Dr. Thomas Powell was installed as Averett University’s 16th president on May 1, 2025.
Dr. Powell comes to Averett with a wealth of experience in the world of higher education. He is president emeritus of Mount Saint Mary’s University, where he led the university from 2003-2015. In addition, he served as the president of Glenville State University in West Virginia from 1999-2003 and was the interim president of Frederick Community College from 2021-22.
After a brief period of retirement following his 12 years at Mount St. Mary’s, Dr. Powell accepted and held the position of president of Saint John’s Catholic Preparatory School in Frederick, Maryland from 2015-2021. His experience in higher education includes stints as the dean of the College of Education at Winthrop University from 1994-1999, and dean of the College of Education and Human Services at Montana State University-Billings from 1990-1994. He also served on the faculty at MSU-Billings and the University of Connecticut. While serving as a professor of special education at Connecticut, he was the first director of UConn’s Program of Excellence on Disabilities. Powell also served as president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Human Resources Development from 1987-1988.
Dr. Powell earned both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in special education from Montana State University-Billings, followed by a Doctor of Education in special education from Vanderbilt University. His academic focus areas included teacher preparation, family intervention, severe disabilities and educational technology. His research centers on the social interactions between children with disabilities and their siblings. He is a published author of five books and 32 articles in peer-referred journals and has edited and reviewed numerous journals. He and his wife, Irene Quinn Powell, reside in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. They have seven children and several grandchildren.
