President

William J. Bisset, Ph.D.

William J. Bisset, Ph.D., began his term as Lourdes University’s 12th President on June 6, 2023. He comes to Lourdes from Marymount University where he served as Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs since 2020. Dr. Bisset has 34 years of experience in Catholic higher education administration, including key leadership roles at Marymount and Manhattan College.

Under his leadership, Manhattan College and Marymount University experienced record growth in their undergraduate and graduate applicant pools while remaining faithful to their mission-centric commitments of serving diverse students and families of modest financial means.

His innovative initiatives helped make Manhattan one of the most ethnically diverse Catholic colleges in the United States and Marymount the only federally designated Hispanic-serving institution in the Commonwealth of Virginia. His diverse professional experiences and personal qualities closely match those needed to leaded Lourdes University. As President, Dr. Bisset brings a unique depth of administrative experience in higher education; a collaborative, energetic leadership style; and an unwavering commitment to integrity and excellence.

In addition to a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Higher Education Leadership, Management and Policy from Seton Hall University, Dr. Bisset received a Master of Education degree in Educational Administration, Policy, and Planning from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Saint Anselm College.