About Us
Mary E. Lyons, Ph.D., is President Emerita of the University of San Diego (2003-2015). She began her service on the St. Joseph Health System Board in 2010 and, in 2016, became a member of the Providence St. Joseph Health System Board. During her tenure, she has served on several committees, including terms as chair of the Governance Committee and the System Board.
Mary previously served as professor and Dean of the Franciscan School of Theology (1984-1990), as President of the California State University, Maritime (1990-1996) where she was appointed as a Rear Admiral in the US Maritime Service, and as President of the College of St. Benedict (1996-2003).
She is a retired Captain in the US Naval Reserve. Honors include a doctorate of humane letters from the College of New Rochelle, a distinguished service award from the National Defense Transportation Association, the University of San Francisco Medallion, and the University of San Diego’s “Mary E. Lyons Chair of Leadership Studies.” She holds a BA in English from Sonoma State University, a MA in English from San Jose State University, and a PhD in Rhetoric from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Lyons’s current board appointments include Providence St. Joseph Health System and The Franciscan School of Theology.