Presidential Inauguration
William J. Bisset, Ph.D., was inaugurated as the 12th President of Lourdes University on October 29, 2023. The inauguration featured a liturgy at Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel at 11:00 a.m., followed by Dr. Bisset’s official installation at the Franciscan Center at 1:00 p.m., with a reception afterward. Dr. Bisset had been leading the University since June 6, following unanimous approval from the Lourdes Board and the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania. He succeeded Terry M. Keller, Ph.D., who served as interim president since October 2022.
Make an Inauguration Gift
To commemorate the inauguration of Dr. William Bisset as the 12th President of Lourdes University, The Sisters of St. Francis launched the Presidential Discretionary Fund. This fund is dedicated to supplying the necessary resources for advancing strategic and mission-centric initiatives within the Lourdes University community.
Watch the Inauguration Ceremony
A recording of the Eucharistic Liturgy celebrating the Inauguration of Dr. William J. Bisset can be viewed on the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania’s website.
About Dr. Bisset
William J. Bisset, Ph.D., assumed the role as the 12th president of Lourdes University on June 6, 2023.
Dr. William J. Bisset has 35 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.
“My tenures at Marymount and Manhattan have afforded me opportunities to gain the experience needed to address challenges that Lourdes and other mission-based, tuition-dependent institutions will face in the coming years,” says Dr. Bisset, whose roles have also included positions at Assumption and Saint Anselm Colleges.
“My diverse professional experiences and personal qualities closely match those needed to lead Lourdes University during these challenging times in American higher education. I appreciate the value of working closely with a University’s deans and faculty to successfully grow graduate and continuing education programs and have done so both at Manhattan College and Marymount University. As Lourdes University’s next president, I will bring 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.
In 2016, Bisset was awarded the prestigious Lasallian Medal by the Board of Trustees at LaSalle Academy in New York City. The Lasallian Medal represents the school’s highest honor and recognized Bisset for his dedication and commitment to Catholic education in New York City and for providing opportunities to countless first generation college students during his many years of work in Catholic higher education.
Dr. Bisset holds Board positions with the Sylvania Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges, the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio, the Regional Growth Partnership of Northwest Ohio/Jobs Ohio and the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. He is also an active member of the Genesis Chapter of Legatus as well as the Rotary Club of Toledo.
Dr. Bisset is married to Kathleen Bisset. The couple have two adult sons, Brendan, an alumnus of Manhattan College (2018) and Belmont University (2021) who is currently an Associate Director of Athletics at Dartmouth College and Charlie, an alumnus of the University of Miami (2021) and the Elliot School of International Affairs at The George Washington University (2023).