Muhlenberg College President Kathleen Harring, the college’s 13th president and the first woman to hold the position, will retire at the end of the 2026-27 school year, the college announced Wednesday.
“On behalf of the board of trustees, I thank Kathy for her service and leadership,” said Dr. Lance Bruck, chair of Muhlenberg’s board, in a news release. “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.”
After being notified of Harring’s impending retirement at its May meeting, the board launched a search for the next college president. Before Harring assumed that role, first as interim in 2019 and then permanently in June 2020, she served in various leadership positions including provost, vice president and dean of institutional effectiveness and planning, and dean of institutional assessment and academic planning.
She joined the Muhlenberg faculty in 1984. Her own postgraduate education includes a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Franklin and Marshall College and a master’s and doctorate in social psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Among the notable moments of Harring’s tenure as president, the news release highlighted the college’s 175th anniversary milestone in April 2023 and the June 2025 completion of a fundraising campaign that generated more than $127 million. The college constructed a new softball field, partnered with Allentown to redevelop Bicentennial Park for use by the college baseball team, expanded its student center, and developed the Fahy Commons for Public Engagement and Innovation.
Harring’s accomplishments also encompass 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 wrestling as the college’s 23rd varsity sport and championship runs by several of the college’s teams, notably football and softball,” the news release states.
Work done to improve access for students from low- and moderate-income households also earned the college “High Flyer” status as designated by Bloomberg Philanthropies in recognition of progress made toward meeting goals under the American Talent Initiative, the news release states.
Located in Allentown, Muhlenberg was founded in 1848 and enrolls nearly 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
“We have much work to do over the next 12 months as we move forward with the college’s strategic planning process,” Harring said in the release. “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.”