(Leavenworth, Kansas) – The University of Saint Mary will formally install Ann Marie Fallon as its 10th president during an Investiture Ceremony and Mass of the Holy Spirit on Nov. 10 at 3:30 p.m. in Annunciation Chapel on the university’s Leavenworth campus.
The ceremony will celebrate Fallon’s leadership and the university’s enduring mission, rooted in its Catholic identity and the heritage of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The Mass of the Holy Spirit will offer a blessing for Fallon and her work as she leads the university into its next chapter.
Donna M. Carroll, president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, will deliver the introductory address. The Most Reverend Shawn McKnight, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, will celebrate the Mass of the Holy Spirit. University trustees, faculty, staff, students, and members of Fallon’s family will also participate in the ceremony.
The Investiture will be livestreamed on the university’s YouTube channel. Learn more and register at stmary.edu/investiture.
Celebrations throughout the week will reflect the theme “Living Our Mission, Building Momentum,” honoring USM’s history and looking ahead to its future.
Investiture Week Events
Founders’ Day Choir Concert
Nov. 8 | 3 p.m.
Annunciation Chapel
Academic Showcase
Nov. 10 | 10:30-1 p.m.
Human Anatomy Lab, Cybersecurity Lab, Art Department, Division of Nursing, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Education Department
Veterans Pinning Ceremony and Luncheon
Nov. 9 | Noon
Mead Hall Walnut Room
Presidential Investiture Ceremony
Nov. 10 | 3:30 p.m.
Annunciation Chapel
Presidential Investiture Reception
Nov. 10 | Following the Investiture
Saint Joseph Dining Hall
Leavenworth Veterans Day Parade
Nov. 11 | 10:30 a.m.
Downtown Leavenworth
Founders’ Day Celebration
Nov. 11 | Noon
Main Campus Circle
SpireTalks with Dr. Rick Silvey
Nov. 12 | 7 p.m.
Xavier Theatre
About Dr. Fallon
Dr. Fallon most recently served as Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, N.Y., an independent liberal arts institution in the Catholic tradition of American higher education of over 3,500 students. She has held the role of dean at Fisher from 2017 to June 2026.
Her previous positions include two years as provost at Marylhurst University in Oregon and director of the University Honors College at Portland State University.
During her time at Fisher, she co-chaired a committee that re-worked the institution’s core curriculum, launched a new Honors Program, emphasized student research, and oversaw the creation of several new graduate and undergraduate programs.
Other highlights of her academic career include roles as a professor of humanities and international studies, sustainability in the humanities scholar, and Fulbright junior lecturer in American studies at the University of Trier, Germany. She has authored three books and 15 articles and chapters on topics ranging from comparative literature to the public humanities.
About The University of Saint Mary
The University of Saint Mary is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The University of Saint Mary main campus is located at 4100 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kan. USM-Johnson County, at 11221 Roe Ave., offers evening accelerated graduate and undergraduate degree-completion programs. The university also offers online programs. Visit stmary.edu for more information.