Mary H. Van Brunt has been chosen as the 39th president of Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. When she takes office in January, Dr. Van Brunt will be the first woman to lead the college in its nearly 200-year history.
“I am delighted to have been chosen to lead Spring Hill College,” said Dr. Van Brunt. “I look forward to connecting with the Spring Hill community and carrying out the centuries-old Jesuit tradition of caring for the intellectual, spiritual, and social growth of our future servant leaders. The mission coupled with the liberal arts education resonates with me and aligns with my Catholic faith and personal values.”
Founded in 1830, Spring Hill College is the oldest Catholic college in the Southeast and the third oldest Jesuit college in the United States. In the fall of 2020, the college enrolled just under 1,000 undergraduate students and just over 100 graduate students. Women make up 59 percent of the undergraduate student body.
Since 2018, Dr. Van Brunt served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Gwynedd Mercy University in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania. Earlier, she was the founding dean of the School of Business, Arts, and Media at Cabrini University in Radnor, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Van Brunt earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. She holds an MBA in accounting from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and a Ph.D. in economics from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.