Today, Carolyn Noll Sorg begins her tenure as the 27th president of John Carroll University. Noll Sorg, who previously served as Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing, succeeds Alan R. Miciak, who concluded his presidency after five transformative years of service.
Her appointment marks a historic milestone for John Carroll as she becomes the first woman and the third layperson to serve as president in the university’s 139-year history.
“It’s truly an honor and a profound responsibility to step into this role and lead this incredible community,” said President Noll Sorg. “John Carroll is a place where students are known, where purpose matters, and where relationships change lives. In the coming days and weeks, I look forward to listening, learning, and being present across our community. I am committed to leading with transparency about where we are, where we’re going, and what it will take to get there.”
President Noll Sorg will evolve John Carroll’s national strategy while continuing to focus on enrollment growth, advancing the student experience, empowering academic innovation, and ensuring a family’s finances never prevent promising new students from choosing a life-changing John Carroll education.
Over the last three years, Noll Sorg has played a vital role in driving John Carroll’s enrollment and marketing strategy. Her leadership catalyzed a dramatic expansion of the university's national reputation and secured sustained enrollment momentum, evidenced by a remarkable 30% growth in new first-year students since 2023. This fall’s incoming class of well over 700 new students marks a decisive return to JCU’s pre-pandemic strength. Her cross-campus collaboration has also led to Onward, an intentionally recalibrated, but distinctly John Carroll student experience. Onward invites every incoming student to claim the best of what John Carroll has to offer: coordinated team advising, alumni mentoring, transformational experiences enabled by the city around us, and a four-year, structured career advising and professional development program called Onward Launch.
“The Board of Directors of John Carroll University is pleased to welcome Carolyn Noll Sorg as our 27th President of John Carroll,” said Nancy Cunningham Benacci ’77, Co-Chair of the John Carroll University Board of Directors. “During her time as Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing, Carolyn demonstrated exceptional leadership in her ability to develop and implement our national strategy. This is evident in our 2026 freshman enrollment numbers, surpassing results not seen since 2019. Carolyn is also deeply committed to embracing, enhancing, and continuing to grow the momentum we have experienced under President Miciak’s Inspired Futures strategy. Under Carolyn’s leadership, the future outlook for John Carroll remains very strong.”
President Noll Sorg’s official inauguration ceremony will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, during a special campus celebration that formally honors her leadership and recognizes this next chapter in university history. More details will be shared throughout the summer.
A Northeast Ohio native, President Noll Sorg attended Independence High School and graduated summa cum laude from Baldwin Wallace University with a degree in English. She holds a Master of Arts in Higher Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College and a Master of Fine Arts in Experience Design from Miami University, the terminal degree in the field of visual arts. Prior to joining John Carroll, she worked on the College Board’s BigFuture team to connect students across the nation to higher education opportunities and led the admission team at nearby Ursuline College. Her earlier career experiences included recruitment and student affairs work at The University of Akron, Baldwin Wallace University, and Barnard College.
As president, she is now an official Board member of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), a distinguished network of 28 Jesuit institutions.
