With over 20 years of experience as an educator, Dr. Lesley DeNardis has served at various public and private institutions in faculty and administrative roles. Prior to her arrival at Rivier, she was the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at Holy Apostles College and Seminary. Serving as the chief academic officer and NECHE accreditation liaison officer while at HACS, Dr. DeNardis led the revision of the core curriculum and developed online graduate degrees. Previously, Dr. DeNardis spent 15 years at Sacred Heart University where she established and directed the university’s first interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts program in Global Studies and a master’s degree in Public Administration.
Dr. DeNardis’ career intersects public service and higher education, informing her educational philosophy rooted in the belief that the most impactful educational experiences allow students to connect theory and practice, form connections between disciplines, and orient them toward problem solving to be of service to others. While at Sacred Heart, Dr. DeNardis founded the Institute for Public Policy, which provided a forum for citizens to discuss pressing public issues and foster civil discourse. As Executive Director of the Sacred Heart poll, she oversaw a survey research program issuing quarterly public opinion polls to gauge sentiment on pressing policy issues facing Connecticut.
As a scholar, Dr. DeNardis’ research interests span Latin American politics, Federalism, state and local government and public policy. She is an authority on K-12 education policy in Connecticut and has published numerous scholarly articles on school finance and education reform. Dr. DeNardis approaches her role as Dean informed by her 20 years as a classroom instructor where she incorporated high impact learning practices to engage students.
Since Dr. DeNardis’ arrival at Rivier, she has focused her efforts on interdisciplinary programs. With its emphasis on collaboration among disciplines with the goal of integrating knowledge in a broad-based liberal arts program, Dr. DeNardis believes that interdisciplinary education offers students the best preparation for lifelong learning and for meaningful and purposeful lives. She recently led a curricular effort with faculty in Arts and Sciences to create two new undergraduate interdisciplinary degree programs in Environmental Studies and Sustainability and Human Services, both launching in Fall 2025.
