Allegheny College names Ron Cole as 23rd president, extends his contract 5 years
MEADVILLE — Allegheny College President Ron Cole officially is the college's 23rd president, and will be for five more years.
College trustees have unanimously approved a five-year contract for Cole and to name him as Allegheny's 23rd president. Cole was named interim president in September and then president in a short-term agreement. He's finishing his first academic year on the job.
Trustees commended Cole's leadership and strategic planning for the college and said that their vote followed discussions with both campus and community leaders.
"He is an inspirational and empathetic leader who is well-respected by the campus and broader Meadville communities," Steve Levinsky, chairman of Allegheny's Board of Trustees, said in a statement. "Dr. Cole has brought the campus together through his leadership, he is passionate about Allegheny College and our students, and brings an innovative approach to the presidential position."
In Cole's first year as president, he has had a "steadfast" focus on the student experience in and beyond the classroom and the college has begun inclusive strategic planning, trustees said.
The college this past year additionally received gifts totaling more than $19 million, the highest amount of donor support in its history. The money will fund student scholarships and retention grants, athletics, infrastructure improvements, faculty-led student research, ad diversity and inclusion programming.
Cole is a Brooklyn, New York, native and 1987 Allegheny graduate. He previously was the college's provost and dean for seven years and a member of the college's geology department faculty for 20 years.
Cole also is a nationally recognized speaker on campus leadership, transformational change, community-engaged learning, and the value of the liberal arts. He was the recipient of the Council of Independent Colleges Chief Academic Officer Award in 2021.
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In Meadville, Cole serves on the corporate boards of Meadville Medical Center and the Economic Progress Alliance of Crawford County. He also served on the Meadville Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Fund board, has played violin with the Allegheny College Civic Symphony and, as a certified martial arts instructor, has taught classes for youths and adults at Meadville's American Black Belt Academy.
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"Allegheny College is an incredibly special place and I am honored by the opportunity to lead this great institution," Cole said in a statement. "Allegheny has a long history of being an institution that makes a difference in the lives of students and preparing graduates for strong outcomes as evidenced by our highly engaged and successful alumni."
Cole succeeds Hilary Link as Allegheny College president. Link left the job for "personal and professional reasons" in September. She had been college president since July 2019.
Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Allegheny College names Ron Cole as 23rd president
