Leadership
Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson
Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson has served as Westminster College’s 15th president since July 1, 2016. Her tenure began with leading faculty and staff through the collaborative development of a student-focused strategic plan, which has grounded many of Westminster’s achievements during the past eight years. The College has completed more than $45 million in campus improvements, including the renovation and expansion of the Hoyt Science Center; the addition of three new athletic fields; renovations in the Memorial Field House and Wallace Memorial Chapel; renovations in the McKelvey Campus Center; significant upgrades throughout several residence halls; and replacement of the campus wifi network. The Westminster Entrepreneurial Center was established in 2017, and a Cultural Center opened in fall 2022. A master of business administration program was added, as was the bachelor of science in nursing degree. Westminster’s accreditation was reaffirmed under Dr. Richardson’s leadership, and the nursing program also gained accreditation.
The theme of Dr. Richardson’s presidency has focused on the “We in Westminster,” emphasizing collaborative networks and the collective responsibility that arises out of a college education. To this end, Dr. Richardson has been an important partner across the Pittsburgh region and Commonwealth. She was presented with the inaugural Female Civic Leader of the Year Impact Award from the Forward Lawrence Chamber and Economic Alliance in 2024. She has served on boards of directors for the Lawrence County Regional Chamber, the Economic Development Corporation of New Wilmington, the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities, and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania. She currently is treasurer of the Lawrence County Economic Development Corporation. She was recognized in City and State Pennsylvania magazine’s 2022 and 2023 Higher Education Power 100.
Before coming to Westminster College, Richardson was provost and professor of communication at Berry College, Mt. Berry. A highly regarded scholar, Richardson co-authored Media Ethics: Cases and Moral Reasoning, which is now in its 12th edition, and Applied Public Relations: Cases in Stakeholder Management, in its 3rd edition. Richardson served as editor of Journalism and Communication Monographs and was co-editor of the National Forensic Journal. In 2014, she was recognized as the Alumna Scholar of the Year by the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication of the University of Georgia. In 2012, she received the Professor of the Year award from the Small Programs Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Dr. Richardson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Religion/Philosophy, summa cum laude, from Shorter College, a master’s degree in journalism and a doctorate in mass communication from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. She completed additional graduate coursework in communication at the University of Oklahoma.
She is married to Dr. Randy Richardson and has two adult stepchildren.
A Letter from President Richardson, June 2025
Dear Friends of Westminster College,
The academic calendar at Westminster offers a variety of important experiences for students, including Opening Convocation, the Professional Networking Symposium and Homecoming. But perhaps the one day that best illustrates the deep value and excitement of a Westminster education is URAC—the day in April when we suspend regular courses so that students can share their best work with each other, the faculty and staff, and visitors, across various settings. URAC stands for the Undergraduate Research and Arts Celebration—and the day illustrates the distinctives that make Westminster College so impactful. This spring, more than 300 students again showed the depth of what they are learning and honing as they pursue their degrees.
Undergraduate research was highlighted throughout the day. Four poster sessions allowed students to illustrate their individual or group research projects and answer questions from those who pause to review their work. This year, students offered 108 posters, with topics ranging from “Novel Stripping Methods for Sustainable Lithium Solvent Extraction” to “Financing a Multinational Company.” Two students participated in oral presentations, reading papers such as “Love and War: Helena’s Honor in the Trojan War” and “The Role of Sleep in Emotional Memory Encoding and Retrieval.” Another four students in music, mathematics, chemistry and criminal justice studies were chosen through a competition to offer featured podium presentations.
Eleven students engaged in three research roundtables exploring the impact of literature in various contexts, and six students from English, physics and math, education, psychology, molecular biology and materials science participated in a panel explaining how they became involved in undergraduate research. Students who traveled over spring break with the Westminster Away in the National Parks class reported on their exploration of key Western parks, and four students who traveled to the Dominican Republic earlier in the term as part of a healthcare service trip shared insights gained from their experiences.
Student artists from a variety of fields shared their talents throughout the day. The trumpet troupe, trombone company and percussionists offered instrumental performances, and the Chamber Singers gave a short concert in the McKelvey TUB. Two visual arts students exhibited work in the Foster Art Gallery; another shared his work in the McKelvey Carlson Atrium. Scrawl, the College’s literary magazine, released its 2025 edition in the morning, and Sigma Tau Delta sponsored a poetry slam in the afternoon. Three students screened original videos in Mueller Theater. Nine members of the College Speech and Debate Society gave prepared, impromptu and extemporaneous speeches and performed duo interpretations of literature and slam poetry. The Quad was covered with posters of short poems written during Orientation this fall by first-year students that described where they were coming from as they began their Titan journey.
The celebration of student excellence continued into the evening at the Honors Convocation in Orr Auditorium where nine senior Honors students were presented with their medallions, inductees into the College’s honor societies received their cords and recipients of scholarships and awards were recognized. Students on the Dean’s List were recognized. Additionally, three students were honored for outstanding leadership and service.
The Convocation processional of faculty in their regalia offered a colorful representation of the variety of academic disciplines students can pursue while at Westminster; it also recognized the outstanding work our faculty offer students each year as they teach, mentor and guide student research and artistic growth. Our faculty understand that experiential learning, of which undergraduate research is one example, benefits students as they pursue internships, interview for graduate school and apply for jobs. Research and creative pursuits teach students how to manage substantial projects, think critically about different ideas and communicate in the language of a particular discipline or profession. These deep learning experiences are also often the springboard to lasting mentor relationships with faculty, which consistently appear in students’ feedback on the most important elements of their Titan education. The pride on faculty faces as their students present and perform throughout the day and are recognized with scholarships and medals during the Convocation illustrates the power of this important day at Westminster.
URAC: A celebration. A culmination. An inspiration. A great day to be a Titan!
Dr. Kathy B. Richardson
President of Westminster College