Dr. Barbara K. Mistick Appointed New Wilson College President

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa., March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – Wilson College today announced the appointment of Dr. Barbara K. Mistick, nationally recognized as an educator, innovator in entrepreneurship and advocate for women's issues, as the 19th president in the 142-year history of the college.

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Mistick, who will officially assume the Wilson presidency on July 1, currently serves as president of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, a position she has held since 2005. She will succeed Dr. Lorna Duphiney Edmundson, who will retire June 30 after 10 years of leadership.

In making the announcement today to Wilson faculty, staff, administrators and students, Board of Trustees Chair Trudi Blair said the college sought a president who could lead Wilson through the next critical stage in its history.

"We have certainly been successful in finding a person with the skills to meet that challenge in Barbara Mistick," said Blair, a 1976 Wilson College graduate. "Throughout her academic and professional career and extensive community involvement, she has demonstrated a commitment to women's education, civic engagement, philanthropy and volunteerism. We are certain that Barbara will build on Wilson's many strengths and engage our community in exciting new efforts to ensure that our students are prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century."

Over the course of her 30-year career, Mistick has been an entrepreneur, educator and leader at such institutions as the H.J. Heinz School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, the National Education Center for Women in Business at Seton Hill University in Greensburg and at various businesses she managed and/or founded.

In her current role, Mistick provides strategic leadership and operational oversight of the library system in Pittsburgh, which serves approximately 1.2 million people and includes 19 neighborhood library locations and a number of other facilities, including western and central Pennsylvania's Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

"I am excited to become a part of the wonderful tradition of Wilson College, and I look forward to getting to know the entire community and building on the solid foundation that exists at the college," Mistick said. "In Wilson College, I see a tremendous opportunity to lead a small college that can make a big difference in today's interconnected, complex world."

The Wilson Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Mistick president of the college, with full faculty status as professor of business. Mistick, who was selected from a pool of 70 candidates after an extensive national search, also was the unanimous choice of the college's search committee, according to Blair.

Wilson student Stephanie Bachman, Class of 2012 and president of the student government organization, served on the search committee. She said she is "thrilled" that Mistick will be the next president of Wilson College.

"Dr. Mistick is a remarkable businesswoman and supporter of women's education," Stephanie said. "She embraces Wilson's sense of culture and the values that make our college so unique. I believe that she will revitalize and engage the campus with her energy and visionary leadership."

Blair said the Wilson board plans to take all steps possible to ensure a smooth transition to the next president and announced the formation of a transition team. She also thanked the presidential search committee, chaired by trustee John W. Gibb, for its efforts.

"The naming of a new president is an important moment for any college and I am grateful to the search committee for the hundreds of hours spent on this search," she said.

Edmundson announced plans to retire last May. The search process began soon after, with the formation in August of a search committee that included representatives from Wilson faculty, students, staff and alumnae, as well as trustees. The college also retained an executive search firm, Archer Martin Associates of Nantucket, Mass.

Throughout the search process, representatives of the committee met regularly with members of the entire Wilson community to seek feedback and keep them informed. In late January, four finalists visited campus and met with more than 150 representatives of the Wilson community, including trustees, cabinet members, students, faculty, staff and alumnae. As part of its deliberations, the search committee reviewed more than 300 written evaluations submitted by the Wilson community.

Mistick earned a doctorate in management from Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Business in 2003; a master's degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh's Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business in 1992; and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Carlow College in 1990. In 1999, she completed the certificate program in Case Method Teaching at Harvard College.

Her many awards include: University of Pittsburgh Distinguished Alumna Award, Entrepreneur of the Year (Ernst & Young), Vision 2000 Award (U.S. Small Business Administration), the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce Athena Award, Who's Who of American Women and Pittsburgher of the Year (Pittsburgh Magazine). She also received a doctoral fellowship from Case Western Reserve University.

Mistick serves on a number of boards, including the Pennsylvania Economy League and Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center).

Mistick has three daughters: Sloane Berrent, a digital media strategist who lives in New York; Tori Mistick, an entrepreneur and social media consultant who is enrolled in a master's degree program in digital media at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh; and Adriana Mistick, a sophomore at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts.

Media please note:

Interview opportunity: Dr. Mistick is available for 10-minute interviews this afternoon (March 1). To schedule an interview, please contact Cathy Mentzer, 717-264-4141, Ext. 3178, or Debra Collins, 717-262-2607.

Detailed background and biographical information about Mistick can be found at www.wilson.edu/newpresident.

Wilson, which is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, offers bachelor's degrees in 30 fields, teacher certification for college graduates and a master's degree in education. This year, Wilson enrolled nearly 800 students from 21 states and 13 foreign countries.

Wilson is an independent college with a proud history of educating women since 1869 through rigorous study of the liberal arts and sciences. Today, Wilson's mission also includes women and men enrolled in adult degree and graduate programs. Guided by its Honor Principle and distinguished by a commitment to transformative student growth, Wilson College prepares all of its graduates for fulfilling lives and professions, ethical leadership and humane stewardship of our communities and our world.

SOURCE Wilson College