International flavor added to Vanguard

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- Bienvenido senor. Bienvenu messieurs. Benvenuto

senor.

Vanguard University officials are wholeheartedly welcoming new

Provost Maximo Rossi, a proven collegiate leader and master in

Romance languages.

The new provost received his bachelor’s degree from King’s

College, masters from both Syracuse and Azusa Pacific universities,

his PhD in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Literature was conferred by

City University of New York and he did post-graduate work at the

Universidad de Salamanca in Spain and the Universidad Nacional

Evangelica in the Dominican Republic.

Rossi, who is fluent in Spanish, French, Italian and Latin, was

recently named to his position and is looking forward to the changes

he said are in store for the Christian institute for higher learning.

“I am happy to feel the excitement on campus,” Rossi said. “There

is a feeling on campus of drive and determination from the faculty,

staff and students.”

In his short time on campus, Rossi has had a handful of uplifting

incidents including powerful prayer meetings with other faculty

members and encouraging student events. One that sticks out the most

is when a student came up and hugged him, thanking him for coming to

Vanguard.

The attitude of Christian students is uplifting and refreshing,

Rossi said, especially when compared to secular campuses where

students can sometimes be cynical.

Rossi came to Vanguard University, after leaving a seven-year

stint at Azusa Pacific University, where he worked as a professor of

modern languages, Associate Dean for the College of Liberal Arts and

Sciences and, most recently, the director of the Center for

Intercultural Programs.

Vanguard President Murray Dempster said he was delighted to have

Rossi join the Vanguard team.

“His distinguished career in Christian higher education and

diverse experience as a teacher, a researcher and an innovator make

him an invaluable addition to our campus.”

Most importantly, Dempster said, Rossi’s leadership and management

skills will help the school during a critical phase of growth and

development.

Rossi has already outlined and implemented some major changes for

the school, including weekly prayer meetings, technological upgrades

for classrooms, various additions in majors and masters’ programs and

administrative decision making.

Although his ideas require major structural changes, and even

changes in location, they have been well received so far, Rossi said.