Christine Riordan

Christine M. Riordan is an academic administrator and was the 10th president of Adelphi University in New York from 2015 to 2025.

Christine M. Riordan
Adelphi President Dr. Christine Riordan
10th President of Adelphi University
In office July 1, 2015 – June 20, 2025
Preceded by	Robert Allyn Scott
Personal details
Education	Georgia Institute of Technology (BEng) Georgia State University (MBA, PhD)

Career

From 1995 to 2005, at the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia, Riordan was the founding and managing director of the Institute for Leadership Advancement.^[1]

As associate dean for external relations and the Luther Henderson University Chair of Strategic Management and Leadership at the Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University from 2005 to 2008, Riordan was responsible for the functions of marketing, public relations, alumni relations, executive education and student leadership programs. Additionally, she served as the business school liaison to develop the university’s new interdisciplinary TCU Energy Institute.^[2] Riordan served as dean of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver (DU) from 2008 to 2013.^[3] From 2013 to 2015, Riordan was provost at the University of Kentucky,^[4] where she oversaw all academic operations.^[5]

Riordan has been president of Adelphi University since July 1, 2015^[6] and the first woman to serve in the position.^[7] In Riordan’s first year she held a "100-Day Listening Tour", during which she met with students, faculty, and staff to learn about the university’s strengths and areas of potential growth. This became the foundation for the university's first strategic plan, Momentum.^[8]

Riordan serves on governing or advisory boards for Adelphi University,^[9] Commission for Independent Colleges and Universities in New York,^[10] Long Island Regional Council for Higher Education,^[11] RE/MAX Holdings, Inc,^[12] and Long Island Association.^[13]

Awards

• Long Island Press Power List of the 50 most influential people on Long Island (2016)^[14] (2017)^[15] (2018)^[16]
• Bethpage Best of Long Island Awards Best College President (2017)^[17]
• Advancement for Commerce, Industry & Technology (ACIT) Monsignor Hartman Humanitarian Award (2017)^[18]
• Premier Business Woman of Long Island (2019)^[19]

Publications

Riordan's written work has been distributed in the Harvard Business Review,^[20][21] Forbes,^[22][23] CNN,^[24] and Politico.^[25]