Marymount University President Dr. Irma Becerra will serve as an at-large member in 2025
RICHMOND, VA – January 12, 2025 – The Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia, Inc. (CICV), led by a 28-member Board of Directors representing nonprofit colleges and universities across Virginia, has elected a new member to its six-person executive committee. Marymount University’s President, Dr. Irma Becerra, joins Hollins President Mary Dana Hinton (Chair), the University of Richmond President Kevin Hallock (Vice Chair), Roanoke College President Frank Shushok, and past CICV Chairs Virginia Wesleyan President Scott Miller and the University of Lynchburg President Alison Morrison-Shetlar. Becerra is the 7th president of Marymount University, the state’s only Hispanic-serving institution.
Dr. Irma Becerra took office as the seventh President of Marymount University on July 1, 2018. In her six-plus years as President, she has launched the University’s new Strategic Plan, earned national recognition in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges Rankings, attained designation as Virginia’s first and only Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), added market-driven academic programs, oversaw the transition to a new academic structure, acquired a luxury apartment building that is now a mixed-use property that combines student housing with an extended stay hotel, improved the University’s IT infrastructure, navigated the school community through the COVID-19 pandemic, and led efforts at the state and federal levels to advocate for legislative solutions to the DACA program.
“Becerra is a tireless and articulate advocate for nonprofit private higher education. She is well known for her innovation and entrepreneurship at Marymount. The Executive Committee will benefit from her energy and perspective,” said CICV Chair Hollins President Mary Dana Hinton.
Reflecting on this opportunity, President Becerra said, “It is an honor to be elected as a member of the Executive Committee of the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia. CICV plays a vital role in advocating for the value and impact of private higher education across the Commonwealth, and I look forward to collaborating with fellow leaders to further the mission of strengthening academic excellence, accessibility, and innovation for our students.”
Before Marymount, Becerra served as Provost and Chief Academic Officer at St. Thomas University. She also spent three decades at Florida International University (FIU) in various positions, including vice president, vice provost, entrepreneurship center director, and tenured professor. She was the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at FIU.
About CICV: The Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia, Inc. (CICV) represents 28 nonprofit private colleges and universities in Virginia. Since its founding in 1971, CICV has worked to improve the quality of education, strengthen resources, and highlight the importance of private higher education in the state. A 2024 report by Mangum Economics found that CICV member institutions employed around 30,000 people and contributed $4.6 billion to Virginia’s economy during the 2023 academic year. Spending by these colleges, out-of-state students, and visitors supported about $2.0 billion in wages and benefits and $157 million in state and local tax revenue. For every $43 the state invests in the Tuition Assistance Grant program, the return on state and local taxes is $78, almost doubling the investment.
For more information about CICV and its member institutions, please visit www.cicv.org.
