John Carroll University formally inaugurated Carolyn Noll Sorg as its 27th president and the first woman to lead the University during a special Presidential Missioning and Inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, September 15.
More than 1,500 members of the John Carroll community and invited guests filled the University’s Athletic, Wellness & Event Center for the historic occasion. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni were joined by higher education leaders from across the country, including presidents and representatives from fellow Jesuit institutions, as the University marked a new chapter in its 140-year history.
President Noll Sorg was missioned by Rev. Daniel C. McDonald, S.J., Provincial Delegate for Higher Education for the Midwest Jesuits. Also in attendance was former John Carroll President Alan R. Miciak, along with members of Noll Sorg’s family, including her husband, Brendan Sorg; their children, Jackson and Anneliese; her mother, Gail Noll; and her mother-in-law, Laurie Sorg.
In her inaugural address, President Noll Sorg reflected on John Carroll’s Jesuit Catholic mission and outlined her vision for the University’s future, touching on themes of discernment, listening, belonging, and the enduring value of Jesuit education.
“I believe a John Carroll education is more necessary than ever today,” said President Noll Sorg. “Education can’t simply be about giving students more information, but rather, teaching them how to pay attention. How to notice before they react, how to listen before they decide, to ask better questions, and to discover what matters most. For nearly five centuries, Jesuit education has treated that kind of attention as a discipline. Discernment begins with noticing.”
Noll Sorg began her tenure as John Carroll’s president on June 1, 2026, after previously serving as John Carroll’s Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing. Since joining the University in 2023, she has helped lead efforts to expand John Carroll’s national reach, strengthen enrollment, and reimagine the student experience.
Her inauguration comes as John Carroll builds on that momentum. This fall, the University welcomed its largest incoming class this decade and launched Onward, a new student success platform designed to connect academic advising, mentoring, experiential learning, career preparation, and professional development throughout a student’s JCU experience.
“If we genuinely believe this education transforms lives, then we should want more lives transformed by it,” said President Noll Sorg. “We will extend our reach, create academic experiences responsive to the world our students will enter, expand access for talented students from every circumstance, deepen our partnerships in Cleveland and beyond, and ensure that students who begin here flourish and graduate.”
A Northeast Ohio native, President Noll Sorg brings nearly two decades of experience in higher education, enrollment strategy, and experience design to the presidency. She previously held leadership roles at the College Board, Ursuline College, The University of Akron, Baldwin Wallace University, and Barnard College.
She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Experience Design from Miami University, a Master of Arts in Higher Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College, and a bachelor’s degree in English from Baldwin Wallace University.
