The Hartford International University Board of Trustees has selected Rev. Dr. Sherry Turner as the 12th president of the 191-year-old institution. On July 1, 2025, Turner will succeed President Joel N. Lohr, who has led HIU since 2018.
Turner was recently the vice president of strategic initiatives at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. She is also an alum of HIU’s Black Ministries Program and, since 2023, has been a member of its board of trustees.
Turner will be the first African American and the third woman to lead HIU. She earned a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and also holds a master’s degree in developmental psychology from North Carolina State University, a master’s in theological studies from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology, anthropology and sociology from Rhodes.
A native of Memphis, Turner has led Rhodes’ efforts to achieve strategic goals and foster inclusive excellence. Before that, she served as the director of institutional success and support for UNCF’s Institute for Capacity Building and as the executive director and CEO of the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Consortium.
In the AUC position, Turner led joint strategic initiatives for Spelman College, Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse School of Medicine. She was a founder and director of the AUC’s Communiversity, a lifelong learning institute that connects colleges and communities.
At Spelman College, Turner served as vice president for student affairs and as the president’s chief of staff. From 1990 to 2002, she worked at Mount Holyoke College as a faculty member, academic dean and ombudsperson.
In addition to being president, Turner will serve as professor of psychology and practice at HIU. Ecumenical at heart, she was raised and ordained in the Baptist church. Her experiences in ministry and the academy, particularly with diverse communities, sparked her passion to work in interfaith settings.
“I treasure this opportunity to provide leadership to solidify HIU’s position as the nation’s leading resource for interreligious education, research, and peace studies,” she said. “I look forward to collaborating with our trustees, administrators, faculty, staff and students to create a shared vision and roadmap for doing so.”
“I am deeply honored to have been selected to lead an institution that I love,” said Turner. “HIU played an important role in my development as an ordained minister and helped me to balance my identity as a faith leader and as a scholar-researcher in the academy.”
