An alumna of the College of Saint Benedict was named president of McDaniel College in Westminister, Maryland Dec. 16.

Dr. Julia Jasken was selected by the McDaniel College Board of Trustees to be college’s 10th president, effective June 1, 2021. Jasken will be the second woman president in the 153-year history of the college.

Jasken, who began at McDaniel in 2003, will succeed Dr. Roger Casey, who announced he will retire at the end of the 2020-21 academic year after serving over a decade as McDaniel’s president. 

A native of Moorhead, Minnesota, Jasken earned her bachelor’s degree from CSB with double majors in English, and communication and media in 1993. She then earned a master’s degree from Northern Illinois University and her Ph.D. from Michigan Technological University.

“I am humbled and honored to be elected by the Board of Trustees to lead the institution that I love. McDaniel is such a special place,” Jasken said. “Over my 17 years at the college, I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to build new programs and develop partnerships with members of the Westminster community.

“I am excited to expand upon partnerships in this new role. I am looking forward to meeting virtually with various campus groups and community members in the new year,” Jasken said.

Jasken began at McDaniel in 2003 as an English professor specializing in new media pedagogy and teaching a variety of professional writing courses. For the past eight years, she has assumed increasing responsibility in administrative positions, most recently serving in her current role as the college’s executive vice president and provost, overseeing the newly integrated academic and student life divisions.

Her expertise spans academic and campus life restructuring, student success initiatives, adjunct faculty union contract negotiations and building and supporting a culture of safety and compliance.

Nationally, Jasken is widely respected for her contributions to higher education, most recently serving as the keynote speaker for the Higher Education Resources Services (HERS) Wellesley Institute. In addition to her role as Chair of the Finance Committee and Executive Committee Board member of HERS National Women Leadership Network, Jasken also serves as an Executive Committee Board member for Westminster, Maryland’s Target Community & Educational Services and as a Board Member for Chamber Music on the Hill.