Santa Clara University names first layperson, first woman as its president

ST. PAUL, MINN. — Julie Sullivan, president of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, has been named president of Santa Clara University, a Jesuit-run university near San Francisco, where she will be the school's first layperson and first woman president.

"This is a historic moment for Santa Clara University," said Larry Sonsini, chair of the school's board of trustees, in a March 1 announcement.

He described Sullivan, who begins her new position July 1, as a "proven leader and faithful servant ideally suited to lead Santa Clara University in our pursuit of a more humane, a more just, and a more sustainable world."

Sonsini said Sullivan's extensive higher education leadership experience spanning more than three decades "brings strong academic and financial credentials to Santa Clara University," but he also stressed that she is a "person of demonstrated faith who has dedicated much of her career to service rooted in justice and care for the whole person."

In an email to the St. Thomas community, Sullivan, 65, said her decision to leave was a difficult one that she spent a long time discerning and praying about. She cited personal reasons that swayed the move including that her husband, Bob, is in California and she has adult children and four grandsons who live near Santa Clara.

"I yearn to be a more present grandmother to them, more than holidays and via FaceTime," she wrote. "Yet, I will miss you — my cherished colleagues and friends — very much. You are a strong community of passionate people who care very much about each other and our students."

Sullivan also was the first layperson and first woman president of the University of St. Thomas; she has held the post since 2013. She previously served as executive vice president and provost at the University of San Diego after teaching at the University of California-San Diego and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

She holds a bachelor's degree in accounting, a master's degree in taxation and a doctorate in business from the University of Florida.

Sullivan's biography on St. Thomas' website describes her as a "visionary academic leader (and) a champion for social innovation" who is a "passionate champion for the tenets of Catholic social teaching, including creating opportunity and economic inclusion through education, dismantling racism and building belonging, and promoting environmental sustainability."

St. Thomas' board of trustees appointed Rob Vischer, dean of its law school, to serve as interim president beginning June 1. The board plans to launch a national search for the university's next president.

Pat Ryan, chair of St. Thomas' board of trustees, said in a March 1 statement that Sullivan has been a beloved and inspirational leader who succeeded in elevating St. Thomas, building a team of strong leaders, and implementing several transformational priorities during her tenure."

Under Sullivan's leadership, St. Thomas created the Dougherty Family College, a two-year college based on its Minneapolis campus; launched the Morrison Family College of Health with a new nursing school; launched the Center for Common Good; opened the Center for Well-Being to address students' mental health needs; established a new undergraduate core curriculum; raised $100 million in scholarships; and built several new campus buildings.