John Carroll University inaugurates 1st female president

With a copy of John Carroll University’s charter in her hands, the ceremonial keys to JCU and chain of office around her neck, Carolyn Noll Sorg officially became the 27th president of the 138-year-old Jesuit institution on Sept. 15.

Noll Sorg’s inauguration was held at the packed Athletic Wellness Center. The day marked a historic moment for John Carroll as Noll Sorg became the first woman to serve as university president.

In her emotional address, Noll Sorg highlighted the importance of listening, asking questions and creating a sense of belonging. Noll Sorg said students should know they belong at JCU and that “belonging creates the freedom to question assumptions, grow” and become more fully themselves.

Al Miciak, JCU’s immediate past president, said, “Carolyn’s vision, as she expressed in her speech, is about fulfilling the mission in new and exciting ways. This whole idea of belonging, I think, is an extremely powerful emphasis, especially on the programming associated with that and, most importantly, the people.”

Miciak was not the only audience member excited about Noll Sorg’s future at the university.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be able to be a student when your institution’s president is being inaugurated, so I’m very grateful to be here today,” said Ivan Collins, JCU class of 2029. “I know she’s going to do great things for this university and I’m very excited to see her tenure here at JCU.”

Noll Sorg was joined at the ceremony by her husband, Brendan Sorg, their children, Jackson and Anneliese, her mother, Gail Noll and her mother-in-law, Laurie Sorg.

Noll Sorg joined John Carroll in 2023 as vice president for Enrollment and Marketing. During her tenure at the university, she helped lead changes to its enrollment strategy, contributing to the university’s largest two-year increase in first-year enrollment in recent history, along with gains in its academic profile and national reach.

Her career in higher education spans more than two decades, including leadership roles at Baldwin Wallace University, Ursuline College, The University of Akron and Barnard College in New York City, as well as work with the College Board’s BigFuture team.

A lifelong Northeast Ohioan, Noll Sorg earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Baldwin Wallace, a master’s in Higher Education from Columbia University and a master’s in Fine Arts in Experience Design from Miami University.

Anna Maxwell contributed to the story.

Update: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the date of the inauguration. The story has been updated for accuracy.