Dr. Patricia A. Perillo

Dr. Patricia (Patty) A. Perillo has worked at seven institutions of higher learning before returning to her doctoral alma mater to serve as the Vice President for Student Affairs (VPSA) at the University of Maryland (UMD).  Immediately before her arrival at UMD, she served as the VPSA and assistant professor of higher education at Virginia Tech for seven years. She also worked at Davidson College, the State University of New York (Plattsburgh and Albany campuses), UMBC and previously at UMD and the University of Delaware. She has worked in every functional area of student affairs, always focused on building collaborative, learning partnerships with student affairs and academic affairs and creating the conditions for students to thrive. UMD’s lived values of community, service, well-being, inclusion and learning resonate with her deepest values so she feels like she has truly come home.

As a renowned scholar-practitioner for over 30 years, Patty provides leadership and oversight for more than 16 departments and administrative units in the Division of Student Affairs at UMD. With a team of over 4,000 students, faculty and staff, a budget of over $230 million, and responsibility for nearly 50 percent of the campus physical capital, she is committed to ensuring transformative learning experiences for students. She is an international leader in higher education having served as past president of ACPA – College Student Educators International located at the National Center for Higher Education. 

She obtained her doctoral degree in Public and Community Health, with an interdisciplinary academic partnership with the Student Affairs program in the College of Education, from the University of Maryland.  Her master’s degree is in College Counseling and Student Affairs and bachelor’s degree in Psychology are from the University of Delaware. She has received many honors and awards including ACPA’s Esther Lloyd Jones Professional Service Award, ACPA’s Diamond Honoree Award and inductions into Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa to name a few. 

Patty hails from Wilmington, DE.  As one of eight children, with 80+ first cousins as her father was the youngest of 15 and her mother was the oldest of three, she still lovingly claims this home community. She was the first in her family to graduate from college and learned, early on in her college career, that education has the power to transform individual lives and that of communities. She knew that she wanted to work in higher education as a vehicle to make the world – one person and community at a time –more humane and just. 

In her free time, Dr. Perillo enjoys spending time with her wonderful spouse, extended family and close community of friends, and engaging in the arts, athletic events, outdoor activities, exercise, prayer, reflection, music, reading and entertaining.