Misericordia University names new president

DALLAS TWP. — Misericordia University has appointed Daniel J. Myers as the school’s next president, beginning July 1. Myers is currently working as professor and acting chair of sociology at American University in Washington, D.C.

‘“Dr. Myers brings extensive experience in the areas of planning, new program development, community engagement, faculty development, enrollment management, fundraising, and diversity and inclusion,” Board of Trustees Chair Deborah Smith-Mileski said in a media release Tuesday morning. “His strategic vision and administrative experience will serve this university well into the next century.”

Myers has a bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s in higher education and student affairs from Ohio State University. He completed a second masters and went on to earn a doctorate in sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

According to the release, Myers “is a well-known expert in the study of collective behavior and social movements,” and has published books and articles “primarily focused on “protest and unrest, the diffusion of social phenomena, social psychology, and urban politics.”

His career in higher education includes serving as provost at American University and at Marquette University in Milwaukee. He spent 17 years at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, in multiple roles, including vice president and associate provost for faculty affairs, associate dean int he college of arts and letters, and chair of the department of sociology. At the Kroc Institute for International Peace, Myers served as director of faculty development. He founded and directed the Center for the Study of Social Movements.

““I am tremendously excited to join the Misericordia community and contribute to the wonderful work done by this engaged community,” Myers said in the release. “I want to thank the search committee, the board of trustees, and all of the faculty, staff, and students who participated in the interview process. Their testimony about the commitment to the charisms and mission of Misericordia were powerful, meaningful, and resonated deeply with me.”

Myers will replace Kathleen Owens, who came out of retirement to serve as an interim president this school year while the trustees conducted a search for a permanent replacement of Thomas Botzman, who left the post as Misericordia president to accept the same position at the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio, last June.