Hartwick College President Drugovich to retire in summer 2022

ONEONTA, N.Y. — Hartwick College President Margaret Drugovich plans to retire during the summer of 2022.

She shared her decision in a letter to all members of the Hartwick College board of trustees and in a communication to the full college community.

Drugovich will collaborate with the board to determine the date of her retirement, per a Hartwick news release.

“It has been my honor to lead Hartwick over these past 13 years, and to do so in partnership with the College’s dedicated trustees and our entire community,” Drugovich said. “Working together with our talented faculty and staff, steadfast alumni, and generous supporters, we have enhanced the College’s ability to prepare our students for meaningful and successful lives after graduation, strengthened Hartwick’s national reputation, and increased the College’s role in regional economic development.”

In her tenure as president, Drugovich has overseen the development of several initiatives. They include FlightPath, an approach to education and professional preparation designed to provide students with the skills necessary to succeed in a global economy post-graduation.

They also included an accelerated three-year degree program, the development of six undergraduate majors, a graduate-level program in translational biomedical research management, and “significant” investments in campus infrastructure.

At the same time, Drugovich led the development of Hartwick’s Center for Craft Food & Beverage on the college’s campus in 2014 and Hartwick’s new Grain Innovation Center, which will be located in downtown Oneonta.

The Hartwick College board of trustees has started a search to choose its 11th president. The college’s goal is to identify a new leader by the start of the 2022-2023 academic year as Hartwick celebrates the 225th anniversary of its founding.