Thomas C. Segar
Vice President for Student Affairs at Indiana University of Pennsylvania Thomas C. Segar has been selected for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities for its 2026 Millennium Leadership Initiative cohort.
This premier professional development program for senior-level administrators, now in its twenty-seventh year, is designed to prepare leaders for executive roles, including college and university presidents and chancellors, through a combination of interactive seminars, peer dialogue, mentorship, and executive coaching. The program equips participants with the insight and practical skills necessary to lead effectively in today’s evolving higher education environment.
“Vice President Segar is a creative, dedicated, and results-driven member of my leadership team, and I am extremely proud of his selection for this competitive and prestigious leadership program,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said. “Dr. Segar combines his extensive academic and research knowledge in the field of student affairs and student development with a fierce focus on student success and growth, always thinking about ways to help students both as individuals and through university-wide programming,” President Driscoll said.
“One of IUP’s strategic goals moving forward is to encourage and support professional training for our employees at all levels. I am certain Dr. Segar will bring his experiences back to IUP to continue his outstanding commitment to our students and to advancing the university,” President Driscoll said.
“It is truly an honor to be selected for the AASCU Millennium Leadership Initiative,” Vice President Segar said. “To have the opportunity to network with colleagues who are at the pinnacle of their careers, who have faced challenges and turned them into opportunities for positive change, promises to be a transformational experience. It’s a very rigorous and demanding program, but I am excited to use what I learn to benefit IUP, our students, and my colleagues in all possible ways.”
Vice President for Student Affairs at Indiana University of Pennsylvania Thomas C. Segar, seated fourth from left, has been selected for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities 2026 Millennium Leadership Initiative cohort.
Photo provided by AASCU, Lisa Helfert
Segar completed the first in-person convening in June.
Segar is the only administrator from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education chosen for this year’s 29-member cohort, and one of only two higher education administrators from institutions in Pennsylvania selected for the 2026–27 cohort.
Segar began his work at IUP in June 2019. He is a member of the President’s executive team, responsible for leading undergraduate and graduate admissions, athletics, financial aid, housing and dining, marketing and communications, and student life and support, focusing his team on initiatives to increase student engagement and leadership.
In 2021, he developed and launched IUP’s Crimson Scholars Circle, a specialized cohort program aimed at providing students with comprehensive financial, social, and academic support to thrive at IUP.
He is a hands-on mentor to many individual students and groups, including serving as an advisor to IUP’s Student Government Association and Graduate Student Assembly. He developed the Folger Student Center for students and student organizations to increase opportunities for building community. He has supported the Guides mentoring program, the annual Lead@IUP Student Leadership Summit, and increased programming within Student Life and Student Inclusion.
As cochair of the university’s Tuition Model and Pricing Workgroup, he has developed many scholarships and cost-savings initiatives for students, including for housing and dining, resulting in historic high meal plan participation rates and record-breaking percentages of students continuing in on-campus housing after year one.
He is one of 26 inaugural Aspen Index Senior Impact Fellows, experienced leaders in higher education advancing 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.
For two decades, he served as a consultant assisting universities, high schools, and organizations to implement programs on diversity, leadership, community building, and social justice, along with program reviews and training.
He has delivered more than 50 national and regional refereed presentations and has been an invited keynote presenter or invited presenter to more than 70 conferences and higher education institutions throughout the United States. He copresented “IUP’s Crimson Scholars Circle: A Student Affairs/Faculty Partnership for Continued Improvement” at the 2025 National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Region II conference and was an invited presenter for a national conference sponsored by the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Criminal Justice Collective Chairs’ Workshop, funded by the MacArthur Foundation. In August 2025, Segar was an invited panelist for a state-wide Higher Education Summit, “Shaping the Future of Education in Pennsylvania,” sponsored by City & State Pennsylvania.
In February, Segar was selected by City & State Pennsylvania as a 2026 Black Trailblazer. He was the only honoree from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and one of only five professionals from higher education institutions recognized with the award. He was also honored in 2026 with an award of appreciation by the IUP Collegiate Women in Progress “with sincere gratitude for outstanding support for the IUP community.”
In March 2025, Segar was named as a “20 People to Know in Higher Education” by the Pittsburgh Business Times.
Segar came to IUP from his work as vice president for student affairs at Shepherd University. Prior to his work there, he 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. IUP’s Impact 150 comprehensive campaign is designed to honor a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, public service, and leadership in healthcare education, including the first college of osteopathic medicine at a public university in the Commonwealth.