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SAN ANTONIO. MAY 31, 2022. Trinity University is proud to announce the confirmation of Vanessa Beasley, Ph.D., as the 20th president in the school’s 153-year history. Guided by the University’s student-centered mission and vision, Beasley stands ready to lead one of the nation’s top liberal arts universities.
“Dr. Beasley is an outstanding leader with strong values who will guide Trinity in its quest to become a nationally recognized liberal arts university,” says Melody Meyer, Trinity Board of Trustees chair and Trinity alumna. “She has deep experience in academic excellence and is exceptional at building relationships locally and nationally.”
Beasley, Trinity’s first female president, stands ready to lead one of the nation's top private undergraduate institutions—home to a diverse student population reflective of San Antonio and the Southwest. For decades, Trinity graduates have stayed in the Alamo City to lead, teach, and innovate. Alumni have served as mayors, city managers, city council members, and entrepreneurs. They have led research projects in urban studies, biotechnology, and sport analytics. They are a part of the Trinity Network which is more than 8,000 strong in the nation's 7th largest city.
Please click on this link to view a video of Trinity Board chair Melody Meyer and Dr. Beasley.
“In the coming weeks and months I look forward to learning more about this great city, but here’s what I know today: Trinity is counted among one of the nation’s top liberal arts universities, and the relationship between San Antonio and Trinity will only grow stronger and greater,” Beasley says.
Beasley comes to Trinity from Vanderbilt University, where she served as vice provost for academic affairs, dean of residential faculty, and an associate professor of communication studies. Beasley’s academic expertise includes the rhetoric of American presidents, political rhetoric on immigration, and media and politics. She earned a bachelor of arts in speech communication and theatre arts from Vanderbilt, and a Ph.D. in speech communication from the University of Texas at Austin.
Beasley’s predecessor, Danny Anderson, served with distinction as Trinity’s 19th president, setting the University on a course to becoming a nationally recognized school. Anderson’s last day was May 31. Megan Mustain, Ph.D., provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, will act as interim University president until Beasley joins the campus before the start of Fall 2022 classes.
The search for a new president was conducted by a committee selected by the Board of Trustees and included individuals from the Board, faculty, administration, students, and alumni.
Earlier this year, Trinity University was reclassified by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education as a National Liberal Arts institution, better reflecting the University’s mission and strengths. With this reclassification, Trinity University is now in the National Liberal Arts category in the U.S. News & World Report (USNWR)—the University was previously ranked No. 1 in the West for 29 of 30 years.
ABOUT TRINITY UNIVERSITY
Trinity University is one of the nation’s top liberal arts and sciences universities, located in the nation’s 7th largest and most diverse city, where students learn from and participate in a multicultural urban environment. Trinity University’s student profile reflects that of a prestigious, selective national liberal arts institution, with 11,416 applications, a 31% admit rate, 665 first-year students, and 49% students of color in the Class of 2026. With our combined talents, strengths, ambitions, and passions, we are doing more than waiting for a brighter tomorrow: We’re making a better one today. Discover more about Trinity University.