Therese Kurilla Appointed Associate Vice President of Finance at Wilkes

Therese Kurilla has spent nearly 20 years helping further the educational goals of students in northeastern Pennsylvania’s institutions of higher education. After obtaining her bachelor of science degree in accounting from King’s College, followed by a master of business administration degree from the University of Scranton, Kurilla held several positions with accounting firms, both national and regional, before joining the University of Scranton. There, she worked in the finance department, and then the office of research. “Although not a researcher myself, I realized I wanted to spend my career in the higher education industry and do my part to help students further their education, such as through hands-on experience funded through research grants,” Kurilla says.

In fall of 2023, after 17 years with University of Scranton, Kurilla accepted a position at Wilkes University as director of research and sponsored programs to help increase externally funded research. On coming to Wilkes, Kurilla remarks, “I knew immediately that I wanted to be part of a university that values faculty and student collaboration and innovation. I’m grateful to be part of an institution so deeply committed to student success.” While in that role, Kurilla helped secure over $1.5 million in NSF grants, as well as many other federal, state and private grants.

With this impressive history in mind, Wilkes appointed Kurilla as associate vice president of finance in July of 2025. “I’m an accountant by trade,” Kurilla says, “and I’m excited to transition back to finance. During my tenure in academic affairs, the academic challenges I saw first-hand as faced by faculty, staff and students taught me to approach novel problems methodically, which I now can apply to strategic financial planning.”

When not working to help students advance their education, Kurilla can be found spending time at home with her high school sweetheart, now husband, and their two boys. She also enjoys gardening, relaxing with her cats and traveling, including an annual trip over spring break to Florida.