ROCK HILL, S.C. — Winthrop University President Dan Mahony is resigning from his position to accept the role as president of the Southern Illinois University System effective next March, the university announced.
The resignation was accepted by Board of Trustees Chair Glenn McCall, effective March 1, 2020. Mahony's appointment will be voted on Thursday, December 5 by the SIU Board of Trustees.
Mahony came to Winthrop on July 1, 2015. He was named the 11th president in university history.
"Dan has been the leader Winthrop needed at a pivotal time in the university’s history. Since he was named 11th president, he has worked to build on Winthrop’s strengths, put students at the forefront of our mission, make the Winthrop experience accessible and affordable, all while helping the university community adapt to the changing realities of public higher education. We are grateful to him for his work at Winthrop over nearly five years,” said McCall.
Mahony has been president of Winthrop University, a 6,000-student public institution in Rock Hill, South Carolina, since July 2015. He has overseen the development of a strategic plan, an institutional rebranding, and improvement in student and employee satisfaction. Under his leadership, Winthrop set a new record for freshman applications in fall 2019, exceeding the previous record by more than 15 percent. Graduate enrollment increased more than 16 percent this year, four-year graduation rates increased by 7.7 percent over three years, and the diversity of faculty and managerial staff increased from 14 to 21 percent in less than three years.
“I’m excited about working across the system to advance all of SIU,” Mahony said. “The level of commitment to the system’s success and to the welfare of its campuses is clearly strong, from the Board of Trustees to faculty and staff to community members, alumni and donors. SIU has a powerful impact on students and the SIU region, and I look forward to building on its strong foundation.”
Prior to accepting the Winthrop presidency, Mahony was dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Services at Kent State University in Ohio from July 2008 to June 2015. He held positions at the University of Louisville in Kentucky from July 1995 to June 2008, serving as director of the sport administration program; chair of the Department of Health Promotion, Physical Education and Sport Studies; acting dean and associate dean of the College of Education and Human Development; and assistant and associate university provost.
