Hamline University has announced that Dr. Kathleen Murray will be succeeding Fayneese Miller as the 21st president of the liberal arts college, beginning work as the Acting/Interim President on Jan. 1, 2024. This announcement came to the student body via an email from Ellen Watters, chair of the Board of Trustees the morning of Nov. 1, 2023.
Murray retired just last year from her role as the 14th president—and first female president—of Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., from 2015-2022. Before Whitman, she was the provost and dean of the faculty at Macalester College from 2008-2015, and prior to that, she filled key leadership positions at both Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama and Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. Throughout her career, Murray has also worked as a professor of music and currently holds a doctoral degree in music from Northwestern University with a focus on piano performance and pedagogy.
Watters said in the email release that the Board was impressed with Murray’s track record.
“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 that she will be an exceptional president,” Watters said.
Murray will step in as Miller prepares for her retirement on June 30, 2024, after eight years leading the university.