Longtime Mass. educator with deep CT connections named University of Hartford president

A longtime Massachusetts educator has been named the new president of the University of Hartford, according to the school.

Lawrence P. Ward, called a  “dynamic leader in the national higher education landscape with deep Connecticut roots,” will start his new position on July 1, according to the University of Hartford.

Ward earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Connecticut, his master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Michigan, and his doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania, where he holds a faculty appointment in the Graduate School of Education, according to the University of Hartford..

Ward, vice president for learner success and dean of campus life at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, will be the University of Hartford’s seventh president and succeed Stephen Mulready, who has served as acting president since March 2023.

President Gregory Woodward retired last summer. Woodward was in the position since 2017.

“Following an extensive and comprehensive search process, the University’s Board of Regents was unanimous in our decision that Larry Ward is the right leader to steward the University of Hartford’s continued evolution and success,” Board of Regents Chair Donald Allan Jr. said, in a statement.

“The Board and I want to thank Acting President Stephen Mulready for his selfless service as our interim president in this challenging post-COVID period for higher learning institutions. He is a great example for our students in giving back throughout a successful career. He has strengthened our foundation this year, and we are ready to keep building to new heights for the benefit of our students, region, and state.”

Ward and his wife, Katerie, an elementary school teacher, are both from the Greater Hartford area and have two children: Aidan, of New York City, and Emerson, who will begin college this fall. “His extended family has been a staple in the Hartford region since the 1940s. Ward’s father is president emeritus of the Hartford Jazz Society, his mother is a retired human resources executive, and his brother is senior pastor of First Church Congregational in West Hartford.

According to the university, Ward has “played a central leadership role in shaping institutional priorities and strategic plans that have driven successful undergraduate and graduate student outcomes” in 10 years at Babson. Further, his ” focus has been on seamlessly integrating the academic and co-curricular student experience, providing robust support structures for an increasingly diverse student body.”

“I am honored and absolutely delighted to have been selected by the Board of Regents as the next president of the University of Hartford,” Ward said, also in the statement. “From my first interactions with the search committee and throughout the selection process, I felt a very strong connection and enthusiasm for the University and this extraordinary academic community. I am energized by our strategic opportunities for growth and confident in our ability to navigate the challenging landscape of higher education, while maintaining a relentless commitment to student success.”

The university noted that the search committee, in partnership with search firm WittKieffer, was led by University Regent Michael Daglio ’91, chief operating officer at Hartford HealthCare, “one of the University’s strategic partners.” Daglio says as the committee aligned what they heard from campus stakeholders with the qualifications of a large and diverse candidate pool, they seamlessly connected Ward’s professional experience, personal history, and leadership strengths with the University’s academic mission, vision, values, and goals.

“At this important moment in the University’s history, the committee has complete confidence that we found the ideal individual to keep moving our vision to reality,” Daglio said, also in the statement. “At his core, Larry is an educator and a community connector. What he demonstrated to us throughout the process is that he is also a strategic thinker, a disciplined steward of financial resources, a champion for inclusive excellence, and an entrepreneurial leader.”

Ward previously was associate dean for academic programs at American University’s Kogod School of Business in Washington, D.C. served as managing director at PRS, Inc., and as a health care account executive for Aetna.

Among leadership positions in higher education, Ward is a member of the NCAA Board of Governors, chair of the NCAA Division III Management Council, and trustee at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven.

“At each stage of my career, the hallmark of my leadership success has been my ability to authentically engage within and beyond my campus community,” Ward said in the statement. “In my experience, leading with personal authenticity and humility, as well as with vision and strategy, builds credibility, increases trust, and strengthens people’s willingness to work well together. That’s how I will approach my presidency at UHart.”

The university noted Ward has twice been recognized as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Business Leaders of Color by the Charles River Chamber of Commerce, MetroWest, Massachusetts, is a 2023 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award and William B. Castetter Alumni Award of Merit from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, and received the Pillar of the Profession Award in 2021 by the NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

“My most fundamental truth is that leadership success is about the people whom I lead and the communities that I serve,” Ward said. “Without question, returning home to Hartford to lead this incredible institution into its next chapter is a very special and exciting opportunity for my family and me.”

Allan said, “Stanley Black & Decker, Hartford HealthCare, Pratt & Whitney, and other industry leaders in Connecticut are stepping up to make significant investments into the University of Hartford.

“We recognize the talented pipeline of students receiving an exceptional and hands-on educational experience at UHart, and what that means for the future of our workforce in the state. It’s a transformational time and President-Elect Ward will be a critical partner in our growth.”

Ward said, “I have long admired the University’s unique array of schools and academic units, including compelling combinations of the liberal, performing, and creative arts, with great depth in the sciences and professions.

“As president, I will embrace not only UHart’s mission, proud history, and strengths, but also confidently lean into new opportunities and substantive challenges—while demonstrating a deep appreciation for the values of transparency and community engagement.”