The New Leader of Marietta College in Ohio

Kathleen Poorman Dougherty was appointed interim president of Marietta College in Ohio. Since July 1, 2023, she has served as provost and dean of the faculty at the college.

Marietta College enrolls nearly 1,100 undegraduate students and under 100 graduate students, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 49 percent of the undergraduate student body.

Dr. Dougherty has worked as a faculty member, researcher, fundraiser, dean, and senior administrator. She was the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Alma College in Michigan from 2018 to 2022. Earlier, she served as the inaugural dean for the School of Humanities at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, beginning in 2013, and subsequently led the School of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education at the university until 2018. Her scholarly interests are in moral theory, specifically virtue ethics and the development of the moral self.

A native of Ashland, Ohio, Dr. Dougherty holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Oklahoma.