Office of the President
Carolyn Noll Sorg
27th President of John Carroll University
Leading our Jesuit Catholic community in pursuit of academic excellence, character, and service.
Biography
The 27th President of John Carroll University.
Term BEGAN June 1, 2026
At JCU Since 2023
Hometown Northeast Ohio
Office Saint Ignatius Hall
Education Miami University Ohio · Columbia University · Baldwin Wallace University
Previously Vice President for Enrollment & Marketing, John Carroll University
Carolyn Noll Sorg is the 27th President of John Carroll University and began her tenure on June 1, 2026. A collaborative and forward-thinking leader, she brings nearly two decades of experience in enrollment strategy, organizational design, and mission-centered innovation to the role.
Since joining John Carroll in 2023, Noll Sorg has helped strengthen the university’s momentum through growth in applications and enrollment, increased admission selectivity, expanded national reach, and new philanthropic commitments supporting student success. She is also partnering with Academic Affairs to develop Onward, a major new initiative launching in fall 2026 that reflects JCU’s Jesuit mission by uniting faculty, advisors, and mentors around a coordinated, purposeful student experience and career launch.
Prior to her work at John Carroll, Noll Sorg was a leader in College Board’s BigFuture division, where she consulted with a portfolio of leading national research universities and liberal arts colleges while developing tools to connect students across the country to educational opportunities at more than 1,500 colleges and universities. Earlier roles at Ursuline College, the University of Akron, Baldwin Wallace University, and Barnard College shaped her student-centered, analytically grounded, and design-informed leadership approach.
Noll Sorg holds a Master of Fine Arts in Experience Design from Miami University, where her thesis examined radical hospitality and the campus visit through a design-thinking lens. She also earned a Master of Arts in Higher Education from Columbia University and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Baldwin Wallace University.
A Northeast Ohio native, Noll Sorg lives in Independence with her husband, Brendan, and their two children, Jackson and Anneliese.
“John Carroll is a rare standout in higher education: a place where Jesuit formation meets distinctive excellence, and where students grow into the strongest versions of themselves. As president, I see tremendous opportunity to expand John Carroll’s reach, making our university, and Cleveland, a true national destination for students. I believe that work continues by raising the standard of excellence, removing barriers, and leaning into our Jesuit Catholic mission.”
— Carolyn Noll Sorg
Board of Trustees
Stewards of the University’s mission.
Fifty-four trustees provide oversight of the institution’s strategic direction, financial health, and Jesuit Catholic mission. The Board is led by Co-Chairs William P. Donnelly ’83 and Nancy Cunningham Benacci ’77.
Co-Chair
WD
William P. Donnelly ’83
Retired Executive Vice President, Mettler ToledoCo-Chair
NB
Nancy Cunningham Benacci ’77
Retired Managing Director of Equity Research, KeyBanc Capital MarketsVictor B. Alexander ’02
EVP, Consumer Banking, KeyCorpRita Carroll ’86
Director of Corporate Strategy, SouthWest Water Co.Barbara J. Duganier ’79
Former Global CFO, Andersen WorldwideRev. John P. Fitzgibbons, S.J.
Superior, Jesuit Community in NE OhioChristopher Gessner
President & CEO, Akron Children’s HospitalBen Jackson ’95
President, Intercontinental ExchangeBradley Knapp ’96
President & CEO, ClearsteadKirsten Marriner ’94
EVP & Chief Administrative Officer, CloroxCatherine O’Malley Kearney ’94
EVP & National Head, Key Private BankCarol J. Simon, Ph.D. ’78
Senior Vice President, UnitedHealth GroupJason Therrien ’01
Founder & Partner, thunder::techPaul M. Voinovich ’94
Owner & Principal, Vocon, Inc.Directors Emeriti
Evelyn Jenkins Gunn, Ph.D. ’72G
Carnegie Scholar & Fellow, National Academy of EducationAnnette L. Haile ’74
Retired Vice President, IBMRichard J. Kramer ’86
Chairman, CEO & President, Goodyear Tire & RubberMichael J. Merriman ’78
Past Chair · Operations Advisor, Resilience Capital PartnersAudrey Gilbert Ratner
Community Leader, Cleveland and ChicagoBarbara S. Schubert ’62, ’67G, ’80G
Retired Associate Director, The Ohio BalletDave W. Short ’81
Past Chair · Retired Chairman & CEO, American Funds GroupRaymond E. Smiley ’51
Retired Chief Financial Officer, Bearings, Inc.Joseph D. Sullivan ’53
Retired Partner, Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP
