The Hartwick College Board of Trustees today named Dr. Margaret L. Drugovich the College's tenth president. Drugovich, currently vice president for Strategic Communication and University Enrollment at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, will take office July 1, 2008.
Drugovich was one of four finalists to visit the Hartwick College campus in recent weeks. She succeeds current President Richard P. Miller, Jr., who announced his intention to retire last summer, and who will have served the College for five years upon his retirement in June 2008.
Richard Clapp '62, member of the College's Board of Trustees and chair of the Presidential Search Committee, said, "Dr. Drugovich survived an extensive screening that included more than 75 candidates. The search committee is grateful to Trustees, faculty, staff, and students who worked tirelessly beginning last August to achieve this end. The committee voted unanimously in support of Dr. Drugovich, and we are confident of her success."
At Ohio Wesleyan University since 1998, Drugovich is responsible for new student recruitment and admissions, financial aid, and integrated university-wide communications. Under her leadership the college experienced growth in enrollment while maintaining the quality and diversity of the student body. A native of Geneva, Ohio, Drugovich earned her EDM (Executive Doctor of Management) from Case Western Reserve University, her AM in medical sociology from Brown University, and her BA in experimental psychology from Albertus Magnus College.
Susan Navarette, associate professor of English and a member of the search committee, said, "Given her scholarly and professional accomplishments, Dr. Drugovich is admirably positioned to articulate Hartwick's commitment to the teaching of the liberal arts and sciences, and our focus on experiential learning. Her presence will add immeasurably to the intellectual vigor of the community. We are grateful for the role the faculty was able to play in the search process, we are confident that the Trustees have made the right selection, and we are prepared to offer President Elect Drugovich our strong support."
Board of Trustees Chairman Karl Mosch '69 said, "I have spent the past three weeks on campus participating in the dialog among the final four candidates and the Hartwick College community. I am thankful for the search committee putting forward four such distinguished candidates. Dr. Drugovich impressed all involved in the process with her grasp of the essence of Hartwick, its challenges and needs for the future. I believe that she has not only the appropriate perspective, but also the skills and the passion to advance our college."
Miller said, "I very much enjoyed my one-on-one meeting with Dr. Drugovich. My wife Andi and I had the opportunity to entertain Margaret and her partner Beth Steele at our home. I am delighted with President Elect Drugovich's selection, and I am confident that she will be an effective leader of the College. I will do everything possible through the process of transition and afterward to support her success."
"I am thrilled to join the Hartwick College community as its next president," said Dr. Drugovich. "I was inspired by everyone I met-students, faculty, staff, alumni, and Trustees. By combining study in the liberal arts with the transformative power of experiential learning, Hartwick offers students an education that answers the challenges posed by our increasingly global society. It will be a privilege to work with a community that is so wholly dedicated to maximizing learning at the critical juncture of theory and practice."
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Hartwick College is a private liberal arts and sciences college of 1,480 students, located in Oneonta, NY in the northern foothills of the Catskill Mountains. Hartwick's expansive curriculum emphasizes connecting the classroom to the world. Through personalized teaching, collaborative research, a unique January Term, a wide range of internships, and limitless study-abroad opportunities, Hartwick ensures that students are prepared for the world ahead. Strong financial aid and scholarship programs keep a Hartwick education affordable.
Contact: Francis Borrego
E-mail: borregof@hartwick.edu
Phone: 607-431-4465
