Patricia Lynott has been named the nineteenth president of Rockford University in Illinois. She has served as the university’s interim president since December 2022.
Rockford University enrolls about 1,000 undergraduate and 200 graduate students. Women represent 54 percent of the undergraduate student body.
Dr. Lynott has over three decades of experience in higher education, including both academic and administrative leadership positions. She served as the vice president of academic affairs and provost of Southern New Hampshire University, and later as president of the school’s University College. Earlier in her career, she spent 14 years with Elmhurst College in Illinois, serving as an associate professor of communication and dean of graduate and continuing education. She was also the founding director of Elmhurst Partners, the college’s corporate training division.
“I am honored and excited to continue serving as president of Rockford University,” said Dr. Lynott. “I am committed to advancing the university’s mission of educating people to lead responsible lives by means of a curriculum grounded in liberal arts learning and complemented and extended by professional and practical experience, and I look forward to working with our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners to ensure that Rockford University remains a place of excellence, innovation, and opportunity for all.”
Dr. Lynott holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, a master’s degree in communication from Northern Illinois University, and a Ph.D. in higher education from Loyola University in Chicago.