Gwynedd Mercy University names new president

Deanne Horner D’Emilio, JD, was recently named as Gwynned Mercy University’s sixth President. D’Emilio will begin her appointment as President and Professor of Management on Aug. 1. D’Emilio, who received the unanimous consent of Gwynedd Mercy University’s Board of Trustees, will succeed Kathleen Owens, PhD, who will step down on July 31, after serving as the University’s President for the past 15 years. D’Emilio comes to Gwynedd Mercy University from Carlow University in Pittsburgh, where she has served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. As the chief academic officer and second in command to the president, she was responsible for three colleges, four deans, the early learning center, campus preK-8 school, as well as academic affairs, advising, student learning, Honors, General Education, and other key centers and programs. D’Emilio joined Carlow, which is also a Mercy-sponsored institution, in 2013 as Dean of the School of Management and Dean of the Graduate School. Speaking on behalf of the Board of Trustees, Chairperson Nancy Dunleavy said, “Deanne D’Emilio’s experience as an academic leader who has worked in Mercy institutions for nearly two decades makes her an excellent choice to serve as the next President of Gwynedd Mercy University. She brings outstanding experience with program growth and development, strategic planning and program prioritization, accreditation, and assessment that will benefit the University as it faces the future. Her commitment to the ethos and value of Mercy will ensure that the mission of Gwynedd Mercy University remains strong and vibrant.” Prior to arriving at Carlow, D’Emilio spent 15 years in faculty and administrative roles at Mount Aloysius College in Cresson, Pa., another of the 16 Mercy-sponsored institutions of higher education. At Mount Aloysius, D’Emilio developed and chaired the Legal Studies program and served as Associate Academic Dean and Division Chair of Humanities, Social Science, and Professional Studies, the College’s largest academic division. “I am deeply honored and thrilled to be chosen as the sixth President of Gwynedd Mercy University,” said D’Emilio. “Gwynedd Mercy University is known for its academic excellence exemplified by a commitment to an education grounded in the liberal arts with an emphasis on the development of professional competency and an ethic of service in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy. These strong values are exactly what are needed in higher education and in the world today. I look forward to working with the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, and students to build on this rich heritage and I thank the entire Gwynedd Mercy University community for the confidence that they’ve placed in me.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO Deanne Horner D’Emilio