Lenoir-Rhyne inaugurates Summer McGee, Ph.D., as 13th president

On Oct. 16, 2025, Lenoir-Rhyne University formally installed Summer Johnson McGee, Ph.D., as its 13th president during an inauguration ceremony in P.E. Monroe Auditorium. McGee is the first woman to serve as president of the 135-year-old institution.

The ceremony, under the theme “Shining Ever Brighter,” highlighted the university’s spirit, academic excellence and community traditions. Faculty, staff, students, alumni and local leaders attended. The program included student-led readings and musical performances by the Lenoir-Rhyne Brass and Percussion Ensemble and the A Cappella Choir.

The Rev. Emily Hartner, bishop of the North Carolina Synod of the ELCA, delivered the welcome and benediction. D. Michael “Mickey” Payseur ’71, current chair of the board of trustees, and Madeleine Dassow ’75, past chair and co-chair of the presidential search committee, administered the oath of office. Leaders representing higher education, the local community, campus faculty and staff, alumni and students, including Hope Williams, Ph.D., president of North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, and Hank Guess, mayor of Hickory, delivered remarks. Delegates from 43 institutions nationwide attended, and university presidents in North Carolina, Tennessee and beyond extended congratulations.  

During her inaugural address, McGee reflected on the university’s legacy and the community that sustains it. “Today we celebrate not only an inauguration, but the continuation of a living legacy — a university rooted in tradition that is ready to do what is required for a new day: to inspire the people and ideas that will make our world a better place,” she said, expressing gratitude to all those assembled.

She also highlighted the values that define Lenoir-Rhyne: “Inauguration is a defining moment when we reaffirm who we are and the values that make this place extraordinary — excellence, integrity, curiosity and care. Those four words are the living rhythm of this community … the desire to compete and become the best version of oneself, the quiet acts of kindness I’ve witnessed in the Cromer Center, the pursuit of knowledge I’ve witnessed at conferences and in classrooms, the commitment to do what is right even when it is hard. This is what makes Lenoir-Rhyne such a powerful force for good.” “

Payseur, echoed that optimism in his remarks. “Dr. McGee is a leader who listens deeply, acts boldly, and leads with both intellect and compassion. Under her guidance, we are poised to rise even higher,” he said, highlighting the board’s confidence in her leadership.

Since joining Lenoir-Rhyne as president on July 1, McGee has introduced initiatives to enhance college access and affordability and begaun developing a new strategic plan for the university. A signature effort is the Lenoir-Rhyne Tuition-Free Guarantee, announced in September 2025, which will cover 100% of undergraduate tuition for new first-year and transfer students from North and South Carolina with a family adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less. She also initiated a series of listening sessions with faculty, staff, students and alumni to help shape the university’s strategic priorities.

The inauguration ceremony capped a weeklong celebration that included the Presidential Pinball Challenge, honoring McGee and her husband, Glenn McGee, Ph.D., both avid pinball enthusiasts; Summer’s BBQ at Bear Grove, a campus cookout in the university’s outdoor community space; and a campus celebration following the ceremony. McGee also delivered the sermon during the university’s weekly chapel service and moderated a panel discussion on authentic leadership and the well-being of women leaders.

Reflecting on the future, McGee added in her remarks, “The Book of Proverbs tells us: ‘The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.’ Every discovery in a lab, every note sung in Grace Chapel, every act of service in the community, every time a Bear gives his or her all — it is a light shining ever brighter.”