Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) is proud to announce the appointment of two deans following national searches: Rosann Bar, Ph.D., as the inaugural Dean of Academic Innovation, and Isabelle Porter, PT, DPT, as the Dean of Health Sciences.

“I’m delighted to have these two great leaders join the Academic Affairs team, and I look forward to supporting them in their new endeavors,” said Chae E. Sweet, Ed.D., MCCC Vice President of Academic Affairs & Provost.

Bar brings extensive academic affairs experience to the deanship. In her former role as Dean of Business and Social Sciences at New Jersey's Ocean County College, Bar led a diverse division, overseeing the implementation of experiential learning opportunities, such as a criminal forensics lab, a business skills educational training hub, and expanded apprenticeship programs.

Throughout her career, Bar has initiated many community outreach opportunities, both by providing professional development to the academic communities and creating programs targeted at a wider community audience. Prior to her deanship at Ocean County College, she served as a tenured faculty member and department chair of Sociology/Criminal Justice at Caldwell University. She brings with her creativity, strong interpersonal and leadership skills, and years of experience to MCCC.

Bar earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Caldwell University, as well as master’s degrees in the Arts and Philosophy and a doctorate in Sociology from Columbia University.

Under this newly created position, Bar’s responsibilities include leadership of the Challenger Learning Center at Montco Pottstown, Educational Partnerships, Pottstown Campus, Workforce Development, and Youth Engagement.

Bar said her position creates ways to engage the entire MCCC community. 

“There’s an opportunity to create programs and pathways and really that was the biggest appeal,” she said. “To build programs that make sense in the community and for students.”

“I appreciate the warm Montco family welcome,” she said. “I hope to get to know the community and it gets to know me and we become true partners in working together.”

Porter, of Skippack, is a proud 2009 MCCC alumna. After attaining her associate’s degree from MCCC, Porter earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology and doctorate in Physical Therapy from Arcadia University.

In 2019, Porter was hired as an adjunct instructor for the Physical Therapist Assistant program. In 2022, she became the Director of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program, and in the Fall of 2023, she began serving as co-faculty advisor for the Sexuality and Gender Alliance student group.

Originally from North Hills, Pa., Porter has spent her career as a physical therapist working mostly with older adults and people with neurological diagnoses, helping them to improve their quality of life. She has spent years increasing her knowledge of healthcare policy, cultural competence, and healthcare ethics, and she has been teaching these topics at Arcadia University since 2017. These positions have provided her with a keen perspective on the intersection of healthcare, education, and compassion.

Porter said she is eager to continue collaborating with faculty, staff, and students to support the development and implementation of innovative teaching and learning experiences.

“I’m ready to help students to find their passion,” she said. “To ignite their excitement about helping patients. I’m hoping in this role I can continue that culture of more holistic support for students, and it excites me that we’re going to be creating clinicians who are really seeing the whole patient.”

The new deans will be joining James Bretz, Ph.D., who is the Dean of Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) and the Temporary Dean of Liberal Studies, and Kelly Strunk, M.S.S., M.L.S.P., Temporary Dean of Business and Professional Studies.