UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, OH - The John Carroll University Board of Directors has selected Carolyn Noll Sorg, its current Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing, as the 27th president of John Carroll University. She will succeed President Alan R. Miciak, who will retire on May 31, 2026, after five years of transformative leadership. Noll Sorg will assume office on.
 
"The John Carroll University Board of Directors has significant ambitions for the institution. We wanted a leader capable of realizing this vision. Throughout the search process, Carolyn Noll Sorg stood out for her strategic thinking, her understanding of our community, and her commitment to our Jesuit Catholic mission," said Bill Donnelly ’83, Co-Chair of the JCU Board of Directors and Chair of the Presidential Search Committee. “In her time at John Carroll, she has been central to the development, implementation, and execution of our Inspired Futures Strategy. This strategy helped to transform the institution and provided us with strong, positive momentum at a time when many other institutions are struggling. As a Board, we have no doubt that her extraordinary leadership will continue the momentum and help us reach new heights.”

A Record of Innovation and Institutional Impact
Since joining John Carroll in 2023 as Vice President for Enrollment Management, Noll Sorg has spearheaded several of the most consequential initiatives in the university’s recent history. Her teams have generated the largest two-year increase in first-year enrollment this century, strengthened the university’s financial position, and ignited a renewed sense of possibility across campus. In 2024, she was promoted to Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing, overseeing the university’s marketing and communications efforts.
 
During her tenure, the teams led by Noll Sorg have:

• Increased student diversity and the institution’s geographic reach, with a 43% increase in out-of-state students choosing John Carroll since 2023.
• Delivered the largest applicant pool and the most selective acceptance rate in university history.
• Improved school counselor and high school relationships in Ohio and beyond, establishing John Carroll’s reputation in new markets across the country.
• Secured $7 million in philanthropic support for the university’s Go National strategy.
• Tackled ambitious modernization projects with speed and quality, including a new campus visit experience, website, and student-centric activities.
• Spearheaded the most consequential research initiative in the university’s history to design and launch Onward—a bold, values-driven reimagining of the student experience that integrates every dimension of academic and personal formation while positioning John Carroll University for national distinction in career readiness.

Noll Sorg brings exceptional strategic vision, executive leadership, a deep understanding of the Jesuit Catholic mission, and outstanding communication skills, which position her to lead with clarity, purpose, and conviction. With strengths in enrollment strategy, institutional storytelling, student experience design, and mission-centered leadership, she offers the integrated approach needed to guide John Carroll into its next era of growth.
 
“I am honored to be selected as the 27th president of John Carroll University. I am tremendously grateful to the Board of Directors, the search committee, and especially to President Al Miciak for his transformative leadership of our University,” said Carolyn Noll Sorg, Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing.
At the start of his presidency in 2021, President Miciak offered a clear vision for elevating the student experience at John Carroll. Among many other initiatives and projects, this vision became tangible with the opening of the 125,000-square-foot Athletic, Wellness & Event (AWE) Center, the launch of the College of Health, John Carroll’s transition to the North Coast Athletic Conference, and the start of construction on Gateway North—a mixed-use development featuring retail space and apartments for upperclass students. President Miciak’s five-year, $100 million Inspired Futures strategy set the stage for a period of undeniable momentum. With application numbers on the rise again for the class of 2030 and poised to set yet another record, the energy and enthusiasm across campus are stronger than ever.
 
“When Al invited me to join his team in 2023, I was eager to be a part of the Inspired Futures strategy, which I saw as bold, smart, and a bright spot in the complicated national narrative on higher education,” said Noll Sorg. “Now, as his successor, I’m excited to build on all Al has accomplished, alongside an incredibly talented Senior Leadership Team, our innovative, brilliant colleagues on the faculty, and the committed staff that model our mission with students every day.”
 
Enduring Leadership and Commitment to Jesuit Formation
Noll Sorg is widely recognized by faculty and staff for her strong command of evidence and systems thinking, her commitment to continuous improvement, and a leadership style marked by empathy, clarity, and optimism. 

“Carolyn’s way of proceeding and personal qualities as a leader—her ability to accompany her team, see them as whole people, and inspire them as they strive for excellence—are extraordinary examples of how she lives our Jesuit Catholic mission in her daily work, said Dr. Ed Peck, Vice President for Mission and Identity. "She brings an extraordinary level of creativity and care to all that she does.” 

Reflecting on her approach, Noll Sorg emphasized that the strength of John Carroll rests on the strength of its people. “We are fortunate to have an exceptionally talented leadership team at John Carroll,” she said. “My job as president is to activate that talent by trusting their expertise, removing barriers, and creating the conditions for excellence. When leaders are empowered, collaborative, and when mission guides our decisions, we unlock the full potential of the university.”
 
She noted the essential role of shared governance and partnership with faculty in the work ahead. “I deeply value the expertise of our faculty and intend to work closely with my partners in Academic Affairs to align strategy, invest in what students need to learn and thrive, and ensure our academic mission remains at the heart of everything we do.”
 
Reverend Karl J. Kiser, S.J., Provincial of the Midwest Jesuits, affirmed the alignment between Noll Sorg’s leadership and Jesuit values. 

“As Provincial of the Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus, I am very pleased to mission Carolyn Noll Sorg as the 27th President of John Carroll University. I am confident that under her leadership, JCU's strong academic excellence will continue to flourish, and that her leadership will deepen and widen John Carroll's Catholic and Jesuit tradition,” he stated.
 
A New Chapter at John Carroll
As Noll Sorg prepares for her role as JCU’s next president, she intends to build on and evolve John Carroll’s strategy in ways that serve the university’s students and mission, while keeping an eye to the headwinds and market pressures facing higher education.
 
To Noll Sorg, this includes ongoing efforts to prioritize and secure the quality and breadth of John Carroll’s liberal arts foundation and, alongside faculty and academic leaders, evaluate emerging opportunities for new programs rooted in in-demand professional fields. 
 
“We know from our research that students today want to be challenged academically. They aren’t afraid of hard work, they want to have options to explore what excites them intellectually, and, at the same time, build skills and professional knowledge that will align with their career launch,” said Noll Sorg. “At John Carroll, because of our standout College of Arts and Sciences, alongside our recognition as a professional destination for business leaders and our proximity to one of the best healthcare centers in the world, we can give students all of these things. We don’t have to choose between a liberal arts focus or a professional focus, as many small institutions have to do. Our students encounter this deeply engaging, hands-on learning experience across multiple fields in an authentically supportive community. As a Jesuit institution, we accompany students, and the introductions, feedback, and handoffs that we can facilitate by really knowing them help us usher in personal transformation in ways larger, more siloed institutions simply can’t match.” 
 
Noll Sorg’s longer-term priorities will focus on building the necessary systems to increase the institution’s already strong retention rate (currently 85%) to over 90% in the next five years, and prioritizing affordability through fundraising and endowment growth so that every qualified student can pursue a John Carroll education regardless of their financial circumstances.

In collaboration with Dr. Bonnie Gunzenhauser, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Noll Sorg is transforming the way John Carroll prepares students to connect their academic passions to purpose and career. John Carroll’s new signature platform, Onward, promises every student a coordinated team of advisors and mentors, a flexible, evolving plan to stay on track, unrivaled access to high-impact learning experiences, and an intentional launch into full-time work or graduate school. 
 
“Carolyn brings deep expertise about emerging trends in higher education, along with real savvy about how to build systems that amplify our academic programs and co-curricular experiences to the benefit of our students,” said Dr. Gunzenhauser. “Her leadership and vision are central to our Onward platform and our strong momentum as a university.” 
 
Onward, available to JCU students beginning in the fall of 2026, will also integrate alumni mentoring in new and meaningful ways, and launch graduating students into what Noll Sorg has called “one of this country’s most passionate and connected alumni networks.”

Noll Sorg’s appointment marks a significant moment in the university’s history. She will serve as the third lay person and the first woman president in John Carroll’s 139-year history. Come June, she will replace President Miciak on the Board of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), a distinguished network of 28 institutions, 35 percent of which are led by women and 14 percent by members of the Society of Jesus. 
 
“Carolyn is a leader who inspires a shared vision, models the way, and promotes excellence. With the support of our faculty and staff, she has the talent and commitment to direct the promise of a John Carroll education onward. I have full faith and confidence in her as the next Director of the Work,” stated President Miciak.
 
Education and Background
Noll Sorg’s background is deeply rooted in the value of education and the belief that learning has the power to transform lives.
 
“My parents and grandparents—a boiler operator, a registered nurse, an autobody mechanic, and a school bus driver—made extraordinary sacrifices so my brother and I could earn degrees they never had the chance to pursue. Their hope for us was simple: that education would help us secure our futures, find meaning, and contribute to the greater good. Their dream for me is the dream I now hold for every John Carroll student,” shared Noll Sorg.
 
Prior to her work at John Carroll, Noll Sorg was a leader in the College Board’s BigFuture division, where she consulted with a portfolio of leading national research universities and liberal arts colleges while developing tools to connect students across the country to educational opportunities at more than 1,500 colleges and universities. She previously served as the Chief Admission Officer at Ursuline College and held student-facing positions at The University of Akron, Baldwin Wallace University, and Barnard College. 
 
A Northeast Ohio native, she attended Independence High School and graduated summa cum laude from Baldwin Wallace University with a degree in English. Noll Sorg went on to earn a Master of Arts in Higher Education from Columbia University and a Master of Fine Arts in Experience Design from Miami University, the terminal degree in the visual arts field. Her thesis, Radical Hospitality and the Campus Visit: A Case Study in Increasing Prospective Student Engagement, provided the research foundation for key aspects of her work at John Carroll. 
 
Her academic training reflects the two pillars that guide her leadership: a deep understanding of student development and institutional sustainability, and the tools of human-centered design that support co-creating meaningful experiences with and for people. Together, these disciplines ground her in rigorous research, analytical thinking, multisensory experience design, and evidence-based systems-building—skills she will bring to the presidency at a moment of significant opportunity for John Carroll.
 
Noll Sorg and her husband, Brendan Sorg—a senior leader at The MetroHealth System—are the parents of Jackson (9) and Anneliese (6). The Sorg family, including their enthusiastic labradoodle, Ruby, will move to campus during the next academic year to be fully present in the life of the John Carroll community.