By Arpan Josan 

Dr. Christopher Storm was appointed as Adelphi University’s interim president after the resignation of Dr. Christine Riordan this past summer. Dr. Storm, who previously served as Adelphi’s Provost and Executive Vice President, was appointed by Adelphi’s Board of Trustees effective on July 1st. 

     Dr. Storm assures students that this change will not interfere with their daily experiences. He said, “In terms of our students’ day-to-day lives, the transitions in leadership will have no impact. We have an outstanding team in place that has ensured your classes, clubs and other activities are moving forward without a hitch.”

One goal of Dr. Storm is to have a strong presence on campus. He said, “I’m also working on some more structured engagement initiatives such as open-door periods which I’ll be announcing closer to the start of the semester.” 

Photo credit: Adelphi University website

As interim president, Dr. Storm will serve while the Board of Trustees conducts a national search for the next president.  However, the work continues and Dr. Storm is focusing on Adelphi’s Middle States process. “Preparing for our Middle States Commission on Higher Education reaccreditation is not only an affirmation of the quality of our academic programs, but a federal requirement for institutions with students and faculty applying for funding from federal agencies,” he said. 

Dr. Storm plans to build on the progress already made for such initiatives as the Momentum Campaign, the launch of the Manhattan Center in 2026, planning adjustments around changes in loan programs due to federal budget cuts and building on undergraduate student research with the help of the SPARK and Innovation Centers.  

To fill the provost vacancy left when Dr. Storm became interim president, Dr. Susan Dinan was appointed interim provost after serving as the Honors College dean. Nicole Rudolph, PhD, will take over as interim dean for the Honors College.