RADNOR, Pa. (Feb. 13, 2014) – Donald B. Taylor, Ph.D., has been named the eighth President of Cabrini College.
Taylor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill., since 2008, will begin his presidency July 1.
Taylor’s appointment was announced today by Thomas P. Nerney, Cabrini class of 1977, Chair of the Board of Trustees, who also chaired the presidential search committee.
“Don Taylor exhibits the energy, focus and commitment vital to fulfilling Cabrini’s mission of academic excellence, leadership development, and a commitment to social justice,” Nerney said.
“I am confident that Dr. Taylor’s record of accomplishments in higher education will invigorate Cabrini’s signature programs in education, communication, business, and psychology; and his extensive background in the sciences is vital to maximizing our new partnerships with Temple, Jefferson, and Widener universities in dentistry, pharmacy, and physical therapy [respectively],” Nerney added.
At Benedictine University, Taylor helped to launch branch campuses in Springfield, Ill., and Mesa, Ariz.
He was instrumental in the growth of Benedictine from a small residential liberal arts college of 1,000 students to a comprehensive doctoral institution of nearly 10,000 students with a commitment to cultural, racial, and religious diversity. He helped also to expand and diversify the university’s geographic outreach, education delivery methods, and sources of revenue.
Taylor has been active in building high‑quality programs and partnerships with community colleges, professional schools, teaching hospitals, and local school districts in traditional undergraduate and graduate, adult/post-traditional students, international/global, and online education.
“For more than 20 years, I have been an active participant in the evolution of a private, liberal arts college.” Taylor said.
“I have a strong sense of the values, strengths, and challenges of Cabrini, and I am eager to work with the entire Cabrini College community as together we build this magnificent institution into a leader in higher education.”
Prior to his appointment as Provost, Taylor served as the first Dean of the College of Science at Benedictine, Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, and Program Director for the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program. He joined the faculty at Benedictine in 1992, and was recognized with the Scholl Endowed Chair in the Health Sciences in 1997.
Prior to coming to Benedictine, he was supported by a research fellowship from the Van Vleet Cancer Foundation. Taylor earned a BS in Education and a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Memphis.
Taylor and his wife Lechia and son Seth will live in the President’s residence on Cabrini’s 112‑acre wooded campus.
Taylor was selected following a national search and extensive interviews by a 12‑member Presidential Search Committee comprised of members of the Board of Trustees, alumni, faculty, staff, and students.
He will succeed Deb Takes, former bank president and Chair of the Board of Trustees (2011‑13), who stepped in as Interim President in July 2013.
About Cabrini University
Founded in 1957 by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Cabrini University is a Catholic institution that empowers students to become advocates of social change through an Education of the Heart, focusing on academic excellence, community engagement, and leadership development.
Cabrini enrolls approximately 1,300 undergraduates in more than 35 majors, pre-professional programs, concentrations, and minors on its serene 112-acre campus located 30 minutes from Philadelphia. The University also enrolls 900 students in graduate, doctoral, and professional studies programs at its main campus in Radnor, PA, and at five off-campus locations.