Dear LMU Community,
I write to share important and heartfelt news about a deeply respected member of our Loyola Marymount University community: After 40 years of dedicated service in higher education, Terri Mangione, Ph.D., dean of students and vice president for Student Affairs, has decided to retire from LMU. Dr. Mangione’s last day will be in early June 2026.
For over seven years, Dean Mangione has been a strong advocate for our students and advancing the student experience at LMU. Grounded by our Jesuit and Marymount charisms, she has walked alongside students and their families as a strong advocate, especially in times of greatest need. With her focus on enhancing the LMU student experience, she has chaired, co-chaired, and served on numerous university-wide committees. Dean Mangione has also served on the Jesuit Association for Student Personnel Administrators (JASPA) Executive Board for the past 12 years, advancing deep connections with Student Affairs professionals at our sister Jesuit institutions and providing professional development opportunities for the next generation of Student Affairs professionals. In June 2025, JASPA honored Dean Mangione with the Rev. Victor R. Yanitelli Award for her outstanding service and dedication. Her leadership, compassion, and steadfast commitment to students have shaped the LMU student experience in enduring ways. Please join me in expressing our deepest gratitude to Dean Mangione for her extraordinary service and unwavering dedication to this community. Student Affairs will celebrate her and her legacy at our annual “It’s a Wrap” event in May. Please join me in honoring her many contributions.
As we plan thoughtfully for continuity and transition, I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Csilla Samay, Ed.D., as interim dean of students and associate vice president, effective June 1, 2026. In her current role, her leadership has elevated the work of our Office for International Students and Scholars, in addition to providing interim support as the student ombuds, and serving in the inaugural leadership role on our Student Affairs Response Team. Prior to joining Student Affairs in 2016, she held roles across Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management at LMU, and she has continued to build on that experience through broad campus partnerships that advance internationalization and intercultural learning. Throughout her time at LMU, she has been a mission‑centered, collaborative leader focused on student support, success, and retention.
During this transition, I have also decided to decouple the supervision of health and wellness responsibilities from the dean of students portfolio. Effective June 1, Dr. Zarin Tejani, LMU’s Medical Director, will report directly to me and serve on the Student Affairs Leadership Team (SALT). Since arriving at LMU in 2023, Dr. Tejani has strengthened the university’s holistic approach to student well‑being by establishing a collaborative care model while providing unified leadership to Student Health Services (SHS), Student Psychological Services (SPS), and the LMU Emergency Medical Services program. Recently, she led the integration of SPS into the existing SHS electronic health record system, adding strong confidentiality safeguards, improving interdepartmental communication, and enabling students to schedule triage appointments and group therapy sessions online. Through key campus partnerships, Dr. Tejani has also expanded LMU’s harm‑reduction and prevention initiatives, including asynchronous naloxone training, QPR suicide prevention education, and free flu vaccination clinics. In this role, Dr. Tejani will continue to lead SHS and SPS, advancing LMU’s integrated, student‑centered approach to health and well‑being.
Both Associate Dean Samay and Dr. Tejani bring broad and deep expertise, trusted leadership, and an unwavering commitment to the holistic well-being and success of our students. I am grateful for their partnership during this important transition. As we look ahead, during the interim period, we will review and refine the dean of students portfolio. I anticipate posting the permanent associate vice president and dean of students position in June 2026. Our team will work closely with Elaine Peters, executive recruiter, and Human Resources to support a thoughtful and inclusive search process in fall 2026.
This is a pivotal moment to build upon Dean Mangione’s remarkable legacy while continuing to strengthen and evolve the LMU student experience. We will miss Terri greatly and are profoundly grateful for all she has contributed to our university. Please join me in thanking Dean Mangione for her extraordinary service, and in offering your support and appreciation to Associate Dean Samay and Dr. Tejani as they step into these roles.
Warm regards,
Kawanna Leggett, Ed.D.
Senior Vice President for Student Affairs