Delaware Valley University in Doylestown has elected a new president, the school’s 13th and the first woman president in its 120-year history.
Maria Gallo, dean of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, will assume the post July 1.
Gallo will succeed Joseph Brosnan, Delaware Valley president since 2007. Brosnan announced last year his plan to retire at the end of the 2015-16 academic year.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead an incredibly dynamic institution with a rich history of interdisciplinary education,” Gallo said.
She was selected for from a field of more than 200.
“Throughout the search process, we were struck by the overwhelmingly positive feedback we received about Dr. Gallo and the extent to which her experience and qualities matched what we were looking for in the next president,” said Susan Ward chair of the university’s board of trustees. “She is a skilled and thoughtful listener, an inspiring communicator and she is passionate about DelVal’s mission.
“Dr. Gallo has the ability to lead and mentor our outstanding faculty, and she’s an approachable leader who is committed to preparing students for a global future.”
Gallo earned her bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Cornell University and her master’s degree in crop science and doctorate in genetics from North Carolina State University.
The search committee, chaired by Elizabeth “Betsy” Gemmill, a DelVal trustee, included representatives from the board of trustees, faculty, president’s cabinet, staff and student body.
