Heidelberg welcomes new president

A new era in leadership arrived today (July 1) as Dr. Robert H. Huntington began his tenure as Heidelberg’s 14th president.
 
Huntington brings to Heidelberg 15 years of experience in higher education and 25 years in the corporate world, having served in a variety of executive management roles at Dunkin’ Brands Inc. for more than 22 years.  For the past 11 years, he has been a member of the board of trustees at Lasell College in Newton, Mass., serving on several of its major committees.
 
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Middlebury College, Huntington earned his undergraduate degree in political science and German, his master’s degree in German literature from  Middlebury’s University of Mainz (Germany) program, his MBA degree from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business and his Ed.D. degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education in higher education administration, planning and social policy.
 
Although he has been to campus several times since his appointment by the Heidelberg Board of Trustees in November, Huntington will utilize the first few days and weeks on the job becoming acclimated to life at Heidelberg and in Tiffin. Today and tomorrow, he’ll make the rounds, visiting various campus buildings and meeting faculty and staff. The campus community welcomed Huntington at a picnic lunch today. A team of faculty and staff has worked with the new president to ensure a seamless transition.
 
In the coming weeks, Huntington will visit local leaders, businesses and alumni, and begin to build on those community partnerships with Heidelberg. He’ll also be involved in preparations for the beginning of the 2009-10 academic year. Later this month, he’ll attend the Harvard New Presidents Seminar.
 
Huntington replaces Dr. F. Dominic Dottavio, who departed Heidelberg a year ago to assume the presidency of Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. In the interim year, Dr. James A. Troha, formerly the vice president for Student Affairs, has served as president. Troha will stay at Heidelberg and become the vice president for Institutional Advancement and University Relations.
 
Learn more about President Huntington and Heidelberg University!
 
Posted on July 1, 2009