Dr. Linda M. LeMura has been unanimously elected by the Le Moyne College Board of Trustees to become the next president of the Jesuit institution. In being selected to assume Le Moyne’s presidency, Dr. LeMura will become the first lay female to serve as president of a Jesuit college or university in the world.
“I am thrilled to announce the selection of Dr. Linda LeMura as president of Le Moyne College,” said Board Chair Sharon Kinsman Salmon ‘78. “Linda possesses superb leadership skills, a deep understanding of Jesuit ideals, and an appreciation for the many challenges facing higher education today. Her work as provost and dean have provided her with an institutional knowledge that is without equal. Every major milestone the College has reached over the past decade is due in large part to her work, including the implementation of a new Core curriculum, the establishment of the Madden School of Business, and the creation of a state-of-the-art science building. Her commitment to students and faculty will continue to be the foundation of her work. I know that I speak for my fellow Board members in saying that I could not imagine a more supremely qualified candidate. Not only will Linda build upon this institution’s many successes, but she will lead it in becoming even stronger and more vibrant in the future.”
Dr. LeMura brings an impressive background in higher education to the position. She has served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Le Moyne since 2007 – only the second person in that role in the College’s history – and before that was the dean of arts and sciences at the College, from 2003 to 2007. Prior to that, she held a series of positions of increasing responsibility at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania.
“I wish to express my gratitude to the members of the Board of Trustees for the faith they have extended to me, and to offer my thanks to the many colleagues and friends for their well wishes and support at this time – it is truly humbling,” said Dr. LeMura. “Since arriving on the Heights, I have witnessed up close how truly transformational a Le Moyne education can be. It has the power not only to shape lives, but entire communities. That is what motivates each and every person on this campus. We are committed to providing young men and women with access to an outstanding, rigorous education steeped in Ignatian and Jesuit values so that they might become successful graduates in every sense – personally and professionally. These are challenging times to be sure as the landscape of higher education and our world is changing rapidly. However, what remains constant is the value of a Le Moyne education. I am honored by this selection and am proud to be a member of this community.”
Dr. LeMura will become the 14th president in the College’s nearly 70 year history, succeeding Dr. Fred Pestello, who announced last month that he will be leaving the College on June 30, 2014, to become president at St. Louis University.
In becoming the first lay female leader at a Jesuit institution in the world, Dr. LeMura builds on Le Moyne’s groundbreaking history – when it was founded in 1946, it was the first Jesuit college or university to open as a co-educational institution.
A Syracuse native and graduate of Bishop Grimes High School, Dr. LeMura received a B.S. in biology and education from Niagara University, and an M.S. and Ph.D., both in applied physiology, from Syracuse University. Prior to Le Moyne, from 1992 to 2003 she served in several roles at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, including professor, graduate program director, chairperson and assistant chairperson in the departments of exercise science and biology and allied health sciences. From 1994 to 1995 she was Interim Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, and from 1992 to 1994 she was associate professor, both at Bloomsburg.
Extensively published, Dr. LeMura’s field of research and expertise is pediatric obesity, pediatric applied physiology, lipid metabolism, and energy metabolism. She taught applied physiology, anatomy and physiology, bioethics, and the biology of aging.
Dr. LeMura is married to Dr. Lawrence Tanner, professor of natural systems science at Le Moyne. The couple has one daughter, Emily, who is a sophomore at Fordham University. Among her community involvement, she has served on the board of the Syracuse Symphony, the Everson Museum, and the Syracuse International Film Festival. She has also served on the finance committee of the Diocese of Syracuse for Catholic schools and the board of the Cathedral Academy at Pompei.