Hartwick College Names Laurel Bongiorno as 13th President

ONEONTA—The Hartwick College Board of Trustees announced last month that it has selected Laurel Bongiorno, PhD, vice president for academic affairs and provost at Hartwick, as the college’s 13th president. She will assume the presidency on July 1, 2026.

“President-elect Bongiorno is an exceptional leader whose integrity and deep understanding of the Hartwick experience make her uniquely qualified to guide the college into its next chapter,” said Kathy Fallon, chair of the Hartwick College Board of Trustees. “She has been instrumental in strengthening our academic programs, enhancing student success and advancing the innovative Life Balance College model that defines Hartwick’s future. The board is confident that under her leadership, Hartwick will continue to thrive.”

In accepting the appointment, Bongiorno expressed gratitude for the confidence placed in her and reflected on the strength of the Hartwick community.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to serve as Hartwick’s next president,” said President-elect Bongiorno. “Hartwick College is a remarkable community, defined by its commitment to students, its dedication to academic excellence and its belief that education can transform lives. I am inspired every day by the collaboration and care that define this campus. I look forward to continuing to work alongside our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends to build on Hartwick’s strong foundation and exciting trajectory.”

According to a press release, as vice president for academic affairs and provost since 2022, Bongiorno has provided overall academic leadership for the college, working closely with the president, faculty, and senior leadership to advance institutional priorities. Her portfolio includes the Office of Academic Affairs, the Stevens-German Library, the Student Success and Career Center, the Griffiths Center for Collaboration and Innovation, the Center for Global Education, the Pine Lake campus, the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, the Office of the Registrar, and the Yager Museum of Art and Culture.

Under Bongiorno’s leadership, Hartwick has launched eight new majors and six minors, restructured academic departments, and strengthened collaborative, data-informed planning across Academic Affairs, officials said. She has enhanced budget stewardship practices, led college-wide efforts to improve student success and retention, and fostered a culture of shared governance and transparency through the introduction of appreciative inquiry principles.

Before joining Hartwick, Bongiorno spent more than two decades at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont, where she held key leadership roles, including dean of the Division of Education and Human Studies and dean of the Stiller School of Business.

A widely respected expert in early childhood education and strengths-based leadership, Bongiorno is a frequent keynote speaker, conference presenter, and author whose work has appeared in “Inside Higher Ed,” “Psychology Today” and publications of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Bongiorno earned her doctorate in education from Walden University, her master’s in early childhood education from Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, and her bachelor’s in business/economics from Gordon College. She is also certified in appreciative inquiry from Champlain College.

Bongiorno succeeds James H. Mullen Jr., who has served as Hartwick’s interim president since 2023. Under Mullen’s leadership, Hartwick College has continued to make strides in enrollment and retention, academic program development and philanthropy.

“Laurel has been an extraordinary partner and a trusted colleague,” said Mullen. “She leads with heart and purpose and her understanding of Hartwick’s values and potential makes her exactly the right person to guide this institution forward. I know the future of Hartwick is in excellent hands.”

Bongiorno and her husband, Chuck, look forward to continuing their engagement with the Oneonta community, which they have called home since 2022.