Contact Us

Stuart J. Sigman, PhD
Vice President for Academic Affairs
sjsigman@naropa.edu; 303-546-3588

Stuart Sigman joined the Naropa University community as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty in July 2006.  He also serves as Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies. Previously, he served Emerson College (Boston, MA) as founding dean of the school of communication for eight years. He joined Emerson after having served in faculty positions at West Virginia University, Penn State University, the State University of New York (Buffalo and Albany campuses) and the Union Institute and University; he also served as a visiting faculty member at Bond University in Australia. Stuart received his BA from Hunter College, City University of New York, completing an honors degree with concentrations in theatre, communication and linguistics. He received his MA and PhD from the Annenberg School of Communications, University of Pennsylvania. Stuart is the author of A Perspective on Social Communication, founding editor of Research on Language and Social Interaction, and founding co-editor of the monograph series Everyday Communication: Case Studies of Behavior in Context. 

Suzanne Benally
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Senior Diversity Officer sbenally@naropa.edu; 303-546-3525

Suzanne provides oversight of academic program assessment and NCA accreditation, and is responsible for institutional diversity planning and implementation. She has worked extensively over the past seventeen years in higher education policy and diversity, working with more than thirty colleges and universities (including statewide higher education systems offices and private foundations) in diversity planning and assessment. Suzanne’s consulting in diversity and higher education includes national initiatives with the Ford Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education and the Compact for Faculty Diversity. More recently, Suzanne worked with Claremont Graduate University and the Association of American Colleges and Universities in a Campus Diversity Initiative involving a consortium of thirty independent colleges and universities with unique missions and histories. She assisted these institutions in planning, implementing and learning from their campus evaluation plans for diversity. 

Jeremy Lowry
Assistant Dean for Curriculum and Instruction
jlowry@naropa.edu; 303-245-4644

Jeremy Lowry, MA, has served Naropa University in a variety of academic and administrative capacities, including serving as a faculty member in Religious Studies, MA Contemplative Counseling Psychology and the Naropa Core Curriculum program. His current duties in Academic Affairs include assisting academic departments in developing self-study and assessment programs, assisting departments with curriculum development and revision, serving as the departmental coordinator for grade disputes and student concerns, and coordinating the Fulbright scholarship program. His primary research and teaching interests includes critical theory, GLBT and gender studies, and postcolonial studies in relation to ethics and the philosophy of religion.

Judith Sumner
Assistant Dean for Business & Academic Support
judith@naropa.edu; 303-546-3516

Judith serves as the liaison to academic departments for budget development, financial management, and enrollment management and planning. Her work includes providing financial projections, needs assessments and other research and data to support new program development and assess the financial health of existing programs and departments. Prior to joining Academic Affairs, she served Naropa through positions in the Finance Department and the Office of Undergraduate Education. She brings a systems view and a commitment to working collaboratively with departments to build strong, sustainable academic programs for Naropa students.

Gloria Nouel
Assistant Dean for Program Development and Strategic Initiatives
gnouel@naropa.edu; 303-245-4687

Gloria Nouel joined Academic Affairs in August 2009. She also has an appointment with Naropa’s Transpersonal Counseling Psychology Master’s program.  For the last 10 years Gloria served as full-time faculty and director of the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology and the founding director of the Master of Arts in Leadership and Organizational Transformation at Chatham University. Prior to that, Gloria worked in the non-profit world as a director and psychotherapist for the Women’s Counseling Center of the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh, where she also worked in program development.  Gloria has a PhD in Clinical Psychology with an existential-phenomenological approach from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa. Her M.A. is from the Humanistic Psychology department at West Georgia College, where she explored social phenomenology and the intersection of spirituality and psychology.   In her community work Gloria has been involved in diversity initiatives, women’s empowerment issues and organizational change. Her research has focused on the transformation of maternal bereavement in its social, symbolic and spiritual dimensions and women’s positive aging.  She brings a commitment and aspiration to an integrated vision of organizational life where dialogue, reflection and joyful action co-exist and are an impetus to a better society. 

Jirka Hladiš
Director of Online Curriculum Development
Jirka@naropa.edu; 303-245-4702

Jirka is responsible for the distance learning division at Naropa University. He carries on development of the online curriculum, does the assessment of the online campus, analyzes trends in online environment and supports online faculty and their training. His passions are bringing the unique Naropa education to students who cannot move to Boulder and delivering genuine contemplative education in the online medium. Jirka has been with Naropa since 1996 as a student, adjunct faculty and a staff member. He holds MA degrees both in Mechanical Engineering and Buddhist Studies.

Susan Martich
Administrative Coordinator
smartich@naropa.edu; 303-245-4677

Susan has been at Naropa since 2002. Before joining Academic Affairs, she served as administrative director in the departments of Religious Studies and Environmental Studies. A graduate of Indiana University, Susan also holds a MS in human resources management and development from National-Louis University. She brings strong organizational and administrative skills gained from numerous years in human resources management and development, and is responsible for overseeing the standardized instructor evaluation process and annual contract issuance. 

Elizabeth A. Garfield
Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs
egarfield@naropa.edu; 303-546-3588

Elizabeth assists the vice president for academic affairs with scheduling, coordination of promotion and sabbatical applications, recruitment and office budgeting. Prior to joining Naropa, Elizabeth served most recently as associate director of student services for DeVry University in Westminster, and director of student affairs at the Boulder College of Massage Therapy. A bachelor’s graduate of Vassar College, Elizabeth holds a MS in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Doctor of Chiropractic from the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic. In addition to her academic and chiropractic experience, Elizabeth worked for several years in marketing research at companies in New York and Los Angeles.