvania government is partnering with community and technical colleges to expand access, adapt programs to meet labor market demands, and respond to declining enrollment through strategic investments and policy reforms.
More than 150 people, including legislators and higher education leaders, gathered for the event, which was sponsored by City & State Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Chancellor Christopher Fiorentino was the keynote speaker. Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Board of Governors Chair Cynthia Shapira served on the “Higher Education’s New Short- and Long-Term Priorities” panel with Chief Postsecondary Officer, Economic and Workforce Development for PASSHE, Carrie Amann; West Chester University of Pennsylvania President Laurie Bernotsky; Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania President Charles Patterson; and Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology President Pedro Rivera; Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
For more than two decades, Segar served as an independent consultant on topics of administrative and student leadership, multiculturalism, diversity, and social justice, assisting more than 60 higher education institutions, high schools, and organizations throughout the United States to implement diversity, student or administrative leadership, community building, and social justice workshops or program reviews or multi-day training experiences.
He has delivered more than 50 national and regional referred presentations and has been an invited keynote presenter or invited presenter to more than 70 conferences and higher education institutions throughout the United States, including the 2025 National Association of Student Personnel Administrators conference.
In June, Segar was an invited presenter for a national conference sponsored by the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Criminal Justice Collective Chairs’ Workshop, a national, week-long event funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
In March, Segar was named as one of “20 People to Know in Higher Education” by the Pittsburgh Business Times.
In 2022, he was named as one of only 26 inaugural Aspen Index Senior Impact Fellows, all experienced leaders in higher education, who are committed to coming together to advance the future of youth leadership development.
As a doctoral fellow at the University of Maryland, College Park, Segar was part of the first research team to work on the multi-institutional study of leadership, which informs the Aspen Index.
In fall 2021, Segar established and launched the Crimson Scholars Circle, a specialized cohort program providing undergraduate students with four years of comprehensive financial, social, and academic support to thrive at IUP, designed to reduce retention and persistence gaps.
He came to IUP in June 2019 from his work as vice president for student affairs at Shepherd University. Prior to his work there, Segar worked at Gettysburg College, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Maryland, College Park.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology with a certificate in African American Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park, his master’s degree in counseling with a specialization in college student personnel from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, and his doctorate in college student personnel administration with a concentration on teaching and social justice in higher education from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As IUP celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.