On July 1, 2009, Dr. Marjorie Hass became the 15th president of Austin College, the private liberal arts college located north of Dallas and the oldest college in Texas. She is the first female president in the college's 160-year history.

"Austin College's values are inspiring, and I look forward to bringing the College's strengths to the attention of a wider audience," Dr. Hass said.

The Austin College Board of Trustees selected Dr. Hass, then provost at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, for the leadership position in November 2008 after a comprehensive national search. "The selection of Dr. Hass is affirmation of our confidence that she is a rising star ideally suited to define and realize what we know will be a continued bright future for Austin College," said Robert M. Johnson, board chair. 

Appointed Muhlenberg's first provost in 2004, after a year as interim dean of the college and vice president for Academic Affairs, Dr. Hass also served as director of the college's Center for Ethics from 2000 to 2003. She began her career at Muhlenberg in 1993, teaching in the philosophy department, and she earned tenure in 1998 and promotion to full professor in 2006. She specializes in the philosophy of logic and the philosophy of language. She earned her Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1993 and her B.A. and M.A. degrees at the same institution in 1987 and 1989.

The president is married to Larry Hass, who holds a Ph.D. in philosophy and will serve as an Austin College professor of humanities, teaching interdisciplinary courses. He will continue his own professional scholarship, which includes working as a performance artist and teaching and lecturing for magicians. The couple has two children, Jessica, who will be a sophomore at Sherman High School, and Cameron, a junior at Muhlenberg College. Dr. Hass said her family is thrilled to join the warm and welcoming Austin College community.