Goucher College Board Extends President’s Contract

The Goucher College Board of Trustees has voted to approve a contract extension for President Kent Devereaux that will continue his leadership of the Baltimore-based liberal arts college through June 2028.

“Kent has been a tremendous leader of our historic and beloved institution over the past seven years, and the board is pleased to ensure that his strong leadership and future-focused vision for Goucher’s continued success will persist for the next two years,” said Goucher College Board of Trustees Chair Cindy Plavier-Truitt ’86, M.A. ’88. “His commitment to Goucher’s mission and vision has remained steady as we have navigated the rapidly changing higher education landscape.”

Devereaux has led the college since 2019, prioritizing a transformation of the college’s business model to address the numerous challenges posed by today’s higher education landscape. During his tenure, Devereaux has focused on forming strategic partnerships, securing the institution’s largest gifts, building a state-of-the-art science center, and achieving the college’s $100 million  [UNDAUNTED] capital campaign goal, ultimately surpassing it by raising an unprecedented $172 million. Goucher’s endowment has also increased during Devereaux’s tenure from approximately $188 million to $300 million.

“I am proud to lead this wonderful institution and its close-knit community. I look forward to continuing Goucher’s legacy of rigorous academics and our commitment to global education, equity, and access that has allowed us to inspire generations of global changemakers,” said Devereaux. “This year, we have seen an all-time record number of applications, especially from students interested in pursuing careers in the sciences—an area that has been a hallmark of Goucher College since our founding in 1885 and that we look forward to advancing as we plan for the opening of the new Lewent Science Center.”

Slated to open in June 2027, the $50 million Lewent Science Center will add another 44,000 square feet of state-of-the-art labs and learning spaces to Goucher’s campus.

Under Devereaux’s leadership, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Goucher among the Top 10 Most Innovative Schools and Top 10 for Study Abroad. The college is also recognized for being a leader in social mobility for its students and ranks in the top 10% of higher education institutions nationwide for return on investment (ROI).

Goucher was one of the first colleges in the nation to offer a universal study abroad experience to all its students, and this year the college celebrates 20 years as a national leader in study abroad. That commitment to global education was amplified in 2025 when Goucher and ISEP Study Abroad announced a strategic partnership to cultivate new international learning initiatives. The number of international students on campus has also grown in recent years, with students from more than 60 countries now comprising almost 14% of the undergraduate student population.

Devereaux has also prioritized forming innovative partnerships with other universities as well as nonprofit organizations and corporations. Goucher has partnered with Johns Hopkins University, Loyola University Maryland, Columbia University, and other prestigious higher education institutions to provide its students with expanded post-graduate opportunities, dual-degree programs, and accelerated graduate degree pathways.

In 2023, Devereaux brokered a partnership with Edenwald Senior Living, a long-standing and well-respected continuous care community, to form the first university retirement community (URC) in Maryland. Then, in 2025, he negotiated an innovative new arrangement with the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, which will see the company relocate its corporate headquarters onto six acres of Goucher’s 287-acre campus as part of a strategic partnership to offer collaborative experiential learning, internship, and job opportunities for current and future Goucher students. 

Under Devereaux’s leadership, Goucher also reaffirmed its commitment to reducing its use of greenhouse gases on campus by setting an ambitious target of net-zero emissions by 2035.