Lori E. Varlotta

Lori E. Varlotta is an American academic administrator who formerly served as presidents of Hiram College (2014–2020) and California Lutheran University (2020–2024).

Lori E. Varlotta
8th President of California Lutheran University
In office September 2020 – May 2024
Preceded by	Chris Kimball
Succeeded by	John Nunes
22nd President of Hiram College
In office 2014–2020
Personal details
Education	University of Notre Dame (BA) Syracuse University (MS) Miami University (PhD)

Early life and education

Varlotta was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A first-generation college student, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Science in cultural foundations of education from Syracuse University, and PhD in educational leadership and feminist philosophy from Miami University.^[1][2] Though grateful for the formal education she received, she often credits her working-class parents, grandparents, and hometown community as teaching her life’s most important lessons.^[3]

Career

Varlotta’s first academic presidency was at Hiram College,^[4][5][6][7] where she served for six years as the institution’s 22nd president. Under her leadership, Hiram College staff, faculty, and students celebrated many firsts and broke important college records. During each of the years she was at the helm, the college logged record fundraising totals. That fundraising success, coupled with her focus on monitoring revenues and expenses, helped the college strengthen its financial position.

During those same years, Varlotta positioned Hiram as The New Liberal Arts to underscore Hiram’s commitment to offering contemporary and classic majors, prioritizing interdisciplinary learning, ensuring students complete an experiential activity, and promoting Mindful Technology.^[8] The latter was brought to life through Hiram College’s "Tech and Trek," a 1:1 mobile technology program, which was the first of its kind in Ohio.^[9] Given her contributions to the Hiram turnaround process, the governing board named the central-quad area of the campus, the "Varlotta Green," in her honor.^[10]

Varlotta left Hiram to assume the presidency of California Lutheran University, a private Hispanic-Serving Institution. Her work there began in September 2020, a precarious time for the country and that Southern California campus. Like at Hiram, she was the first female president in the history of California Lutheran.^[11]

Varlotta arrived at Cal Lutheran at the height of the global pandemic, at a time when the university was facing its first budget deficit and enrollment shortfall in decades.^[12] In that same year, the university was dealing with major legal issues. It was being sued by some of its own students and employees^[13] and was also warned of a forthcoming lawsuit by a former U.S. congressman upset with the way the university was handling his archival materials.^[14]

Varlotta resigned from the presidency at California Lutheran University "four months after a lopsided faculty vote of no confidence in her leadership."^[15] The faculty "resolution ― approved by a 122-3 faculty vote ― decried Varlotta's handling of university finances and said the third-year president has 'eroded and divided' the university's 'historically close' community."^[16][17]

Before her two presidencies, Varlotta spent 11 years at California State University, Sacramento, ultimately serving as senior vice president of planning, enrollment management, and student affairs. She held other senior leadership roles at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and the University of San Francisco. Earlier in her career, she served in mid-level roles at Miami University (OH), the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, and Syracuse University.

Professional service

In addition to the leadership positions Varlotta has held at individual universities and colleges, she is a routine participant on national boards and task forces. Her involvement includes APLU’s Voluntary System of Accountability,^[18][19] the National Advisory Board for the Mandel Humanities Center,^[20] the National Advisory Board for the National Survey of Student Engagement,^[21] and the American Council on Education’s (ACE) National Task Force on the Transfer and Award of Credit.^[22] She also serves on the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities’ (NAICU) Policy and Advocacy Committee.

Thought leadership

Varlotta is also a routine contributor to the national conversation on higher education. She is frequently invited to write, blog, speak, and record podcasts on enduring and emerging issues in higher education. Her topics of discussion include the role of the liberal arts in the 21st century, technology’s place in the classroom,^[23] the college return on investment,^[24] the concept of the glass cliff, and academic restructuring.^[25]