ONEONTA, N.Y. — The VP for academic affairs and provost at Hartwick College in Oneonta will become the school’s 13th president in mid-2026. The college’s board of trustees on Nov. 10 said it chose Laurel Bongiorno, who will assume the presidency on July 1, 2026. Bongiorno will succeed James Mullen, Jr., who has served as […]
ONEONTA, N.Y. — The VP for academic affairs and provost at Hartwick College in Oneonta will become the school’s 13th president in mid-2026.
The college’s board of trustees on Nov. 10 said it chose Laurel Bongiorno, who will assume the presidency on July 1, 2026.
Bongiorno will succeed James Mullen, Jr., who has served as Hartwick’s interim president since 2023. Under Mullen’s leadership, Hartwick College has continued to make strides in enrollment and retention, academic program development and philanthropy, the school said.
In her current role since 2022, Bongiorno has provided overall academic leadership for Hartwick, working with the president, faculty, and senior leadership to advance institutional priorities, the college said.
Her portfolio includes the Office of Academic Affairs, the Stevens-German Library, the Student Success and Career Center, the Griffiths Center for Collaboration and Innovation, the Center for Global Education, the Pine Lake campus, the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, the Office of the Registrar, and the Yager Museum of Art and Culture, per the Hartwick announcement.
“President-elect Bongiorno is an exceptional leader whose integrity and deep understanding of the Hartwick experience make her uniquely qualified to guide the College into its next chapter,” Kathy Fallon, chair of the Hartwick College board of trustees, said in the announcement. “She has been instrumental in strengthening our academic programs, enhancing student success and advancing the innovative Life Balance College model that defines Hartwick’s future. The board is confident that under her leadership, Hartwick will continue to thrive.”
Under Bongiorno’s leadership, Hartwick has launched eight new majors and six minors; restructured academic departments; and strengthened collaborative, data-informed planning across academic affairs.
She has also enhanced budget-stewardship practices, led college-wide efforts to improve student success and retention, and “fostered a culture of shared governance and transparency through the introduction of appreciative inquiry principles,” Hartwick said.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to serve as Hartwick’s next president,” Bongiorno said. “Hartwick College is a remarkable community, defined by its commitment to students, its dedication to academic excellence and its belief that education can transform lives. I am inspired every day by the collaboration and care that define this campus. I look forward to continuing to work alongside our faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends to build on Hartwick’s strong foundation and exciting trajectory.”
Before joining Hartwick, Bongiorno spent more than two decades at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont, where she held key leadership roles, including dean of the Division of Education and Human Studies and dean of the Stiller School of Business.
