
Sharon D. Herzberger
Senior Consultant and Senior Executive Coach
Sharon.Herzberger@academicsearch.org
Dr. Sharon Herzberger served as president of Whittier College for 13 years, before retiring and being named president emerita. During her prior career, at Northwestern University and Trinity College, she held positions as vice president for planning and administration, vice president for student services, associate vice president for a capital campaign, and special assistant to the president for affirmative action. As a professor of psychology, her research focused on the biases in individual and group decision-making.
Dr. Herzberger has held leadership positions in many national and state organizations. She chaired the NCAA Division III President’s Council and was a member of the NCAA’s Executive Board. She also served on the boards of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), the Annapolis Group, and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities. While at Trinity, she founded and chaired the Consortium on High Achievement and Success, helping institutions change culture and practices to promote the success and satisfaction of students of all backgrounds.
Throughout her academic career, Dr. Herzberger hired and coached many senior administrators as they transitioned to new posts and she continues to counsel colleges and universities on promoting transformational change on their campuses. Through Rutgers University’s Center for Minority Serving Institutions, she mentors individuals aspiring to become a college or university president.
She earned her BA at Penn State University and her MA and PhD at the University of Illinois.