IUP Vice President Tom Segar joined LaRoche Foundation Founder and Executive Director Gregory Turlington for a live Zoom event on September 25 as part of the LaRoche Foundation’s Professional Speakers Series, “Real People, Real Journeys, A Brighter Tomorrow.”
Vice President Tom Segar during a Zoom session and in a more relaxed moment.
During the conversation, Segar discussed the importance of beginning the scholarship search process early, completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and not being afraid to ask questions to college and university financial aid professionals.
Vice President Segar also shared information about the eligibility requirements of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Pledge, and how preparation and awareness of these types of opportunities can contribute to the LaRoche Foundation’s 0% Tuition Pathway program.
The LaRoche Foundation’s 0% Tuition Pathways program is designed to help students identify every pathway that can reduce, and potentially eliminate, the cost of tuition and expand access to scholarship strategy, mentorship, financial aid guidance, and community-based educational support for first-generation and financially under-resourced students.
The September 25 Zoom discussion is part of the LaRoche College Access and Admissions Series. This series connects students and families with admissions professionals from colleges and universities across the country who are committed to expanding access to higher education and helping students make informed decisions about their future. Through interactive virtual conversations, participants gain firsthand insight into the college admissions process, financial aid, scholarships, academic programs, campus life, and the opportunities available at a wide range of institutions. Each session provides students and families with direct access to admissions professionals, empowering them to ask questions, explore their options, and navigate the path to college with greater confidence and clarity. Thirty students joined the conversation with Executive Director Turlington and Vice President Segar.
“Student success changes lives and strengthens communities,” Segar said. “I was honored to be invited to talk with Executive Director Turlington and to provide information about opportunities and possibilities for higher education to students and families.
“There are many misperceptions about access to higher education. I am glad to join the LaRoche Foundation in the important work of helping families understand how college can be financially possible before they make their college decisions.”
Executive Director Turlington founded the LaRoche Foundation in 2025 with a vision of helping students pursue higher education with greater financial clarity and reduced debt burden. His work focuses on building partnerships and scalable systems that help students navigate college admissions and affordability with confidence.
Vice President Segar 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.
Earlier this year, he was selected for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities 2026 Millennium Leadership Initiative cohort, a premier professional development program for senior-level administrators 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. He 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.
He also 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, Vice President 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, Vice President 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, Vice President 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, he was named as one of “20 People to Know in Higher Education” by the Pittsburgh Business Times.