Quinnipiac University’s second female president Marie Hardin was officially sworn in at the 10th Presidential Inauguration this morning. The ceremony was held at the M&T Bank Arena on the university’s York Hill Campus filled with students, faculty, staff and alumni representatives.

“As a first generation college student who grew up in the suburbs of Houston, I never could have imagined this moment,” Hardin said. 

Hardin was announced as the university’s 10th president in January and assumed her tenure at Quinnipiac on July 1. 

Hardin follows President Emerita Judy Olian who served as Quinnipiac’s president since 2018 after President Emeritus John Lahey who led the university for 31 years — both in attendance at the ceremony.

Keynote remarks were delivered by Alexander Clark, founder and CEO of Technolutions and member of Quinnipiac’s Board of Trustees.

“A new president signals both continuity and change, enduring the mission of this university and its readiness to meet the challenges they have as we look toward that future,” Clark said.

The ceremony included the presentation of the Chain of Office and founding documents — which signified the transfer of institutional leadership — followed by Hardin’s inaugural address.

“I envision a university united by its values and driven by purpose, where each person here, no matter their role, embraces our mission and our ambition,” Hardin said.