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Inauguration of President Rhonda Phillips

Office of the President > Inauguration of President Rhonda Phillips

2026 Presidential Inauguration -
Excellence Reimagined

Rhonda G. Phillips, Ph.D., FAICP was formally installed as
St. Mary's College of Maryland's 8th President on April 17, 2026

A woman in academic regalia with a black cap, blue gown with black and gold trim, and a medal, standing against a light background.

St. Mary’s College of Maryland is the National Public Honors College and the Highest-Ranked Civilian Public Liberal Arts College

"The value and purpose of this college is not found in any one feature, but in the way it all comes together: a deep sense of connection, a commitment to academic excellence, and a shared belief in the distinctiveness and diversity of this community."

- President Rhonda G. Phillips, Ph.D., FAICP

Scenes from Inauguration Week

A woman in academic regalia with a medal around her neck stands in front of a purple backdrop featuring a ship and university seal."
A group of people, some in academic regalia, pose outside a modern building. Two hold a trophy and flash peace signs. It is sunny and everyone is smiling."
Eight people, seven in police uniforms and one in academic regalia, stand in a line inside a bright building with large windows and chairs in the background."
A group of people in academic regalia stand on a stage during a graduation ceremony, smiling and clapping."

Inauguration Week Recap

A woman and a man stand facing each other, holding hands and talking, with a grand piano in the foreground.
Four people sit in chairs on a stage having a panel discussion; one man speaks into a microphone while the others listen.

Inauguration Week kicked off with a Spirit Celebration at Jamie L. Roberts Stadium where all of our student athletes came out ready for a Gold Rush with their Seahawk pride and community spirit!

On Wednesday, The Boyden Gallery opened a Campus-Wide Exhibition: A Walking Tour to "Liberate the Arts". The walking tour of campus celebrated the arts as a cornerstone of a liberal arts education and emphasizes campus creativity and collaboration.

Thursday Night at the Dodge Performing Arts Center, we hosted Excellence Reimagined: Honors Colleges in the Future of Liberal Arts Education. This faculty panel discussed how to bridge the gap between traditional academic rigor and future-focused skill development, ensuring Honors programs remain transformative centers of learning. It featured SMCM professors Tristan Cai (Art), Andrew Cognard-Black (Sociology), and Elizabeth Hamman (Biology), the panel was moderated by Dr. Nicola Foote, Dean of the David C. Frederick Honors College at University of Pittsburgh and renowned expert in honors education.

Friday closed out the week with our Inauguration Ceremony. The ceremony started with choral music featuring St.Mary's Singers, SMCM students directed by Assistant Professor of Music Brittany Johnson in the Concert Hall of the Dodge Performing Arts Center. The event, rich with academic tradition, included the investiture where she received the presidential medallion and delivered her inaugural address focused on fostering innovation and community engagement. Congressman Steny H. Hoyer, U.S. Representative for Maryland’s 5th Congressional District was the keynote speaker. The Honorable Steny Hoyer is a long-standing member of the Board of Trustees and supporter of St. Mary's College of Maryland. We also had an event performance by the SMCM Jazz Trio, directed by Assistant Professor of Music Ellington Carthan. After the ceremony guests and friends joined the president at a reception to celebrate the inauguration of our 8th president and the next chapter of St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Watch the Inauguration

Watch the Faculty Panel

About President Phillips

President Rhonda Phillips earned her bachelor’s degree of geography and her master’s degree of economic development at the University of Southern Mississippi. She applied those degrees to her first professional positions with the City of Birmingham, Alabama, then at the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the International Development Research Council. She earned a M.S. Economics degree and a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology—the first woman to earn that doctorate. Dr. Phillips returned to the University of Southern Mississippi for her first academic professional position, as Director of the Community Planning Program in the Department of Geography and Economic Development. She gained further academic experience at Arizona State University, then as founding Dean of the John Martinson Honors College at Purdue University as well as Professor of Agricultural Economics. As President of Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Dr. Phillips helped stabilize the future of that historic institution.

A woman with curly red hair and bangs, wearing a white blazer over a light blue top, smiles at the camera against a plain light background.

During her academic career President Phillips was named a three-time Fulbright recipient including as a UK Ulster Policy Fellow in Northern Ireland; a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners; and a Fellow of the American Council on Education. President Phillips is a passionate advocate for the vital roles of honors learning; the liberal arts, sciences, fine arts, and athletics; and interdisciplinary teaching and research within academies of higher education. She is a dedicated advocate for the vital contribution of higher education to the personal growth and career development of her students—as well as the social, economic, and environmental progress of our communities. She seeks to exemplify those values within her own teaching, research, and academic leadership as President of St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Contact

Office of the President

112 Calvert Hall

(240) 895-4410

president@smcm.edu