Our Leadership

About President Hilary L. Link, PhD

Hilary L. Link, PhD is Drew University’s 15th president. An innovative and distinguished leader, she began her term on July 1, 2023.

Since arriving at Drew, President Link has spearheaded a number of initiatives to drive the institution forward.

Several months into President Link’s tenure, she announced plans to develop a new, exciting Strategic Vision and Direction for the University. This process involved the input of the wider Drew community, particularly a Strategic Planning Working Group made up of Drew faculty and staff. Learn more about the project here.

A return to financial health has been a top institutional priority. In a strategic partnership, President Link brought in a highly-respected small college CFO to oversee financial operations and collaborate on a plan to ensure financial sustainability for Drew. President Link has also forged relationships with federal, state, and local governments to help move toward the sale of peripheral campus lands and the conservation of the Drew Forest and Zuck Arboretum to help solidify the institution’s endowment.

Drew has added a number of new programs under President Link, all geared toward responding to student interest and job market trends. The College of Liberal Arts has added minors in accounting, finance, marketing, and creative art and technology. The University has also added a Dual-Degree in Accounting with Seton Hall’s Stillman School of Business, Drew’s 19th such program aimed at fast-tracking earning advanced degrees. An innovative partnership with Bloomboard was announced in May 2024, providing on-the-job bachelor’s degrees in elementary education for paraprofessionals helping to address the teacher shortage in New Jersey. Pathways for students to earn their bachelor’s degree in three years were also developed with a seamless transition to the graduate schools at Drew.

Drew’s reputation has continued to grow under President Link. The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report, and Washington Monthly have placed Drew among the top liberal arts schools in the country, ranking the University higher and higher on their annual lists.

Link came to Drew after serving as president of Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, from 2019 to 2022. She successfully guided the school through the COVID-19 pandemic while managing demographic, enrollment, and financial challenges facing institutions of higher education across the country.

Prior to Allegheny College, Link was dean of Temple University Rome and previously served as vice provost at Barnard College of Columbia University. She began her career in higher education as director of scholar programs at New York University. Link earned her bachelor’s degree at Stanford University and both her master’s degree and doctorate in Italian language and literature at Yale University.