Hamline University names new president

Hamline University on Wednesday named Dr. Kathleen M. Murray as its new president.

Murray will begin her new role as the university’s 21st president on Jan. 1. She will succeed Dr. Fayneese Miller who served as the school’s president for eight years, the university said.

According to Hamline University, Miller will begin a sabbatical on Jan. 1 before retiring on June 30.

“I am both honored and humbled by this appointment,” Murray said in a statement. “I was deeply impressed by the passion for Hamline expressed by all of the students, faculty, staff, and alums I met during the search process, and I believe we can work together to build on the university’s very strong past to prepare it to thrive into the future.”

Murray has 40 years of experience in academic and higher education leadership, the university said. She was previously the first female president at Whitman College, provost and dean of faculty at Macalester College and provost at Birmingham-Southern College. She also served as a professor of piano, dean of the conservatory and dean of faculty at Lawrence University.

“The Board of Trustees was impressed by Dr. Murray’s strong track record,” Board Chair Ellen Watters said. “She is a dynamic, action-oriented and inclusive leader with a strong commitment to strategic fiscal management, diversity, and academic program development. She values voices of students, faculty, and staff, and I am confident she will be an exceptional president.”

Dr. Murray holds a doctorate degree in music from Northwestern University, a master’s degree in music from Bowling Green State University and a bachelor’s degree in music from Illinois Wesleyan University.