Turnaround leader Wingenbach leaving helm of Hampshire College

ED WINGENBACH

ED WINGENBACH

Ed Wingenbach, who took over from Miriam “Mim” Nelson in July 2019 to become the eighth president of Hampshire College, is seen on the Thornton Quad in April 2020.

Ed Wingenbach, who took over from Miriam “Mim” Nelson in July 2019 to become the eighth president of Hampshire College, is seen on the Thornton Quad in April 2020. STAFF FILE PHOTO

By SCOTT MERZBACH

Staff Writer

Published: 01-21-2025 5:52 PM

AMHERST — Hampshire College President Ed Wingenbach is stepping down from leadership at the end of June to become president of the American College of Greece, completing six years at the helm of the Amherst campus during a transitional phase for the college amid financial uncertainty.

“Serving Hampshire’s remarkable community over the past six years has been the greatest honor of my life,” Wingenbach wrote in an email to the community on Monday. “Together, we have achieved something extraordinary.”

His email observes that students, staff, faculty and alumni used activism and resolve to help college survive and thrive when its future was uncertain. Wingenbach’s tenure began several months after former president Miriam “Mim” Nelson announced the college would seek a partner organization to overcome its financial difficulties.

“That spirit of determination has carried us forward,” Wingenbach wrote. “We’ve built a foundation for continued independence and reaffirmed the enduring relevance of this unparalleled educational model.”

On Jan. 14, the college’s trustees held a special meeting to discuss the transition, agreeing to launch a national search for Hampshire’s next president. Should a permanent successor not be identified by July 1, Vice President for Institutional Support Jennifer Chrisler will serve as interim president.

Wingenbach came to Hampshire in July 2019, when the board and community committed to Hampshire as an independent, autonomous institution, rather than pursuing a merger partner.

“In 2019, the board knew we needed a skilled administrator and passionate educator to lead the college through a time of turmoil and rebuilding,” Jose Fuentes, who chairs Hampshire’s board of trustees, said in a statement. “In Ed, we found just that.”

Filmmaker Ken Burns, a Hampshire alumnus and co-chairman of the Change in the Making capital campaign, also issued a statement of gratitude for Wingenbach’s role.

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“As an institution, Hampshire College grapples with the enormous problems our world faces and turns out students who will actually be able to solve them,” Burns said. “It was clear from the moment he arrived that Ed’s personal and professional values are deeply, fundamentally aligned with our profound mission. What’s more, his clear-eyed abilities as an administrator brought the college through a precarious chapter in its history and created a solid foundation upon which to launch into the second half of its first century.”

During his time as president, Wingenbach helped develop and implement a multiyear strategic plan that led to enrollment increases, fundraising growth and curricular innovation. Applications have doubled since 2020 and total enrollment has grown by 60%. Entering class sizes increased 58% in 2021, 50% in 2022, and 24% in 2023. The Change in the Making campaign has raised nearly $47 million in direct operating support, including three $5 million gifts, the largest since the college’s founding.

Wingenbach also developed the division of Justice, Equity and Antiracism and, during his tenure, Hampshire became one of only a handful colleges in the country to attain carbon neutrality, including all indirect emissions.

In 2023, following the hard-line conservative takeover of New College of Florida, Hampshire offered admission to all of those students in good standing. More than 70 students transferred from that institution.

“I came to Hampshire to take up the rare and urgent opportunity to prove that progressive, experimental, student-centered education could not only survive but thrive in the United States,” Wingenbach said. “It was an epic challenge, and I was honored to take it on together with the Hampshire community. I am filled with pride in what we have accomplished.”

Meanwhile, Chrisler was Hampshire’s chief advancement officer from 2019 to 2024, and during her tenure launched the largest major fundraising campaign in the college’s history as well as a strategic financial sustainability plan. In July 2024, she became vice president for institutional support, where she leads fundraising, alumni and family relations, enrollment, financial aid, marketing and communications, public relations and event services.

“I leave knowing that the college is in capable hands,” Wingenbach said. “Jenn will serve as an outstanding interim president, and I have no doubt that the search will attract exceptional candidates eager to champion Hampshire’s entrepreneurial spirit and transformative vision.”

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.