(Leavenworth, Kansas) – Following a nationwide search, the University of Saint Mary announces the appointment of Dr. Ann Marie Fallon as the institution's 10th president. Dr. Fallon comes to USM with over 15 years of higher education leadership experience – the last 11 of which were at Catholic institutions.
 
Dr. Fallon's tenure at the helm of Saint Mary will officially begin in July. She will succeed Sister Diane Steele, Ph.D., who has led USM for 25 years and last summer announced her intentions to step down at the close of the current academic year.
 
Currently serving 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—Dr. Fallon takes the helm of USM with the goal of continuing the institution's growth trajectory. Over the past two decades, USM's enrollment has roughly doubled, the university has expanded its focus on health care education programs and its doctoral offerings, and the historic Saint Mary campus has seen notable building additions.
 
"Dr. Fallon is a passionate advocate for Catholic higher education," said Dr. Tes Mehring, chair of the University's Board of Trustees. "Her experience has prepared her well to continue the University of Saint Mary focus as a liberal arts institution. The Board of Trustees will look forward to active engagement with Dr. Fallon as we continue to promote the USM mission of educating students of diverse backgrounds to realize their God-given potential preparing them for value-centered lives and careers that contribute to the well being of our global society."
 
Dr. Fallon said, "It is an honor and a profound privilege to be asked to serve as the President of the University of Saint Mary. I am deeply inspired by the university's time-honored mission and core values of community, justice, respect, and excellence. As we move forward together, I am committed to upholding these values in everything we do.
 
"My goal is to ensure that the University of Saint Mary remains a place where students are challenged academically and encouraged to lead with integrity, serve with purpose, and live with heart. I am eager to work alongside our students, faculty, staff, alumni and dedicated Board of Trustees to build upon our rich history and continue shaping the leaders our world so desperately needs."
 
Dr. Fallon has held the role of Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences 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.
 
Sister Eileen Haynes, community director of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth—USM's founders and sponsors—said she was pleased to welcome Dr. Fallon as the university's 10th president.
 
"Dr. Fallon possesses the Vincentian charism in recognizing the call to provide transformative education through a Catholic, liberal arts approach while strengthening USM’s faith community through justice, service, and collaboration in Leavenworth and beyond," she said.
 
Plans for Dr. Fallon's formal installation will be announced later this spring.

 The University of Saint Mary is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The University of Saint Mary main campus is located at 4100 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kan. USM-Johnson County, at 11221 Roe Ave., offers evening accelerated graduate and undergraduate degree-completion programs. The university also offers online programs. Visit stmary.edu for more information