Office of the President

Lynn Ortale, PhD, was appointed as president of Maria College on July 1, 2022. 

Dr. Ortale comes to Maria College with more than three decades of experience in higher education administration in the context of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. For the 13 years prior to her role at Maria College, she served as Vice President for Student Life at Chestnut Hill College in Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph.  She was also an adjunct faculty in DeSales University’s higher education administration graduate program in Center Valley, Pennsylvania.

A mission-driven and student-focused leader, Dr. Ortale has demonstrated success in the personal and academic development of students at small colleges that offer career-relevant experiences, similar to Maria. Her career has been a commitment to assisting underserved and diverse populations while enhancing student life and co-curricular opportunities to strengthen the learning communities she led. 

Some of Dr. Ortale’s notable career accomplishments include:

  • As Vice President for Student Life at Chestnut Hill, she provided leadership and vision for the Division of Student Life and Athletics where she led strategic planning and assessment, managed student behavioral and psychological interventions and guided the facilities team through ever-evolving COVID-19 guidance and protocols.
  • As Dean of Students at Chestnut Hill, she enhanced existing infrastructure to support student academic success and personal development.
  • As Assistant Vice President for Campus Life at Saint Joseph’s University, she provided leadership for Campus Life including the expansion of student leadership opportunities while increasing student involvement.

In addition to her administrative and teaching experience, Dr. Ortale is an active and national professional speaker, having delivered more than 60 presentations to various national associations on myriad topics such as student suicide prevention, leadership development, neurodiversity and learning differences.

Additionally, she is an accreditation evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), a role that brought her to Maria College’s campus back in 2019.

Dr. Ortale completed a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration at the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Education at the University of Vermont, and a Bachelor of Arts in English at St. Michael’s College, Colchester, Vermont. She credits her successful leadership to the exceptional and dynamic group of faculty and staff she has the privilege to work with who are committed to nurturing student success by providing resources and transformative experiences to promote students’ personal and academic growth.