Link will serve as Allegheny College's 22nd president.

Hilary Link, dean of Temple University Rome, will assume the presidency of Allegheny College July 1, following the retirement of its current president, Jim Mullen. Allegheny College made this announcement Jan. 15.

In 2013, Link became dean of Temple Rome, one of the university's flagship international campuses and one of the largest and longest-standing study abroad programs in Italy.

"It is easy to be passionate about Temple Rome—a true academic gem in Italy," Link said. "The past five years have been a privilege and an honor, and I thank all of the wonderful people who make such impactful contributions to the lives of our students through this program."

Under Link’s leadership, Temple Rome celebrated its 50th anniversary and saw substantial expansion in enrollment, internships, curriculum, facilities and local initiatives. She was also instrumental in the launch of the Temple Rome Board of Visitors.

“Hilary’s tenure as dean of Temple University Rome has been nothing short of transformative,” said Temple University Provost JoAnne A. Epps. “She is a visionary whose innovations and leadership helped our university celebrate Temple Rome’s 50th anniversary, while keeping an eye toward the next 50 years and further expansion of Temple’s already impressive European footprint. While her departure is a great loss for Temple, it also represents a great opportunity for Hilary and Allegheny College.”

Allegheny College, located in Meadville, Pennsylvania, is one of the nation’s oldest liberal arts colleges, having celebrated its bicentennial in 2015. It is one of 40 colleges featured in Loren Pope’s Colleges That Change Lives and was recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report among the top 30 most innovative national liberal arts colleges in the country.

Previously, Link worked in various roles at Barnard College of Columbia University, including vice provost, dean of international programs, dean for study abroad and first-year dean. At New York University (NYU), she served as director of scholar programs. She's also taught classes in Italian language, literature, art and culture at Barnard, NYU, Columbia University and Yale University. 

Link holds a PhD in Italian language and literature from Yale.