Meghan Barnard has been named the seventh president of Jessup University in Rocklin, California. She officially became the university’s first woman president on July 1.
Founded in 1939 as San Jose Bible College, the school was renamed Jessup University in 2003. According to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education, Jessup University enrolls about 1,300 undergraduates, 55 percent of whom are women. The university also has a graduate population of more than 500 students.
Prior to her historic presidency, Dr. Barnard served five years as provost and senior vice president at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida, where she taught as a professor of business and leadership for nearly a decade. Before joining the Southeastern faculty, Dr. Barnard was an associate professor of management and department chair at Daytona State College in Florida. Earlier, she was director of student services at Palm Beach Atlantic University in Orlando, Florida.
“It’s an exciting time at Jessup University. I believe there are incredible opportunities for kingdom advancement and growth. I am humbled to be called by God to join the committed, hardworking, talented community already positioning Jessup so well for its future,” said Dr. Barnard. “The future of Jessup University is written in the lives and achievements of our students. It is an honor to ensure every student has the opportunity, resources, and encouragement to succeed, both in the classroom and beyond.”
Dr. Barnard is a magna cum laude graduate of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, where she majored in English. She holds an MBA from Palm Beach Atlantic University and a Ph.D. in texts and technology from the University of Central Florida.