The Investiture of Ann Marie Fallon, PhD
The Trustees of the University of Saint Mary request the honor of your presence at the Investiture of its tenth president.
November 10, 2026
3:30 p.m. | Annunciation Chapel
4100 South Fourth Street
Leavenworth, KS 66048
The Investiture Ceremony will begin with the Mass of the Holy Spirit, celebrated by the Most Reverend Shawn McKnight, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
A reception will immediately follow in Saint Joseph Dining Hall.
About Ann Marie Fallon, PhD
Professional Background
Dr. Fallon most recently served as Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, N.Y.—an independent liberal arts institution in the Catholic tradition of American higher education of over 3,500 students. She has held the role of Dean at Fisher since 2017.
Her previous positions include two years as provost at Marylhurst University in Oregon and director of the University Honors College at Portland State University.
During her time at Fisher, she co-chaired a committee that re-worked the institution's
core curriculum, launched a new Honors Program, emphasized student research, and oversaw
the creation of several new graduate and undergraduate programs.
Other highlights of her academic career include roles as a professor of Humanities
and International Studies, Sustainability in the Humanities Scholar, and Fulbright
Junior Lecturer in American Studies at the University of Trier, Germany. She has authored
three books and 15 articles and chapters on topics ranging from comparative literature
to the public humanities.
Personal Life
Dr. Fallon grew up on a tree farm in Oregon and a suburb just outside Portland.
When she was 16 she was a Rotary exchange student and spent a year in Jimenez, Mexico where she learned Spanish, took courses in health and literature and had a chance to travel around the country. She even joined a folkloric dancing troupe.
She took a greyhound bus across the country from Oregon to Pennsylvania where she graduated from Swarthmore College outside Philadelphia and then pursued her PhD at the University of Virginia.
President Fallon has two daughters and two stepchildren and is married to Francis Kayiwa. She loves to read, travel, write, meet people, and is always learning.
Other Investiture Week Events
Founders’ Day Choir Concert
November 8 | 3 p.m.
Annunciation Chapel
Veterans Pinning Ceremony & Lunch
November 9 | Noon
Walnut Room
USM Academic Program Showcase
November 10 | TBA
Multiple Locations on Campus
Leavenworth Veterans Day Parade
November 11 | 10:30 a.m.
Downtown Leavenworth
Founders’ Day Celebration
November 11 | Noon
Main Campus Circle
SpireTalks with Dr. Rick Silvey
November 12 | 7 p.m.
Xavier Theatre
Questions?
Contact Data and Donor Relations Manager Reid Samuel at reid.samuel@stmary.edu or 913-758-4328.