Dr. Mary Dana Hinton will be installed as Hollins University’s 13th president on Friday, April 22.
Watch the livestream of the ceremony, which will take place in Jessie Ball duPont Chapel beginning at 10 a.m.
Hinton became president of Hollins on August 1, 2020. Her achievements during her time in office include:
- Welcoming a $75 million gift from an anonymous alumna donor, the largest in Hollins’ history and the largest donation ever received by a women’s college.
- Securing almost $10 million in gifts to fund the Imagination Campaign, encompassing new programs that could be revenue-generating and sustainable. Among these initiatives is the Hollins Opportunity for Promise Through Education (HOPE) scholar program, which lifts the burden of private college tuition for area students with financial need.
- Leading the creation of a new student affairs ecosystem by transitioning the area into the Office of Student Success, Well-being, and Belonging, which will provide the care, support, and experiences necessary for students to persist and thrive at Hollins.
- Guiding the development and adaptation of a Culture of Care, which has enabled the campus to successfully navigate the COVID-19 pandemic while moving carefully forward in community.
Hinton is chair of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and chairs the AAC&U’s Presidents’ Trust. She is a member of the board of directors for Interfaith Youth Core, Saint Mary’s School, and The Teagle Foundation. She is currently serving a three-year term as an at-large board member with the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and is a member of the Lumina Foundation’s Quality Credentials Task Force.
Hinton speaks frequently in the U.S. and abroad on topics related to the liberal arts and inclusion. She teaches in the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education doctoral program in higher education management and the CIC President’s Institute New President Program.
Prior to coming to Hollins, Hinton served as president of the College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota.
“Imagining a Community of Learning, Belonging, Love, and Justice” is the theme of the inauguration celebration, which will feature a keynote address by Dr. Marjorie Hass, president of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). Hass has devoted her career to strengthening independent higher education in various leadership roles. Before becoming president of the CIC in July 2021, she served as president of Rhodes College for four years and president of Austin College for eight years.
Other highlights of this week’s inauguration include a lecture by civil rights advocate and best-selling author Valarie Kaur on Wednesday, April 20; a Performing Arts Showcase and Student Open Mic on Thursday, April 21; an Undergraduate Research Showcase on Saturday, April 23; and a celebration on Sunday, April 24, of 180 years of preparing students for lives of active learning, fulfilling work, personal growth, achievement, and service to society.
