Rhonda G. Phillips, PhD, was selected by the St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) Board of Trustees to become the College’s eighth president, effective July 1, 2025.
“I’m thrilled that after a rigorous national search, the board has voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Phillips as the 8th President of SMCM,” said John J. Bell ’95, chair of the SMCM Board of Trustees. “Her passion for the public liberal arts, distinguished service building honors programs, and hands-on approach to leadership are but a few of the qualities that made her the clear choice for this moment. I, along with my fellow trustees, are excited to welcome Dr. Phillips when she officially joins us on July 1st.”
Dr. Phillips was chosen after a four-month national search, guided by a 14-member search committee led by Trustee Ray Wernecke and composed of trustee, faculty, staff, student, alumni and community members. A national search firm was engaged to assist with the selection of candidates, and the entire Board of Trustees had a role in the final selection process.
“As the National Public Honors College, St. Mary’s College of Maryland is an exemplar in liberal arts and sciences education, combining learning, discovery and engagement opportunities in a transformative environment. I’m eager to work with the trustees, faculty, students, staff and community partners to further elevate SMCM’s excellence and recognition for its exceptional value-added educational experience,” Dr. Phillips said.
Dr. Phillips succeeds Tuajuanda C. Jordan, PhD, who announced her intention to retire in June 2025 after a distinguished 11-year tenure as president. President Jordan led SMCM to prominence in liberal arts education as the National Public Honors College, oversaw the construction of four major campus facilities and steered the College through COVID. She also increased accessibility through targeted programs and a real-dollar tuition reduction over her tenure and gave heightened visibility to historical inequities through the creation of the award-winning Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland.
Dr. Phillips, who currently serves as president of Chatham University in Pittsburgh, is a visionary leader whose career spans academia and community economic development. Her higher education leadership roles have been concentrated on honors education, enriched by a wide variety of interdisciplinary teaching, research, mentoring, editorial and service contributions in the public and private sectors.
At Chatham University, Dr. Phillips led an intensive effort at restructuring the university to achieve long-term financial stability. This was implemented while simultaneously building new community partnerships and expanding NCAA Division III athletic offerings. Improved alumni engagement, successful fundraising and major reductions in structural operating deficits have positioned Chatham for a prosperous future.
She joined Chatham following completion of her decade-long role as the inaugural dean of the John Martinson Honors College at Purdue University, an innovative 3,000+ student residential honors college that under her leadership was named one of the Top 20 Honors Colleges in the U.S. Prior to Purdue, she was associate dean of Barrett, The Honors College of Arizona State University – often cited as the top honors college in the U.S. Dr. Phillips also served ASU as a professor in the School of Community Resources and Development, and senior sustainability scientist at the Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability. At the start of her academic career, she returned home to the University of Southern Mississippi, serving as director of the planning program in the Geography and Economic Development Department.
Dr. Phillips earned a PhD in city and regional planning from Georgia Tech – the first woman to do so - as well as master’s degrees in economics (Georgia Tech) and economic development (University of Southern Mississippi). She completed her undergraduate education with a B.S. in geography from Southern Mississippi. She is widely published in the areas of higher education leadership, sustainable development, community economic development, quality of life and community well-being. She is founding co-editor of two key journals in her areas of study and is author or editor of over 30 academic books, including the textbook, “Introduction to Community Development.”
Her awards and honors include: American Council on Education Fellow; College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners; Core International Faculty for the UNESCO Chair for Global Citizenship Education; Rhonda G. Phillips Endowed Track for the Promotion of Community Development and Community Well-Being for the International Society of Quality-of-Life Studies; three-time Fulbright recipient including serving as a UK Scholar in Northern Ireland; and the 2024 Duane L. Gibson Distinguished Service Award, Community Development Society.
She is married to Dr. Mark M. Miller, PhD; they are parents of adult children and grandchildren who live across the U.S. and New Zealand. Dr. Miller is professor emeritus of geography and economic development at the University of Southern Mississippi. He holds degrees from the University of Maryland, the Thunderbird School of Global Management and the University of Arizona. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Belize and a development and relief administrator for Catholic Relief Services in Guatemala before joining the faculty of Southern Mississippi.
Dr. Phillips and Dr. Miller are looking forward to making Southern Maryland their new home this summer and becoming engaged members of the St. Mary’s College of Maryland community.
