Newman University said goodbye to its longtime Registrar, Shirley Rueb, who retired just before the fall semester began. Filling her shoes is Lori Gibbon, who brings many years of higher education experience with her, both as registrar and serving in other important roles.
Gibbon earned both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in social and public policy from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Gibbon said her experience at Duquesne was one of the reasons why her transition to Newman was so smooth.
“My own higher education experience started at a small, private Catholic university,” she explained. “Coming to Newman has felt very much like coming back home to a family. The atmosphere here, my peers and co-workers, made me feel right at home from day one on the job.”
Gibbon said she is excited to help the registrar’s office continue creating a more efficient and technological process.
“We can easily do away with so many expenses by bringing in the technological piece and automating standard business practices,” said Gibbon. “The web is the other big part of it, changing the online catalog to be more user friendly and interactive.”
She said communicating with other departments is also something she’s looking forward to.
“I’m really looking forward to reaching out and forming new relationships across campus. Talk across departments will be really beneficial because the registrar’s office is a point at which everyone interacts.”
Gibbon had taken a few years away from her career to be with family, but said coming back into it was “like riding a bike. Technology has changed, but for me, having that gap was a benefit, because I wasn’t coming in with so much retained knowledge of a system I was already working on. I would say that worked to my advantage.”
She also explained the opportunity involved a little bit of “divine intervention.”
“I started searching for registrar jobs, looking nationally, and Newman popped up. I hadn’t heard of Newman before so when I looked at the university’s profile and website, I knew something was right. It spoke to me, really.
“I sent my resume in February, had a phone interview in March and was invited to campus the next week. Our lease (in Washington) was up on June 30 and my start date was July 1. The timing was perfect.”
Not to mention, Gibbon said her regalia from Duquesne University is the same school colors as Newman, so when she dons her gown and hood at the Newman commencement ceremonies, she will fit right in.
Gibbon said she’s excited about the very capable staff she has and the incredible support she’s received from the Newman administration.
“People here are amazing. I said when I interviewed, I felt like I could walk into tomorrow and feel like I’ve always been here. And that’s exactly how I’ve felt. Everyone has gone out of their way to help me transition and hear my ideas. I’ve excited about how eager people are to hear my thoughts and opinions.
“They really want to know and they truly care — and I cherish that. I feel like it’s a really exciting time to be here at Newman.”
