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ROCKFORD — Patricia Lynott has been named the new president of Rockford University after serving as the interim leader for more than a year.
Lynott is the 19th president of the private four-year institution, the university’s board of trustees announced Monday. She has been the interim president since December 2022, filling the role after Eric Fulcomer took the job of president of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Madison.
“We are thrilled to appoint Dr. Lynott as the official president of Rockford University,” Rebecca Epperson, chairperson of the Rockford University board of trustees, said in a news release. “Throughout her tenure as interim president, she has proven to be an outstanding leader, fostering a culture of excellence, innovation, and inclusivity.
“The impact she has made in just 18 months has been instrumental in moving our organization forward by identifying and launching new degrees and programs to benefit students, as well as further connecting it with our community’s business leaders for future workforce needs.”
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Lynott came to Rockford with more than 35 years experience in higher education.
She began her career as a communications professor teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in rhetoric, political communication and public speaking. She then served as dean of graduate and continuing education at Elmhurst College, and she became the founding director of Elmhurst Partners, the college’s corporate training division that provided custom programming to Chicago-area Fortune 500 companies.
Her most recent role before coming to Rockford was as president of University College at Southern New Hampshire University.
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Rockford University trustees said she played a critical leadership role in transitioning Southern New Hampshire University from a regional business college into a national, multifaceted university. She also previously served as vice president of academic affairs and provost.
“I am honored and excited to continue serving as president of Rockford University,” Lynott said in a statement to news outlets. “I am committed to advancing the university’s mission of educating people to lead responsible lives by means of a curriculum grounded in liberal arts learning and complemented and extended by professional and practical experience, and I look forward to working with our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners to ensure that Rockford University remains a place of excellence, innovation, and opportunity for all.”