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Biography
John Comerford, Ph.D., comes to Otterbein University with a record of commitment and advocacy for higher education and liberal arts colleges. He has served as president of Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois, since 2013, where he has been at the center of a number of innovative programs designed to enhance student access and learning. Comerford is committed to providing access to affordable higher education while delivering excellence in academic, student life, and career preparation programs. Under his leadership, Blackburn College became one of just a handful of colleges in the country to meet the full financial need of all its incoming students, with a focus on providing a series of work experiences that will help students impress prospective employers after graduation. Blackburn is one of just a few colleges in the state of Illinois to show enrollment growth over the past five years. In addition to growing the enrollment, Comerford has been committed to cultivating diversity on campus.
Areas of Expertise (11)
Inequality in Education
Higher Education Administration and Management
Higher Education Access for Underrepresented Communities
College Affordability
National Topics
Higher Education
Regional Topics
Diversity in Higher Education
Diversity & Inclusion in Higher Education
Higher Education Access
College Access
Education (3)
University of Kansas: Ph.D.
University of Central Missouri: M.S.
Western Illinois University: B.A.
Links (1)
Selected Media Appearances (2)
Chase, Otterbein to open fin-tech hub in Westerville, add 100 jobs
Columbus Business First online
2018-09-21
"Otterbein president John Comerford, Westerville city manager David Collinsworth and Corrine Burger, chief control officer for consumer and community banking for JPMorgan Chase, said the partnership aims to integrate "liberal arts problem solving" into technology development for the banking giant, which relies on Columbus for some of its major product designs." [...]
Comerford set to tell Otterbein’s story
This Week News online
2018-07-24
"John Comerford, who officially began his tenure as Otterbein’s president in July, has been spending his spare time getting to know his surroundings." [...]
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