Carlow University president set to retire at school year's end

Carlow University President Suzanna Mellon will retire at the end of the academic year, according to an announcement made at Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting.

Mellon, 69, came to the university in 2013.

The former executive vice president of St. Anselm College in New Hampshire was Carlow’s 10^th president. In a statement, she called her time in Pittsburgh a tremendous honor.

“It is, and has always been for me, about the students and ensuring that we provide a values-based excellent education, access to those who have the goal of higher education, and prepare them for a world where they lead and, in turn, commit to serving their community,” Mellon said.

Mellon served on a number of boards across the region, according to the university: the Pittsburgh branch of the Federal Reserve Board of Cleveland, the Economy League Board of the Allegheny Conference and the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education.

She praised the region for its strong support of and ties to the education community.

“These relationships enable partnerships that benefit both students and employers,” Mellon said. “It has been gratifying to be in a region where leaders work together in collaborative ways. It benefits the universities and the regional workforce we fuel.”

The university will partner with an executive search firm to begin the process of hiring the next president.

“The entire Carlow University Board of Trustees shares my deep gratitude to President Mellon for her strong leadership over the past eight years,” Dorothy Davis, chair of the board, said in a statement. “Her presidency has been transformative for the University, particularly regarding her commitment to academic excellence and innovative approaches to regional partnership.”