The University of Puget Sound invites visionary leaders to consider the opportunity to serve as its 15th president. Located in the vibrant Pacific Northwest, Puget Sound seeks a champion of the liberal arts to advance its mission of academic excellence and social impact. The next president will foster inclusive community, strengthen institutional sustainability, and guide Puget Sound to the next level of national distinction.
Established in 1888, the University of Puget Sound is a premier independent liberal arts college located in the vibrant North End of Tacoma, Washington. Rooted in the Pacific Northwest, Puget Sound empowers Loggers to pursue a rigorous curriculum across more than 50 traditional and interdisciplinary areas of undergraduate study and five graduate programs. It has expanded its academic offerings to include a new undergraduate emphasis in AI and Human Values, a minor in data analytics, and a hybrid M.Ed. in Counseling. Over the past five years, Puget Sound has also added majors in neuroscience, crime law and justice, and songwriting. The university has created a new environmental studies and sciences department, and received accreditation for the first BA program in a prison in Washington state. Puget Sound has also launched a master in public health program. These programs reflect the university’s commitment to preparing students for the ethical and technical challenges of the modern era.
The role of president of the University of Puget Sound is distinguished by the opportunity to lead an institution with a clear sense of purpose, a deeply committed community, a record of stable leadership, and tangible, positive momentum. For the next president, the university offers a rare balance of stability and aspiration: an environment in which thoughtful, forward-looking leadership can focus on student success, innovation, and growth at a place where community members truly care for one another.
Puget Sound’s enduring commitment to the liberal arts and student success stands out as a leading attraction of the presidency. Across constituencies, there is profound pride in the university’s identity as a liberal arts institution that integrates intellectual rigor with experiential learning, interdisciplinary inquiry, select graduate programs, and close student–faculty engagement. Experiential learning is not peripheral but embedded in the curriculum and culture, positioning the institution well for contemporary conversations about career preparation and civic responsibility.
The 15th president will have the opportunity to articulate a compelling vision of a liberal arts education at Puget Sound as a modern, future-oriented enterprise that prepares graduates for resiliency, complexity, leadership, and lifelong learning. The university’s longstanding commitments and fresh approaches for living its values represent a prescient opportunity for a president who can serve as an articulate and inspiring advocate for Puget Sound.
Equally important is the expectation that the president will pair a deep appreciation for the liberal arts with strategic and financial acumen. This is a leader who understands higher education as both an academic and an organizational enterprise, one requiring disciplined financial stewardship, data-informed decision-making, and a clear understanding of enrollment dynamics.
A terminal degree, along with a record of scholarly and professional excellence appropriate to lead and engage a unique and dynamic academic community, is expected. Leading candidates for the presidency of University of Puget Sound will be highly collaborative with distinguished records of accomplishment in higher education or a closely related professional field. The next president will articulate a compelling, contemporary vision for liberal arts education and advancing it at Puget Sound, value curiosity, creativity, interdisciplinarity, experiential learning, and intellectual rigor, and champion the liberal arts as preparation for a complex world, engaged citizenship, and leadership.
DSG | Storbeck has been exclusively retained for this engagement, led by managing directors Susan VanGilder and Jim Sirianni, Ph.D., managing associate Danielle Mebert, Ed.D., and senior search associate Kamilah Allen.
To view the full leadership profile, please visit this website: https://dsgco.com/search/23069-university-of-puget-sound-president
To apply: for best consideration, submit a compelling letter of interest and curriculum vita via our Talent Profile (not via email) before Aug. 21, 2026.
Inquiries may be sent to pugetsoundpresident@dsgco.com. All applications, nominations, and inquiries are strictly confidential.
