Honorary Degree Recipient

Dr. Julie E. Wollman President of Widener University Doctor of Humane Letters

Since becoming the 10th president of Widener University in January 2016, Dr. Julie E. Wollman has broadened and advanced Widener’s mission of empowering students to become tomorrow’s leaders and innovators and to create better futures for themselves and their communities. Guided by a passionate pursuit of excellence, she has placed the university in a position to withstand the challenges of the future .

Driven by her commitment to build community and facilitate communication and understanding among diverse peoples, Dr. Wollman launched a Common Ground initiative in 2017 that formally engaged members of the Widener community in challenging discussions . Common Ground events are designed to teach participants to lead with integrity, listen actively and openly, respect different perspectives and opinions, have the courage to voice their beliefs, and seek to understand before reacting. Dr. Wollman presented her nationally recognized Common Ground initiative at the 2018 and 2019 South by Southwest Education Conference and Festivals (SXSW EDU).

Dr. Wollman has championed a university-wide commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She oversaw an exponential growth in faculty diversity and the appointment of Widener’s first full-time chief diversity officer. Through a generous gift, she established the Wollman Award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that will ensure this work continues.

A respected leader in higher education, Dr . Wollman has served on the boards of local, regional, and national organizations, including the Riverfront Alliance of Delaware County where she serves as board vice president; the Middle Atlantic Conference of the NCAA where she serves as board secretary; the Global Philadelphia Association; the Baldwin School; the American Association of University Administrators; and the Crozer Health system; as well as the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia where she chairs the Regional College and University President’s Alliance.

Dr . Wollman led the addition of new and high-demand academic programs at Widener, including robotics engineering, international engineering, green chemistry, and environmental health and sustainability management . She oversaw the newly formed College of Health and Human Services and has established health sciences programs in key growth areas, including new and upcoming programs in occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, physician assistant, and nutrition .

During her tenure, Widener was three times named a “Great College to Work For” by the Chronicle of Higher Education. In 2021, Widener was one of only twelve universities in the nation recognized in four categories of excellence: confidence in senior leadership; diversity, inclusion, and belonging; faculty experience; and shared governance.

In 2019, Dr. Wollman launched Agility Experienced, a bold and transformative strategic initiative that enables Widener to quickly adapt to changes in higher education. Rather than making elaborate plans that may quickly become outdated, Agility Experienced improves upon traditional strategic planning by using scenarios to envision various futures and focusing on strategic direction. The approach has been recognized nationally as an emerging best practice. Through passionate and fearless leadership, Dr . Wollman has built upon Widener’s strengths and positioned the university to adapt and thrive well into the future .