Mary-Linda Merriam Armacost

Adjunct Professor

Education
1970: Ph.D., Speech Communication, Concentration in Interpersonal Communication, The Pennsylvania State University
1967: M.A., Speech Communication, Concentration in Psycholinguistics, The Pennsylvania State University
1965: B.A., Speech Communication, The Pennsylvania State University

Professional Biography
Dr. Armacost began her career as a research associate in the College of Human Development at Penn State. In 1972, she went she went to Emerson College in Boston, where she began her administrative career. She developed the first continuing studies program at Emerson College, was vice president for administration and special assistant to the president. In 1979, she became assistant to the president at Boston University.

In 1981, Dr. Armacost assumed the presidency of Wilson College, a liberal arts college for women in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. During the Wilson presidency, she was president of the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities and the first chairman of the Committee on Higher Education for the Presbyterian Church (USA). From 1991 to 1994, she was the president of Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. Dr. Armacost spent the next nine years as a consultant, facilitating the Pew Higher Education Roundtables and working with liberal arts colleges and comprehensive universities on the American Council of Education’s Kellogg grant on Transformational Change. She was a primary researcher and author on the Teagle Foundation study of Teagle-funded college and seminary collaborations and has also served on the boards of Monmouth University (NJ) and Randolph-Macon Women’s College.

In 2003, Dr. Armacost and her husband, Peter, moved to Lahore, Pakistan, where Peter is the rector of Forman Christian College and Dr. Armacost serves as consultant to the Board of Directors of FC College and as a member of the board of Queen Mary College.

Research Interests and Current Projects
Currently Dr. Armacost is studying governance issues in higher education and the role of women in education in Pakistan. Her chief interests are in governance, administration and women. She and her husband have begun a school for poverty-stricken illiterate women on the campus of FC College and she is currently writing about their lives.

Courses Taught in the Executive Doctorate Program in Higher Education
The Small College
Board Effectiveness and Presidential Leadership

Other Areas of Teaching Interest
Leadership

Selected Publications
Armacost, M-L. (2002.) Collaborative Ventures. The Teagle Foundation.

Merriam, M-L. (1989.) Women’s college no anachronism. The Harrisburg (PA) Patriot News, June 15, 1989.

Merriam, M-L. (1989.) A matter of honor. Apprise Magazine.

Keat, D.B., and Merriam, M-L. (1975.) Confluent education: Training teachers to conduct democratic classroom meetings. Pennsylvania Personnel and Guidance Association (Spring), pp. 46-54.

Guerney, B.G., and Merriam, M-L. (1975.) Toward a democratic elementary classroom.  In. R. Chasnoff (Ed.), Elementary Curriculum:  A Book of Readings (Revised Edition),. New York:  Pitman Publishing Corporation.