“Quinnipiac University has always been ambitious in its vision. We sought an innovative leader who is energized by the opportunity to continue the university’s upward momentum and impact in higher education,” said Saia, who also served as chair of the search committee and is a senior partner at Deloitte. “Quinnipiac found the perfect match in Dr. Hardin, whose background positions her as an astute and forward-looking leader for Quinnipiac’s future.”

“Under outgoing President Judy Olian’s leadership, Quinnipiac has reached unprecedented heights,” Saia said. “We are confident that Marie will continue the steep positive trajectory we have enjoyed under Judy’s leadership.”

Olian, who has served as Quinnipiac’s president since July 2018, also enthusiastically supported Hardin’s selection.

“My almost seven years at Quinnipiac have been a joy, and an opportunity of a lifetime.  I am thrilled that Marie Hardin will assume the presidency here — she has all of the qualities and experiences to continue our upward momentum and to take us further. I look forward to supporting her fully as she transitions into the presidency,” Olian said.

Hardin was recommended to the full board of trustees by a search committee of trustees that included Saia, vice chairman John Abella ’83, trustee Jeanna Doherty ’94, vice chairman Carlton Highsmith, trustee Marybeth Noonan ’82 and trustee and former board chair Bill Weldon ’71.

After the recommendation of the search committee, Hardin was unanimously approved by the full board of trustees. Her appointment comes following an extensive and rigorous search process with input from a variety of constituencies, including an advisory committee composed of representatives from across campus.

Hardin has deep and broad management and administrative expertise. She has served as dean of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State since 2014. Under her leadership, the Bellisario College — the largest accredited mass communications program in the country — has bolstered its reputation for high-quality undergraduate and graduate education, broadened its impact in interdisciplinary research and expanded its outreach.

Hardin led the Bellisario 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. Under her leadership, the college’s endowment has more than tripled, and total gifts to the college increased more than 50 percent in the past three years.

The Bellisario College offers some of the largest academic programs at the university, and its four-year graduation rate is one of the highest at Penn State. Since Hardin became dean, revenues generated through online degree programs have grown more than three-fold, and its annual research expenditures have increased more than four-fold.

Hardin 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.

She 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. Hardin served as president of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication in 2019. She chairs the national committee for the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and the Hearst Foundations Journalism Awards Steering Committee.

Hardin also has taught and advised students throughout her career, including as dean. In 2009, she was one of four Penn State faculty recipients of the university-wide George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Hardin, a first-generation college graduate, 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.

“Quinnipiac is truly a values-drive institution, with outstanding leadership and a faculty and staff who are committed to student success,” Hardin said. “I find that inspiring and motivating. It’s also a university that isn’t afraid to innovate. I love the energy, collaborative spirit, and work ethic that define QU.”

Hardin will join Quinnipiac University with her husband, Jerry Kammer, a retired Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. She is an avid runner who has completed more than 30 marathons.

Hardin earned her Ph.D. in mass communication from the University of Georgia, an M.A. in communication from Georgia State University, and a B.A. in theology from Ambassador College, Pasadena, Calif.

The search was supported by Spencer Stuart, the global search firm.