Jonathan Gibralter

Dr. Jonathan Gibralter assumed the presidency of Wells College in July, 2015. An experienced president and accomplished scholar, Dr. Gibralter’s leadership is marked by a deep understanding of the current climate for higher education and the undergraduate experience, a demonstrated commitment to student well-being and environmental sustainability, the creativity and courage to pursue innovative solutions, and financial acumen. He is Wells’ 19th President. Dr. Gibralter is a nationally-recognized expert on efforts to prevent dangerous college-age drinking and related harms. Since 2012, he has served as co-chair of the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) President's Working Group to Address Harmful Student Drinking. One of the institutes that comprise the National Institute of Health (NIH), the NIAAA is the largest funder of alcohol research in the country. Dr. Gibralter has been widely honored for his leadership in addressing the issue of high-risk drinking on the nation’s campuses through a community-based, multi-faceted approach that brings together college administrators and key constituents on and off campus, including the NIAAA’s Senator Harold Hughes Memorial Award in 2015, and in 2008 he was honored by a group of seven major higher education organizations with the first national Presidential Leadership Award. A leading voice on this issue, Dr. Gibralter appears regularly in the national media, including recent segments on the PBS NewsHour, USA Today, and NPR’s All Things Considered. Before coming to Wells, Dr. Gibralter served as president of Frostburg State University in western Maryland. He began his career in higher education with the State University of New York system. Following appointments as a faculty member, academic program director and associate dean for the school of liberal arts at Morrisville, he served as dean of academic affairs, campus dean, and interim president in the SUNY community college system, ultimately assuming the presidency of Farmingdale State College. A nationally-recognized “thought leader” on issues of sustainability as well as efforts to curb binge drinking and promote responsible behavior on college campuses, Dr. Gibralter is sought out by the media as an effective leader on these efforts, is a frequent contributor to professional journals and conferences, and has provided expert testimony for the Department of Education and Congress. Dr. Gibralter is the Maryland delegate to the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ Council of State Representatives and serves on its sustainability and professional development committees. Dr. Gibralter earned his B.A. in Psychology from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1978, a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from New York University in 1982, and a doctorate in Human Development from Syracuse University in 1996. In addition, during his tenure as president at Frostburg State, he earned an MBA from the University of Maryland, University College in 2013.