'Feels like we're going home,' says next Ohio Wesleyan President Matthew vandenBerg

As Ohio Wesleyan University students prepare to return for spring semester, the university on Wednesday officially announced its next president.

Matthew P. vandenBerg — currently the president of Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina — will take over as the 17th leader of Ohio Wesleyan on July 1. He will succeed Rockwell "Rock" Jones, who announced last April that he will retire at the end of the academic year, capping off 15 years at the university's helm.

"The Ohio Wesleyan University presidency is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," vandenBerg told The Dispatch.

His appointment was unanimously approved by Ohio Wesleyan's board of trustees this week.

“Ohio Wesleyan is poised for greatness,” Ohio Wesleyan Board of Trustees Chair Nicholas E. Calio said of the transition. “Under Rock’s leadership, the university has advanced in so many areas, and we are pleased to hand the baton to Matt. We are confident he will bring the vision and execution needed to help Ohio Wesleyan continue to advance and succeed in its critical mission of preparing future generations of engaged citizens and effective leaders.”

Kara J. Trott, vice chair of the Ohio Wesleyan's Board of Trustees and chair of the board's presidential search committee, said more than 100 higher education leaders applied to become OWU's next president. vandenBerg, she said, "quickly rose to the top of this very accomplished candidate pool.”

“Matt is an innovative, energetic leader who will help to build upon Ohio Wesleyan’s reputation and success, especially as the Columbus region works to transform itself into the Silicon Valley of the Midwest,” said Trott.

Innovation is vandenBerg's thing, he said.

In looking for its next president, vandenBerg said OWU was looking for someone who could help the Delaware-based liberal arts university grow and expand its influence and reach in a crowded marketplace.

"That work is my passion and my strength," he said.

vandenBerg became one of the youngest college presidents in the nation at age 40 when he began leading Presbyterian College in February 2021.

Like OWU, Presbyterian College is a private, residential, coeducational liberal arts school. Both schools offer undergraduate and graduate degrees and have comparable enrollments: more than 1,400 students attended Ohio Wesleyan this past fall and Presbyterian College had nearly 1,300 students last semester.

During his time at Presbyterian College, vanderBerg led the school through an intensive rebranding process to better distinguish itself among its peers, staking its claim as "America's innovative service college."

"In higher education, we're so good at teaching our students how to ask the right questions," he said. "We need to do the same. What sets us apart? What can't students get anywhere else? How do you marshal your resources and align them to stand out?"

"OWU has done so much hard work to prepare for this moment," vandenBerg added. "They're one of the few institutions that are truly committed to this work."

vandenBerg also helped Presbyterian College launch the nation’s largest service-based entrepreneurship case competition for high school seniors, establish a flexible study plan for students to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in some majors in three years, and create a new Division of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

vandenBerg has led a number of successful fundraising campaigns, including Presbyterian College's most productive fundraising year in the college’s history — from $9.9 million to $18.3 million — during his first full fiscal year. He also secured a $5 million donation, the largest individual gift in the college’s history.

vandenBerg previously served as vice president for advancement and external relations and as vice president for advancement at Alma College in Michigan; associate vice president for development at Albion College in Michigan, and as assistant dean for development and alumni relations at Indiana University's School of Informatics and Computing.

He has a doctorate degree in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania, a master's degree in public affairs from Indiana University, and an undergraduate degree in political science from Alma College in Michigan.

vandenBerg and his wife, Melissa, have two children, 10-year-old Jackson and 6-year-old Sylvia, and a 1-year-old Golden retriever named Penny. As born and bred Midwesterners, vandenBerg said he thinks the family has found a good fit in Delaware.

"It feels like we're going home," he said.

Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for her Mobile Newsroom newsletter here and Extra Credit, her education newsletter, here.

shendrix@dispatch.com

@sheridan120

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Wesleyan University names Matthew vandenBerg as 17th president