GETTYSBURG, PA — Janet Morgan Riggs '77 was unanimously appointed 14th president of Gettysburg College Friday, February 6, by the College's Board of Trustees at their winter meeting today. Riggs, who has served as interim president since last March, becomes president effective immediately.

"We are all very excited to make this appointment," Board Chair James M. Weaver '64 said. "Dr. Riggs has excelled in a number of key administrative appointments, most recently interim president at Gettysburg, and we know that she will move full steam ahead in building campus-wide support for her vision. As an alumna who has also been a 20-year professor and a provost at Gettysburg, she deeply understands the lives of our students and faculty, who are the heart of our academic mission."

In March 2008, the board appointed Riggs to serve as interim president after the resignation of Katherine Haley Will. A national search was conducted for her replacement.

A 15-member Presidential Search Committee (PSC) — chaired by Trustee Bob Duelks and comprised of faculty, alumni, trustees, an administrator and a student — received more than 100 applications for the position. With the assistance of the professional search firm Storbeck-Pimentel, the PSC winnowed the field to 30 candidates, interviewing 12 and carefully reviewing six semi-finalists before making the final selection. Throughout this process the search firm and committee members checked references of the candidates.

"We enjoyed meeting a very impressive slate of candidates," Duelks said. "But at every turn Janet Riggs remained in the top tier. She set herself apart with her passion, commitment and vision for her alma mater. Throughout the process, her understanding of where liberal arts education is headed, her vision for advancement of Gettysburg, her operational insights and her relationship-building skills helped set her apart. In addition, we had the good fortune of actually observing her in the role and enjoyed watching her execute the responsibilities with passion and commitment."

"We say that Gettysburg College produces great leaders, and Janet Morgan Riggs exemplifies that claim," Duelks added.

Riggs accepted the appointment with enthusiasm. "It is a great honor and privilege to accept the appointment as 14th president by the College's Board of Trustees, she said. "Since 1981 Gettysburg College and the local community have been my home. I am thrilled to be asked to serve my alma mater in this way," Riggs said.

Riggs has served Gettysburg College in a variety of faculty and administrative roles for 27 years. Prior to her appointment last March she served as provost for one year, after having served as interim provost in 2006-07 and in 1995-96. Riggs was also executive assistant to the president under Gordon Haaland from 1991 to 1994.

After graduating summa cum laude from Gettysburg College with a B.A. in psychology and mathematics in 1977, Riggs received her M.A. and Ph.D. in social psychology from Princeton University. She began her academic career as an instructor in psychology at Gettysburg College where she was promoted through the ranks to professor of psychology. She has also served as chair of the psychology department. Riggs has taught courses in experimental methods, social psychology and general psychology.

She has combined a successful teaching career with active scholarship in her field of social psychology. Her research interests include expectancy confirmation, gender role stereotypes and attributions for behavior. She has published numerous articles on her research and currently serves as consulting editor for the Psychology of Women Quarterly.

Riggs is the recipient of the Gettysburg College Student Senate Faculty Appreciation Award, Thompson Award for Distinguished Teaching and Gettysburg College Woman of Distinction Award.

A native of suburban Philadelphia, Riggs and her husband Ed, also a member of the Gettysburg College Class of 1977 and a teacher at the Gettysburg Area Middle School, are the parents of three grown children.

While Riggs is the first alumna to be named president, three alumni who graduated from Pennsylvania College (now Gettysburg College) in the 19th century also served as president to their alma mater. They were: Milton Valentine, Class of 1850, served from 1868-1884; Harvey Washington McKnight, Class of 1865, served from 1884-1904; and Samuel Gring Hefelbower, Class of 1891, served from 1904-1910.