Penn State’s dean of college of communications accepts president role at another university
After a decade leading Penn State’s college of communications, the dean is leaving to be the president of a small, private university in Connecticut.
Leaders at Quinnipiac University, in Hamden, Connecticut, announced Thursday they selected Marie Hardin as the university’s 10th president, effective July 1. She has been the dean of the Penn State Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications since 2014 and a member of the Penn State faculty since 2003.
Hardin will continue to serve as dean through the spring semester, Penn State said in a news release. Associate Dean Denise Bortree will serve as interim dean beginning June 15 and the university will conduct a national search for the next dean.
Hardin said she has been “fortunate beyond words” to serve as the Bellisario College dean.
“My role has been supporter, champion, facilitator and ambassador for the work of a standout group of faculty and staff, who have helped scores of students succeed and pursue their dreams. When I leave this summer, the memories of that generosity, collegiality and dedication will propel me forward,” Hardin said in the release.
In a release from Quinnipiac, its board of trustees Chairman Chuck Saia and chair of the search committee, said Hardin was a “perfect match.”
“Quinnipiac University has always been ambitious in its vision. We sought an innovative leader who is energized by the opportunity to continue the university’s upward momentum and impact in higher education,” Saia said. “Quinnipiac found the perfect match in Dr. Hardin, whose background positions her as an astute and forward-looking leader for Quinnipiac’s future.”
Hardin succeeds Judy Olian, who has been president of Quinnipiac since 2018.
The Bellisario College is the largest accredited mass communications program in the country, the release states, and Hardin helped strengthen its reputation for high-quality education, expand its impact in interdisciplinary research and its outreach. She has served on many university-wide committees and holds many leadership positions in the journalism and mass communications industries.
But one of the “most public moves” she made in her tenure was leading the Bellisario College’s rebranding in 2017 after securing a $30 million gift from Penn State alumnus Donald P. Bellisario, the release states. The university committed $45 million to support her vision for a new media center. It opened in 2020.
“For the first time in the history of the Bellisario College, the media center brought all departments and majors together to fulfill its mission to prepare the next generation of digital storytellers and industry leaders. The Bellisario College offers some of the largest majors at the University, and it maintains consistently robust graduation rates,” the release states. “Since Hardin became dean, revenue generated through online degree programs has more than tripled, and its annual research expenditures have increased more than four-fold, along with its external support for research.”
Tracy Langkilde, interim executive vice president and provost, spoke highly of Hardin’s leadership and dedication to Penn State.
“Dean Hardin has provided more than two decades of exemplary leadership and service to both the Bellisario College and the wider Penn State community,” Langkilde said in the release. “Her strategic leadership and dedication to the University have provided an example that permeates Penn State and has built an exceptional reputation for the college at Penn State and far beyond. She has positioned the Bellisario College for continuing success going forward.”
Hardin started as an assistant professor at Penn State in 2003 and continued to climb the ladder throughout her time at the university. Before Penn State, she taught at Florida Southern College and the State University of West Georgia. She earned her doctoral degree in 1998 from the University of Georgia.
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