Board chair Cynthia Barnhart (left) and new members Theresa Alberghini DiPalma (center) and Shannon Deegan (right)
Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Board of Trustees today reelected Cynthia Barnhart to serve as chair and welcomed two new members following a special meeting.
Barnhart, now serving her second year as chair, was first elected to the Board on August 1, 2014, then re-elected in December 2019 and October 2024. Her current term expires in March 2030.
Barnhart is the Abraham J. Siegel Professor of Management Science and Professor of Operations Research at MIT. She previously served as MIT's provost, chancellor, as associate and acting dean of MIT's School of Engineering, and as co-director of the Operations Research Center and the Center for Transportation and Logistics at MIT. Barnhart graduated from UVM with a BS in Civil Engineering in 1981 and earned an SM and PhD at MIT.
At their February meeting, trustees reelected Donald McCree to serve as vice chair of the board, effective March 1. McCree is a graduate of the class of 1983 and is Vice Chairman and Head of Commercial Banking at Citizens Financial Group, Inc. He has been a member of the board since 2014 and previously served as chair of the board’s Budget, Finance and Investment committee. Trustees also reelected Catherine “Kitty” Toll as secretary of the board in February as well.
The two new members who officially joined the Board on March 1, Theresa Alberghini DiPalma and Shannon Deegan, were elected by the UVM Board for six-year terms, expiring March 2032.
Alberghini DiPalma is a Vermont resident and graduate of Vassar College. Her career has focused on government service, advancing healthcare, strengthening communities, and promoting women’s professional development.
Deegan is a native of Montreal and a 1987 alumnus. He retired from Google in 2024 as Global Vice President, Real Estate and Workplace Services, after seventeen years of service in a range of senior leadership roles. Deegan also played professional ice hockey in the Los Angeles Kings organization.
John Dineen and Jennifer Ha completed their terms on the board on February 28.
About UVM: For People and Planet
Founded in 1791, UVM is the leading public university where discovery, creativity, community, and action coalesce to secure a thriving future for people and planet. Recognized among the nation’s top R1 research institutions, Vermont’s land-grant university attracts $240 million annually for groundbreaking research and enrolls approximately 14,000 students from 50 states and 75 countries. At UVM, students, faculty, and staff work together in pursuit of a healthier, greener future. Learn more at uvm.edu.
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