BALTIMORE, Md. – Notre Dame of Maryland University’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Abagail “Abby” Van Vlerah, an innovative leader and student success champion, as the institution’s 15th president. Dr. Van Vlerah will begin her presidency at NDMU effective July 6, 2026, leading the 131-year-old comprehensive university founded in Baltimore by the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND).
A mission-aligned administrator, Dr. Van Vlerah brings more than a decade of senior leadership experience in higher education, including service as an academic dean, a chief operating officer, and a vice president. She comes to NDMU from Manchester University in Indiana, where she is vice president for student success and institutional strategy and leads more than 70 employees in student services, athletics, academic support and operations, and mental health delivery.
In that position, Dr. Van Vlerah created a health sciences recruitment plan focused on strengthening undergraduate-to-graduate pipelines, expanding collaborations with industry partners, and enhancing visibility in regional markets that resulted in a 40 percent enrollment growth. She also played a pivotal leadership role in developing Manchester’s comprehensive strategic plan, ensuring the plan reflected institutional values and included metrics tied to student success, enrollment, and financial sustainability.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Abagail Van Vlerah to Notre Dame of Maryland University as our 15th president to advance the University’s mission of educating leaders to transform the world,” said Cathryn Curia ’69, chair of the NDMU Board of Trustees. “Dr. Van Vlerah is a results-oriented leader with a strategic and collaborative approach to decision making that enhances enrollment and retention, strengthens institutional growth, and promotes fiscal responsibility. We look forward to partnering with her to advance NDMU’s leadership position in providing a transformative education to 21st century learners.”
Dr. Van Vlerah joined Manchester in 2019, previously serving as vice president for student life and interim vice president for enrollment and marketing. As vice president for student life, she initiated a holistic retention strategy that increased first-year retention by 7 percent within a year. She also led the university-wide COVID-19 response, prioritizing safety and academic continuity through innovative, student-centered adaptations for in-person learning. As interim vice president for enrollment and marketing, she developed a comprehensive recruitment and marketing strategy that increased first-time, full-time enrollment by 6 percent using targeted branding and lead generation.
“As a practicing Catholic and a graduate of a Catholic women’s college, I am deeply aligned with Notre Dame of Maryland University’s mission and the charism of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. What attracted me to Notre Dame of Maryland University was the opportunity to lead an institution where faith, justice, education, and transformation are not aspirational ideals, but lived commitments,” said Dr. Van Vlerah. “My commitment to academic excellence is rooted in a deep belief in the liberal arts as the foundation for critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and lifelong learning, paired with a clear-eyed understanding of the need for market-responsive professional programs.”
She added: “At my core, my vision for higher education is one that is unapologetically mission-driven and sufficiently nimble to meet a rapidly changing world. Institutions must reassert their value by clearly articulating how they educate the whole person, intellectually, ethically, spiritually, and practically, while embracing innovation that expands access and relevance. Notre Dame of Maryland University embodies this balance.”
Previously, she served at Long Island University as the dean and chief operating officer for the Suffolk Regional Campuses and the dean of student life and student success. She has held leadership roles at Bowling Green University in Ohio, Mercy College in New York, Trine University in Indiana, Saint Mary’s College in Indiana, and the University of Wyoming.
“From the very beginning, Abby’s strong track record of leading student-focused initiatives and her success in aligning institutional strategies to measurable, achievable outcomes impressed the members of the Presidential Search Committee. She embodies the leadership qualities, breadth of experience, and demonstrated achievements that we sought for the next president of Notre Dame of Maryland University,” said Charmaine Krohe, SSND ’75, a trustee and chair of the NDMU Presidential Search Committee. “Abby’s leadership style reflects a servant’s heart and a deep commitment to social responsibility, inclusive communities, and transformative education – essential elements of the charism of our foundresses, the School Sisters of Notre Dame.”
An engaged community leader, Dr. Van Vlerah has served as vice president of both the North Manchester Historical Society and Steuben Regional Lakes Waste District, board member of the United Fund of Wabash County, and member of the Madeleva Society Steering Committee at Saint Mary’s College.
She holds a Ph.D. in American cultural studies from Bowling Green State University, a master’s degree in American studies from the University of Wyoming, and bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s College.
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.