Tonya Wagner realized early in her academic career that she wanted to make an educational impact felt way beyond the classroom. Now, she gets to do that every day as Viterbo University’s vice president for academic affairs and institutional effectiveness (VPAAIE).

“I’ve always been interested in ways to change and improve educational systems,” said Wagner, who began at Viterbo in 2021 as the dean of the College of Business, Leadership, Ethics, and Education and was promoted to her current post in 2023.

As VPAAIE, Wagner is Viterbo’s chief academic officer and a member of the senior leadership team. It is her job to ensure high quality education, teaching, and scholarship by managing the university’s compliance with accrediting bodies, supervising the academic deans, and overseeing the faculty governance structure. She also leads the university’s student retention and grant writing efforts.

“What makes our faculty unique is the way they work together to serve our students,” Wagner said. “They care about the students deeply, which includes striving for excellence in the classroom and preparing them to excel in their professions. They transform our students into amazing humans. I love working with faculty on creative ways to solve problems because they are some of the most interesting people in the world.”

Wagner’s goals include helping to develop new academic programs, strengthening existing ones, and improving retention.

“The results of what we do are the most rewarding,” she said. “Seeing a student give a research presentation, perform in a fine arts production, or other examples of student excellence makes me beam with pride and makes everything worth it.”

Outside of Viterbo, Wagner enjoys hiking, biking, cooking, and spending time with her family.

“Education can transform a region, and I think Viterbo has done that,” Wagner said. “The university’s impact on the health and wellbeing of the community is undeniable, and we’ve been able to do that in a very inclusive way through collaborations and partnerships that meet the needs of both our students and the community.”