Meet the President

On June 1, 2021, Dr. Julia Jasken became the 10th president of McDaniel College and the second woman president in the college’s over 150-year history. She has dedicated nearly her entire professional life to higher education and most notably to McDaniel, beginning in the classroom in 2003 as an English professor specializing in new media pedagogy and teaching a variety of professional writing courses. Over her tenure at McDaniel, Dr. Jasken has assumed increasing responsibility in administrative positions, serving as the college’s executive vice president and provost immediately preceding her presidency.

A champion of both the liberal arts and McDaniel’s student-centered mission, she has overseen many of the college’s most important strategic initiatives. As provost, she envisioned and designed the college’s signature McDaniel Commitment, which emphasizes experiential learning and alumni connections, and guarantees that every student, guided by a team of mentors, can construct and tailor their personal educational path. Dr. Jasken has also led the Return to the Hill planning efforts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and has overseen the college’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Education

A native of Moorhead, Minnesota, Dr. Jasken earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and a master’s degree from Northern Illinois University. She received her Ph.D. from Michigan Technological University; the topic of her dissertation was “Designing Composition: Textbooks, Teaching and Identity in the Digital Age.” Dr. Jasken's scholarly work appears in leading journals and focuses on the intersection of oral, written and visual communication.

Professional Contributions

Nationally, Dr. Jasken is widely respected for her contributions to higher education. In addition to her roles on the Board of Trustees of the Maryland Independent College and University Association (MICUA) and the CollegeBound Foundation, Dr. Jasken also serves on the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. 

In 2023, Dr. Jasken was named an Influential Marylander by The Daily Record and included on their Power 30 Higher Education list of the most influential figures in higher education in the State of Maryland for both 2022 and 2023. Previously named a “Woman to Watch” by the Baltimore Business Journal, she received their 2023 Enterprising Women of Excellence award and was also included among Maryland’s Top 100 Women by The Daily Record. In April 2024, she was recognized by the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland as a recipient of their Distinguished Women Awards.