DeSales Adjunct Professor Installed as President of Maria College

Photo Credit: Kris Qua

 

DeSales University is celebrating the installation of Lynn Ortale, Ph.D., adjunct professor, as the sixth president of Maria College in Albany, New York.

The installation, which occurred on May 6, 2023, is a testament to her exceptional expertise and unwavering commitment to fostering excellence in higher education.

“Dr. Ortale exemplifies the following quote from Catherine McAuley, the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy of Maria College: ‘We should be shining lamps giving light to all around us,’” said Kelley Kenney, Ed.D., director of the graduate program in higher education. “At this time of change and uncertainty in higher education, Lynn's transformational mission-driven and student-focused leadership approach provides a beacon of great hope and optimism for the continued success of Maria College as an innovative leader in health care education.”

During her three years as an adjunct professor for DeSales’ graduate program in higher education, Ortale has exhibited a profound passion for fostering an engaging learning environment. Students describe her as a role model that they look up to, fulfilling the responsibilities of educator and mentor with energy and heart. They note that she goes above and beyond to support them, even assuming the role of mom or grandmom when needed.

“Her warmth, kindness, sense of humor, and genuine care and compassion for all those whose lives she touches stand out,” said Kenney. “Education is not just a role for Lynn, it is her life's vocation. I am proud to have her serve as an adjunct instructor in our graduate program for higher education, contributing to the preparation of the next generation of leaders in the field, and blessed to call her a trusted friend. I wish her much happiness and success as the sixth president of Maria College.”