Sweet Briar College to swear in new president Saturday

Sweet Briar College will swear in Jo Ellen Parker as its 10th president during an inauguration ceremony on Saturday.

Parker, 55, succeeds Elisabeth Showalter Muhlenfeld, who retired after 13 years of leadership at the women’s college.

She is an alumna and former English professor at the all-female Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, where she also worked as an academic affairs and student life administrator. Most recently, she served as executive director of the Na-tional Institute for Technology and Liberal Education, a Michigan-based nonprofit organization with a mission of “advanc-ing liberal education in the digital age.”

The ceremony, which takes place during homecoming weekend, begins at 3 p.m. in the Fitness and Athletics Center Field House. The proceedings include an inaugural address by Parker and comments from a host of speakers, including Dr. Virginia Upchurch Collier, chair of the board of directors, Dr. Mary Patterson McPherson, president emeritus of Bryn Mawr College, Dr. Kenneth Garren, president of Lynchburg College, and members of the student body, alumnae, staff and faculty.

Immediately following the inauguration, the college will celebrate Founder’s Day, a tradition that honors the school’s founder, Indiana Fletcher Williams and her family. A bagpiper will lead members of the community up Monument Hill to the Williams family burial site. After a short ceremony, students will place daisies on the grave of Indiana’s daughter, Daisy.

The day will be rounded out with dinner and dancing in Parker’s honor at 7:30 p.m., followed by fireworks at 10.