Muhlenberg’s 13th president will retire after 43 years, eight of them at the college’s helm
In a July 8 message to the Muhlenberg College community, Muhlenberg College President Kathleen E. Harring, Ph.D. announced that she will retire at the end of the 2026-2027 academic year. Harring is the college’s 13th president and the first woman to serve in the role.
“It has been an honor to serve as the 13th President of Muhlenberg College,” Harring said. “Leading this great institution is truly a privilege, and I am proud of all we have achieved together.”
Harring notified the college’s Board of Trustees of her decision at its May 2026 meeting. Shortly after Harring’s public announcement, the trustees indicated they would launch a search for Muhlenberg’s 14th president immediately. Harring noted that she “wanted to inform the college community now so that the Board of Trustees has time to plan for a smooth leadership transition.”
“On behalf of the board of trustees, I thank Kathy for her service and leadership,” said Lance Bruck, M.D. ’89 P’21, chair of Muhlenberg’s board. “Her dedication to academic excellence, the well-being of our students, and sustaining the institution’s success always has guided her decisions. We look forward to working with her during her final year as president and to wishing her a well-deserved retirement.”
Under Harring’s leadership, the college received numerous accolades, including recognition for the return on investment in a Muhlenberg degree, post-graduate outcomes, impact on social mobility, and commitment to civic engagement. In April 2023 the college celebrated its 175th anniversary and, in June 2025, it completed its most recent comprehensive campaign, generating more than $127 million in philanthropy. Other recognitions include “High Flyer” status, conferred by Bloomberg Philanthropies for the college’s success in meeting goals under the American Talent Initiative, a consortium of top colleges and universities with commitments to providing access to students from low- and moderate-income households.
Assuming the presidency in June 2020 after serving as interim president since 2019, Harring and the college have navigated uncharted waters, including the global pandemic and political turmoil that has brought rapid change to higher education. She has overseen the launch of a number of student-focused innovations, including Muhlenberg’s innovative personal coaching program, a new academic curriculum requiring enhanced experiential learning, and an expansion of Muhlenberg’s offerings in graduate and continuing education. She oversaw the adoption of women’s wresting and championship runs by several of the college’s teams, notably football and softball.
Her tenure also brought change to Muhlenberg’s physical footprint, including the construction of the college’s new on-campus softball field and a partnership with the city of Allentown to redevelop Bicentennial Park, on the city’s south side, to NCAA standards for use by the college’s baseball team. The Fahy Commons for Public Engagement and Innovation, one of the world’s most sustainable buildings, also took shape under her leadership as did a major expansion to the college’s student center, Seegers Union.
Prior to her presidency, Harring served in numerous leadership positions at Muhlenberg including provost, vice president and dean of institutional effectiveness and planning, and dean of institutional assessment and academic planning. She has spent the entirety of her professional career at Muhlenberg, having joined the faculty in 1984.
Harring earned her B.A. in psychology from Franklin and Marshall College and her M.A. and Ph.D. in social psychology with a minor in quantitative psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“We have much work to do over the next 12 months as we move forward with the college’s strategic planning process,” she said. “I am committed to giving my full time and effort to ensure that Muhlenberg is poised for success for its next 178 years and to working with each of you to strengthen our great institution.”