James H. Mullen, Jr. became Hartwick’s interim president on December 16, 2023, bringing over 21 years as a college and university president and 30 years of experience in public and private higher education leadership positions to Hartwick College.

Most recently, Mullen served as transitional president of Saint John’s University, where he helped guide the university and the College of Saint Benedict in the implementation of a new model of governance between the two institutions.

Before Saint John’s, Mullen served for 11 years as the president of Allegheny College. Prior leadership roles include as chancellor of the University of North Carolina Asheville and president of the College of Our Lady of the Elms.

Mullen is already familiar with Hartwick’s mission, having served in 2019 as the external liaison in the College’s successful re-accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

He has held leadership positions in major national organizations representing higher education, including as chair of the Board of the American Council on Education, chair of the Board of the Great Lakes Colleges Association, and as a member of the Board of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Mullen served as chair of the Board of Directors of Project Pericles and continues to serve on the board.

Following his retirement from Allegheny, Mullen was invited to be the president-in-residence at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he brought his extensive experience to a seminar for graduate students hoping to pursue leadership roles in higher education.

Mullen received his bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross, his master’s degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and his doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.