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Dr. Julie Wollman is no stranger to breaking glass ceilings. Last year, she became the 10th president of Widener University and the first woman to hold the position. She was also the first woman president of Edinboro University. But Wollman doesn’t want her gender to define either of those positions. “On one hand, the fact that I’m female is, to some degree, irrelevant. It’s about whether or not I can do the job, whether I’m qualified for the job, and how well I do it,” she says. “At the same time, I recognize that I can be an important role model for our female students, as well as faculty and staff, and provide a sense that they, too, can strive for roles that maybe nobody’s ever had before.”
Wollman, for one, hopes such inspiration extends to others who may be underrepresented.
Since taking office, she’s continued to advance the university. The Wallingford resident has led a new program at Widener in which all students participate in project-based interdisciplinary learning. “I feel like education is transformational,” Wollman says.
