Campus News

Lynott to lead Rockford University until Dr. Fulcomer’s successor begins

ROCKFORD, Ill. (October 19, 2022) – Rockford University, the region’s leading private four-year educational institution, has announced that Dr. Patricia Lynott will serve as interim president beginning December 12, 2022 as the search for the successor to current Rockford University President Dr. Eric Fulcomer moves forward.  Lynott will be on campus beginning November 14 to spend several weeks with Fulcomer before his departure to get to know faculty, staff, and students and becoming acquainted with the wider Rockford community. 

Lynott served as president of University College at Southern New Hampshire University. She is a trusted leader with more than 20 years of service advancing the missions of nationally ranked colleges and universities, with more than a decade of experience at the executive level.

She has an established record of success in strategic planning, organizational change, operations, and community outreach. She played a critical leadership role in transitioning Southern New Hampshire University from a regional business college into a national, multi-faceted University. She successfully managed the impact of rapid and significant growth during a period of transformation.

Lynott also served many years in the classroom as an associate professor at Elmhurst College before becoming Dean of Graduate and Continuing Education and eventually executive director of Elmhurst Partners.

She earned a Doctor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Loyola University Chicago and her Master of Arts degree in communication studies from Northern Illinois University as well as a bachelor’s degree in communication from Trinity College.

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Lynott leading the University through this transition,” said Board of Trustees Chair Rebecca Epperson. “We look forward to her leadership; her commitment to Rockford University’s students, staff, and faculty; and the stability she will provide as our search for the permanent leader is underway.”

The Rockford University Board of Trustees carefully evaluated applicants for the interim position, specifically looking for a candidate with experience supporting a smooth continuity of operations for students, faculty, and staff through periods of transition.

“Rockford University has done an incredible job of remaining financially stable while continuing to provide the best of what makes small private institutions so important: a close-knit campus community; more one-on-one interaction with caring professors; greater curriculum flexibility, less bureaucracy, and so much more. Throughout its evolution from a women’s seminary, to a co-ed college, to a regional university, Rockford has always adapted to the changes and challenges of the times,” said Lynott. “I am extremely pleased to be joining the Rockford University community as it continues to evolve in meeting the needs of today’s students.”

ABOUT ROCKFORD UNIVERSITY

Rockford University is a private four-year, co-educational institution founded in 1847 offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in traditional liberal arts and professional fields. The University offers more than 80 majors, minors, and concentrations, including the bachelor’s degree completion program for a B.S. in Management Studies. Through its Graduate Studies department, degrees are extended to include the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), and Master of Education in Urban Education, (M.Ed.). Rockford University is home to one of only 11 Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) chapters in Illinois, the most prestigious honor society in the United States. Named by The Princeton Review as a Best Midwestern College and is a U.S. News & World Report Best Midwest Regional University, Rockford University currently serves approximately 1,250 full-and part-time students.