Christopher Howard Inaugurated As New President for Robert Morris University

Howard’s long-term goal is to have RMU considered one of Pittsburgh’s “national universities.”

Photos: Michael will photography

Although he’s been on the job since February, Christopher Howard is now officially president of Robert Morris University.

His formal installation on Friday came just weeks after U.S. News & World Report included RMU on its rankings of national universities for the first time. The school is tied for 188 with Kent State and Suffolk University.

Howard is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, he has a business degree from Harvard University and he received a Ph.D. in politics from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He worked previously as a vice president at the University of Oklahoma and president at Hampden-Sydney College.

During his time at Hampden-Sydney College, the university climbed 17 spots in the U.S. News & World Report rankings in a single year, the highest jump of any of the top 100 liberal arts colleges. The Board of Trustees for RMU took notice.

One of Howard’s goals at RMU is to increase women’s opportunities in higher education. He signed a pledge from the American Council on Education to have women make up 50 percent of executives in higher education by 2030.
 

RMU President Chris Howard with his wife, Barbara Noble Howard, and sons Joshua (left) and Cohen (right).
 

In the short term, Howard says he would like to raise funds for a new event center for the school’s basketball team. And long term, he would like to see RMU join the ranks of other “national universities” in Pittsburgh such as Duquesne University, the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.

Howard is also the founder of the Impact Young Lives foundation, which brings students from South Africa to the U.S. for educational opportunities.

Howard is married and has two sons.