RMU names first female president

MOON TWP. ‒ After serving six years as the dean of the RMU School of Business, Michelle L. Patrick has a new title at Robert Morris University: President.

Patrick was named the ninth president in school history and will become the first woman to serve permanently in the position according to a press release from the university. She becomes RMU's president effective immediately.

“I am truly honored to be chosen as the ninth president of Robert Morris University. Although RMU has a beautiful campus and state-of-the-art facilities, it is the students, alumni, faculty, staff and board of trustees that make RMU such a special place,” Patrick said in a statement. “It is the passionate dedication of these groups that ensures ongoing student success.”

She had previously served as the interim president since April, taking over the role following the retirement of then-Interim President and Provost Mary Ann Rafoth. Former President Chris Howard departed in February for a leadership role at Arizona State University.

During her tenure as the interim president, Patrick emphasized the importance of organizational culture and providing excellent service to students, efforts she pledged to prioritize as the university’s ninth president, according to the release.

“After a thorough and complete search process that included broad representation from our university community, we are confident we have the perfect leader who embraces the values and mission of RMU and its rich, successful history — but also has a powerful vision of what the future of RMU can become for our region’s future leaders,” Morgan O’Brien, ’82 M’85, chair of the RMU Board of Trustees, said in the press release announcing her hiring.

“The selection of Dr. Michelle Patrick as Robert Morris University’s ninth president and first female president will provide the university with the leadership necessary to continue to empower our students to thrive and our community to benefit from an institution that is ‘Big enough to matter, small enough to care,’” said Carrie Coghill, ’08, chair of the Presidential Search Committee of the RMU Board of Trustees, and the board’s vice chairwoman, in the press release.

Prior to joining RMU, Patrick served as dean of the College of Business and Public Management at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She earned a B.S. in marketing and an MBA from Youngstown State University, and a Ph.D. in marketing from Kent State University. Patrick and her husband, Ron, live in Sewickley.

“I look forward to leading RMU – which just celebrated its 100th anniversary – and working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure that RMU continues to thrive into the next 100 years and beyond,” Patrick said.

Contact Joshua Carney at jcarney@gannett.com or 724-681-9136. Follow Joshua on Twitter: @ByJoshCarney

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Robert Morris University names Michelle Patrick new president