Leadership
Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson
Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson became Westminster College’s 15th president on July 1, 2016. Her tenure began with leading faculty and through the collaborative development of a student-focused strategic plan. This plan has grounded many of Westminster’s achievements during the past six years. The College has completed more than $45 million in campus improvements, including the renovation and expansion of the Hoyt Science Center; the addition of three new athletic fields; renovations in the Memorial Field House and Wallace Memorial Chapel; significant upgrades throughout several residence halls; and replacement of the campus wifi network. A Cultural Center opened in fall 2022 as the College continues to implement its strategic plan for diversity and equity, and the federally-funded TRIO Student Support Services program, established during Dr. Richardson’s presidency, lends additional assistance to first-generation students and those with other equity markers. New degree programs in nursing, environmental studies, marketing and professional sales, music technology, sports management, and a master of business administration have been added to the curriculum. Westminster’s accreditation was reaffirmed under Dr. Richardson’s leadership, and the nursing program also gained accreditation.
The theme of Dr. Richardson’s presidency has focused on the “We in Westminster,” emphasizing collaborative networks and the collective responsibility that arises out of a college education. To this end, Dr. Richardson has been an important partner across the Pittsburgh region and Commonwealth. She serves on and has provided leadership for the Lawrence County Regional Chamber, the Economic Development Corporation of New Wilmington, the Presidents Athletic Conference, the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities, and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania. She was recognized in City and State Pennsylvania magazine’s 2022 and 2023 Higher Education Power 100.
Before coming to Westminster College, Richardson was provost and professor of communication at Berry College, Mt. Berry. A highly regarded scholar, Richardson co-authored Media Ethics: Cases and Moral Reasoning, which is now in its 12th edition, and Applied Public Relations: Cases in Stakeholder Management, in its 3rd edition. Richardson served as editor of Journalism and Communication Monographs and was co-editor of the National Forensic Journal.
She was a member of the editorial board of Mass Communication & Society and the Journal of Mass Media Ethics. In 2014, she was recognized as the Alumna Scholar of the Year by the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication of the University of Georgia. In 2012, she received the Professor of the Year award from the Small Programs Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Dr. Richardson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Religion/Philosophy, summa cum laude, from Shorter College, a master’s degree in journalism and a doctorate in mass communication from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. She completed additional graduate coursework in communication at the University of Oklahoma.
She is married to Dr. Randy Richardson and has two adult stepchildren.
A Letter from President Richardson, June 2024
Dear Friends of Westminster College,
I often use the phrase the “We in Westminster” to describe the College’s collaborative and supportive culture. One key aspect of this culture is the commitment to excellence that springs from and enriches the connections and support found here. Each academic year offers multiple opportunities to recognize excellence in our community. During the annual Undergraduate Research and Arts Celebration more than 300 students share their knowledge and talents through posters, presentations and performances. At Honors Convocation, scholarship recipients are recognized and participants in the All-College Honors Program who have successfully defended their research receive their medallions. Students earning at least a 3.6 grade point average each term are named to the Dean’s List. The WESPY Award ceremony salutes the most valuable players on each athletic team, along with those who’ve earned other athletic honors, and the top female and male student athletes receive awards. At Commencement, we recognize those who are graduating with the high grade point averages necessary for Latin honors (cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude), and we also announce the recipient of the annual Distinguished Faculty Award. We do more than aspire to excellence—we cultivate it.
The commitment to excellence is led by our faculty and staff, and their engagement builds and sustains the “We.” Annually, faculty are awarded research grants and sabbatical leaves in recognition of their scholarship. Several coaches each year are elected as the Conference Coach of the Year. College employees gather at a luncheon each May where we thank those who have reached career milestones at Westminster and salute those who are retiring. And, monthly, we recognize an employee or employees who have excelled with the Titan Above & Beyond Award.
Each year, notable alumni receive Citations in October in recognition of their personal and professional achievements—and so often, they credit the experiences they had as Westminster students as the key foundation for their success. Similar stories are heard from the alumni who return to campus to participate in the Professional Networking Symposium, to give guest lectures, to help students polish their resumes and interview skills, to serve on Alumni Council or academic advisory committees, and to mentor the current generation of Titans. They learned to practice excellence while here at Mother Fair.
And, that excellence often prompts exceptional generosity. We witnessed this in April when we named the atrium in the Hoyt Science Center chemistry wing in honor of Bill ’53 and C.J. Maurer ’62 in recognition of their more than $1 million gift to Westminster. That gift has been designated by the Board of Trustees to help kickstart the last phase of the renovation and expansion of this key classroom and research facility, and it is the Maurers’ hope that their example will spur other exceptional giving to the College. The Maurers’ generosity will be remembered for years to come as students, faculty, staff and guests gather in the beautiful atrium now named for them, and generations of Titans will join in celebrating the Maurers’ commitment to Westminster students.
Excellence sparks excellence. It’s true in the classroom, labs and studios where excellent teaching sparks exceptional learning, and strong coaching sparks outstanding athletic performance. It’s true when alumni donate and volunteer to support our students. At Westminster, we continue to be inspired by and thankful for the excellence demonstrated by our students, faculty, staff and alumni and are delighted when we can celebrate their achievements.
It’s a great day to be a Titan!
Dr. Kathy B. Richardson
President of Westminster College