Dr. Hardin, a distinguished academic leader, dean and professor, comes to us from The Pennsylvania State University, where she has served as the dean of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications since 2014. Under her leadership, the Bellisario College has bolstered its reputation for high-quality undergraduate and graduate education, broadened its impact in interdisciplinary research and expanded its outreach. Notably, she led the college’s rebranding in 2017 after attracting a $30 million naming gift from alumnus Donald P. Bellisario and university support for a new media center that opened in 2020. The college’s endowment has more than tripled and total gifts to the college increased more than 50 percent in the past three years.

We are confident that Dr. Hardin’s innovative vision and commitment to excellence will continue the upward momentum that Quinnipiac has enjoyed under President Judy Olian’s leadership. President Olian has been an exceptional leader, and we are grateful for her dedication and contributions throughout the past seven years. She has enthusiastically supported Dr. Hardin’s selection and looks forward to supporting her fully as she transitions into the presidency.

Dr. Hardin’s appointment follows a comprehensive search process that included input from various constituencies across our university. Her extensive experience in academic leadership, her commitment to student success and her passion for innovation make her the perfect fit for Quinnipiac’s future. She has been active across Penn State, helping lead university-wide initiatives including the redesign of Penn State’s budget allocation model and its COVID classroom response. She has twice been elected to lead Penn State’s Academic Leadership Council, representing all deans and chancellors across the Penn State system.

Dr. Hardin is an award-winning teacher and scholar with more than 60 publications in sports media, gender studies and communication. She is co-editor of two books and a book series and co-edits the Sage journal, “Communication & Sport,” a leading title in the field.

In 2013, the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication named her a distinguished alumni scholar. She served as president of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication in 2019, and chairs the national committee for the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and the Hearst Foundations Journalism Awards Steering Committee.

A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Hardin said she was “immediately drawn to Quinnipiac University’s comprehensive programs and its equally comprehensive mission, focusing on career-readiness in an inclusive community that prizes lifelong learning.” She finds Quinnipiac’s “values-driven approach, outstanding leadership and commitment to student success” inspiring and motivating.

Please join me in welcoming our newest Bobcat and future QU president, Dr. Marie Hardin, to our community. We look forward to her leadership and the continued growth and success of Quinnipiac University. With President Olian’s dedicated support, we will ensure it is a seamless transition that continues the university’s current inspiring trajectory.

Be well,

Chuck Saia

Chairman of the QU Board of Trustees and Presidential Search Committee Chair, on behalf of the Board of Trustees and Presidential Search Committee

Search Committee Members:

• Chuck Saia ’91, MBA ’94, Chairman, QU Trustee since 2019

• John C. Abella ’83, Vice Chairman, QU Trustee since 2010

• Jeanna M. Doherty ’94, QU Trustee since 2024, Alumni Representative since 2021

• Carlton L. Highsmith Vice Chairman, QU Trustee since 2004

• Marybeth L. Noonan ’82, QU Trustee since 2014

• William C. Weldon ’71, QU Trustee since 1999, Chairman 2016-2020