Dr. Daniel F. Mahony Selected as President of Winthrop University
March 13, 2015
ROCK HILL, SC – Dr. Daniel F. Mahony, dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Services at Kent State University, has been unanimously selected by the Board of Trustees to be the next president of Winthrop University. Mahony will become Winthrop’s 11th president, and will begin his duties on July 1.
“The Board of Trustees was very impressed by Dr. Mahony’s academic background and his strong record as a leader in higher education. His accounting background gives him a business-like management approach,” said Kathy Bigham, chair of the Winthrop University Board of Trustees and co-chair of the President Search Committee. “Dr. Mahony shares Winthrop’s commitment to access and quality, and he possesses the talent, experience and temperament we need to move Winthrop forward.”
Mahony was one of three finalists nominated by the President Search Committee following a nationwide search that began last fall. The executive search firm of R. William Funk and Associates assisted in the identification and selection of potential candidates.
Mahony said he appreciated the interview process developed by the Board of Trustees and was very excited about becoming Winthrop’s next president.
“I had the opportunity to meet with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community and business leaders,” said Mahony. “They all expressed a love for Winthrop and great pride in the student-focused education for which Winthrop has a very well-deserved reputation.
“I am honored and excited to be chosen president. The University has a great team in place and I look forward to working with everyone on behalf of Winthrop.”
Mahony is delighted to be living in Rock Hill. The President’s House will be home to Mahony his wife Laura and their children Gavin, 15, and Elena, 12.
“Everyone we’ve met has been so friendly and welcoming. We look forward to calling them friends and neighbors,” said Mahony.
Mahony has more than 20 years’ experience in higher education as a professor, department head, and senior administrator.
As Kent State’s Dean and Professor of the College of Education, Health, and Human Services, Mahony oversees 57 degree programs, more than 180 full-time faculty, more than 600 total employees, and about 5,400 students.
Prior to Kent State, Mahony was Associate University Provost for Academic Planning and Accountability and Professor at the University of Louisville, where he previously served as Assistant University Provost for Institutional Effectiveness. Other positions he held at Louisville include Associate Dean for Planning and Management Systems in the College of Education and Human Development, and Chair of the Department of Health Promotion, Physical Education, and Sport Studies.
Mahony is an active researcher and has published over 50 articles in various refereed journals and won the 2007 Earle F. Zeigler Award from the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) for his career contributions as a researcher.
Mahony has a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He earned his master’s degree in Sport Management from West Virginia University, and possesses a doctorate in Sport Management from Ohio State University.
