Marie Hardin has been named the tenth president of Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. She will assume her presidency on July 1, following the resignation of current president Judy Olian.
According to the United States Department of Education, Quinnipiac University enrolls about 6,200 undergraduate and 2,700 graduate students. Women represent 61 percent of the undergraduate population.
For the past decade, Dr. Hardin has served as dean of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Pennsylvania State University. Under her leadership, the college experienced a successful rebranding, exceeded several fundraising goals, and expanded its academic and research opportunities. Since taking on her current role, the college has become one of Penn State’s highest revenue-generating colleges and it has one of the highest four-year graduation rates on campus.
Dr. Hardin has held several roles with Penn State throughout her 22 years on the faculty, including director of the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication, associate director for research for the Curley Center for Sports Journalism, and director of the Center for Editing Excellence. In her scholarly work, she focuses on issues of diversity, ethics, and professionalism in sports journalism. She is active within the broader field of communication, including a former stint as president of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
“Quinnipiac is truly a values-drive institution, with outstanding leadership and a faculty and staff who are committed to student success,” said Dr. Hardin. “I find that inspiring and motivating. It’s also a university that isn’t afraid to innovate. I love the energy, collaborative spirit, and work ethic that define QU.”
Dr. Hardin is a graduate of Ambassador University in Pasadena, California, where she majored in theology with a minor in mass communication. She holds a master’s degree in communication from Georgia State University and a Ph.D. in mass communication from the University of Georgia.