Ceremonies for the inauguration of the ninth president of St. Norbert College, Laurie Joyner, Ph.D., will be held Oct. 10.
A Mass of Thanksgiving will be held at St. Norbert Abbey at 10:30 a.m., followed by the inaugural ceremony at 2:30 p.m. in Walter Theatre, Abbot Pennings Hall of Fine Arts on the St. Norbert College campus, with an outdoor reception to follow. In the event of inclement weather, the reception will be moved inside the Ray Van Den Heuvel Family Campus Center.
Joyner has chosen to focus on “Preserving the Legacy” as the theme for her inauguration. Information about the event can be found on the college website here: https://www.snc.edu/inauguration2024/.
“St. Norbert College is honored to welcome Dr. Laurie M. Joyner to the community. We’re inspired by her commitment to our mission and approach to attaining financial stability,” said St. Norbert College Board Chair Patti Brash McKeithan ’71. “In her short time here, Dr. Joyner has worked closely with the board of trustees, faculty and staff to enhance the college’s academic offerings to reflect the interests of our prospective and current students. Her commitment to operational excellence has been evident since her first day on campus. She empowers faculty and staff, which allows them to continue to provide a quality education that has been a hallmark of this institution for 126 years.”
Joyner brings extensive leadership experience to the College having served as president of St. Xavier University in Chicago (2017-23). Prior to St. Xavier, Joyner served as president of Wittenberg University in Ohio and in vice presidential and dean roles at Rollins College in Florida. Prior to Rollins, Joyner served on the faculty and held administrative positions of increasing responsibility at Loyola University New Orleans, where she also earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology, graduating magna cum laude. From there, she went on to receive her master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology from Tulane University.
Joyner and her husband, Jay F. Joyner, III, have three sons: Jay, Alexander and Christopher.
