Siena University, Chief Experience Officer

We are pleased to announce the completion of our search for the Chief Experience Officer at Siena University. From a strong pool of candidates, Dr. Darren Conine will be Siena’s inaugural Chief Experience Officer, or CXO, effective May 15.

Darren comes to Siena from Merrimack College, where he served as Executive Vice Provost. His work there was transformational, leading strategies that grew total enrollment by 57 percent while orchestrating innovative institutional approaches to strengthen student retention and graduation success. Darren has the ability to connect the student experience with operational excellence. He has a proven track record of unifying student services, such as his work consolidating financial aid, registrar, and bursar functions into a single student-centered hub to reduce friction for students. He has also been a leader in campus innovation, directing institutional AI strategy to ensure technology is integrated responsibly across teaching, learning, and operations. His achievements also include modernizing scheduling and registration through an optimized full-year block schedule that increased flexibility and supported both student retention and time-to-degree outcomes.

Darren holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration and a B.A. in Political Science from Northeastern University. He is a recipient of the National Rising Star Award from the National Association for College Admission Counseling.