Lisa Marsh Ryerson

An experienced, innovative leader known for her advocacy of gender equity and commitment to providing increased access to higher education, Lisa Marsh Ryerson has served as president of Wells College since 1995. She is the 17th and first alumna president of Wells College. Serving in her thirteenth year, President Ryerson is a senior college president in the region.

Nationally recognized for her progressive views on higher education and community partnerships, President Ryerson speaks and writes about the benefits of inclusive coeducation, gender equality in education and society, women in leadership, and business-education partnerships among many other topics.

President Ryerson has elevated the college’s national standing as a leader in providing an excellent liberal arts education at an affordable price. She led campus efforts to create a remarkable experiential learning program involving internships, community service, off-campus study, and research that connect the liberal arts with life, helping students attain their career and educational goals. She has overseen the refurbishment of many campus buildings including the construction of Stratton Hall, the college’s new science facility; and the development of a campus plan for improvement of the college environment so it can better support a learning community dedicated to excellence across the curriculum. Under her leadership, Wells completed the largest and most successful fundraising effort in the college’s history – a comprehensive campaign that, in 2000, surpassed its ambitious $50 million goal.

President Ryerson led the Board of Trustees through a planning and decision-making process that included opening the college’s doors to matriculated male students for the first time in the college’s history beginning in fall 2005.  She continues to lead the college through the transition to coeducation and subsequent increase in enrollment as well as the development of initiatives that build on the college's traditional academic strengths. She has positioned Wells’ internationally recognized and very successful study abroad and off-campus study program and Book Arts Center for further growth. In addition, the college is developing innovative partnerships with neighboring colleges. She also leads the strategic planning process, with associated assessment tools, that supports Wells community members in their work to serve the college mission, charting a path for the college’s continued success.

President Ryerson played a key leadership role in the creation of the Aurora Foundation, an organization affiliated with Wells College whose goal was economic revitalization in and around the village of Aurora and that was dedicated to the college and community working in partnership to achieve mutually beneficial goals. The success of this collaborative effort may be seen at the historic Aurora Inn and several other renovated businesses in the village. 

An active leader in many national, state, and local organizations, President Ryerson serves as a commissioner and executive committee member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; a board member of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC); a member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Development Association (MDA) of Syracuse and Central New York; a member of the North Eastern Athletic Conference President’s Council; and a director of the Independent College Fund of New York.  President Ryerson also serves on the Central New York Advisory Board of HSBC Bank; the board of the Northwood School in Lake Placid, New York; and the Board of Visitors at Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Her community leadership includes serving as a member of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art Community Advisory Committee at Cornell and the board of directors of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra.  She has served as past chair of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities of New York State; past chair of the Executive Board of the Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN) in Washington, D.C.; a former member of the American Council on Education’s Commission on Leadership and Institutional Effectiveness; past chair of the Board of the Women’s College Coalition in Washington, D.C.; and former board member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU).

President Ryerson has been honored with a variety of awards including the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District II Chief Executive Leadership Award; a New York State Senate Woman of Distinction Award; the Girls Inc. of CNY Spirit of American Women National Role Model for Girls Award; the Central New York Chapter of The Public Relations Society of America Communications Advocate Award; and a Post-Standard Achievement Award.

A native of Jamestown, New York, she earned her bachelor’s degree from Wells and her master of science degree from the State University of New York at Cortland. She resides in Aurora with her husband, George E. Farenthold, and three daughters Annie, Carol, and Julie
 

Last updated 02/13/2008