History has been made at Saint Joseph’s University as Cheryl A. McConnell, Ph.D., has been named the university’s 29th president, becoming the first woman to ever hold the position. The announcement was great news to receive, especially during National Women’s History Month. 

There is no doubt that McConnell will do a great job stepping into the permanent role after all she has seen as interim president since August 2022. The university’s search for a president had been ongoing since August, and students and faculty received updates about the search. McConnell seemed like the obvious choice as she has done such great work in leading the school.

The announcement of McConnell’s presidential position has been met with excitement and happiness from the student body. The significance of McConnell becoming president, for students, is not only that history was made for the university, but also that women have a leader on campus that they can see themselves in. Having a woman represent the university at the highest level is a change that many students are celebrating. 

In all 172 years of St. Joe’s, the university has not elected a woman as president until now, and there are certainly other universities that still have not done so. It is disheartening that a woman can still be making history in 2023 by becoming the first to have a leadership role, yet this breakthrough will surely pave the way for more women university presidents in the future. Thank you to Dr. Cheryl A. McConnell for your continuous hard work, dedication to the university and making history.