Antioch University welcomed its new President, Lori Varlotta, PhD, who assumed office on August 11, 2025. She also began her co-appointment as Executive Vice President of the Coalition for the Common Good.
Varlotta joins Antioch University at a pivotal moment. Called to model mid-21st-century distributed leadership, democratic professionalism, and impact-oriented education, she will leverage Antioch’s 173-year history and mission while guiding it forward to its next level of excellence. With forty years of academic leadership experience and a track record for being an administrator-scholar, Varlotta aims to position Antioch University as a thriving model for adult learners who are as interested in earning a degree as they are in improving the communities where they live and work.
“Dr. Varlotta is perfectly suited to move an already-strong university forward with purpose and passion. Her bold vision aligns exactly with Antioch’s mission to advance social, racial, environmental, and economic justice through experiential, learner-centered education,” said Katrin Dambrot, Chair of Antioch’s Board of Governors. “Lori is a proven innovator; she sees possibilities where others see limits. We are thrilled to bring her aboard and support her in this exciting new chapter of the University.”
Varlotta has spent her 2024-25 sabbatical year serving as a Chapman University Presidential Fellow and researching and reflecting on timely and relevant topics. Her article “Distributed Leadership in Higher Education: Antioch University as a Model of Remote Leadership” shows how Antioch’s intentional, values-driven approach to “remote” or “distributed leadership” provides concrete guidance for universities that were forced to adopt this form of leadership out of pandemic necessity.
“I truly believe that this is Antioch University’s moment, and I am energized to assume its presidential post at this exciting time in its history,” said Varlotta. “Now more than ever, adult students and the country-at-large need a tried-and-true university that has unabashedly advocated for community-based, democratic teaching and learning—not for years or even decades, but for almost two centuries. I look forward to working alongside our talented faculty, staff, students, and partners to advance Antioch’s embodied commitment to justice, equity, and the common good.”
Varlotta is the 23rd leader of Antioch University, taking on an office that was established by Antioch’s founding President, the abolitionist and “Father of American Education” Horace Mann. Her immediate predecessor is Chancellor William R. Groves, JD, who retired after nine years in the role.
Varlotta previously served as President of California Lutheran University (2020–2024) and Hiram College (2014–2020); she also held senior leadership roles at California State University, Sacramento (2003–2014), where she oversaw student affairs, enrollment, strategic planning, diversity, and Division I athletics. She holds an interdisciplinary PhD in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Feminist Philosophy, an MS in Cultural Foundations of Education, and a BA in Philosophy.
