Ursinus University in Collegeville is excited to announce its new 19th President, Robyn Hannigan. She is now entrusted to lead a historic liberal arts college where asking questions and finding answers are a way of life.

“Ursinus’s values are what drew my attention,” says Hannigan, who will begin her presidency on July 1, 2022. “My interests are the same. I certainly appreciate the process of problem-solving, of having the opportunity to think differently, to experiment when it is combined with opportunity. I like doing a lot of imagining.”

Coming to Collegeville later this semester with Robyn is her 11-year-old daughter Cami, husband Alan Christian, as well as three playful dogs.

“I’m going to work hard to make sure Cami sees a woman leader who understands the complexities of making difficult decisions and of balancing personal and professional workloads,” she says. “I want her to see in me a leader who is sensitive to the realities of others. Being a working mother keeps me mindful and grounded, open to the real, lived experiences of our students, and seeing all of who they are.”

In some ways, it reflects her own path. She is of mixed heritage and speaks candidly about a family that was frequently on the move, living at various locations across the northeast with limited economic means. Hannigan was a first-generation student herself when she entered The College of New Jersey. She is a descendant of a Narragansett Indian Tribe that lives by the anthem, “Everyone is my brother.”

“I think we can overcome so much if we make an effort to listen,” Hannigan says. “The truth is, students are coming to me with multiple layers that I don’t understand. I have those layers, too—we all do. Those different lived experiences impact our world views, academic pursuits, and the way we talk and interact with one another. We need to work harder to hear those personal stories.”

One of the many goals Hannigan wants to pursue at Ursinus is expanding opportunity, especially for students throughout the region, within the college’s next strategic plan, Every Student’s Success, which will be one of the very first things she shepherds in this new presidency.

“As we take stock of the divisive world around us and many of the challenges that we face, it’s important to remember that while we are living during a time that will test our resolve, we also have an opportunity to inspire. Liberal arts colleges like ours are charting new pathways towards the common good. There is no better place than Ursinus to work toward that goal.”

Robyn is taking over from Jill Leauber Marsteller, who is the Interim President after outgoing President Brock Blomberg left to become President of the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Robyn is the first in a series of Ursinus women they will highlight throughout #WomensHistoryMonth. Visit here to learn more about her path to Ursinus.