McDaniel College names experienced academic administrator as new provost

Caroline R. Sherman, Ph.D., has been selected as McDaniel College’s new provost following a national search. She will join McDaniel effective July 1. 

As McDaniel’s new chief academic officer, Sherman will oversee both the undergraduate and graduate academic programs, including curriculum, staffing, instruction, assessment, and faculty development. She will lead the Office of Academic Life and help advance the college’s educational mission. 

“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Sherman to McDaniel,” said President Julia Jasken. “Throughout the search process, she has distinguished herself as a thoughtful and collaborative leader. Her commitment to student success, faculty excellence, and academic innovation make her exceptionally well suited to serve as our next provost.” 

Sherman has most recently served as a member of The Catholic University of America’s senior leadership team as vice provost for academic administration and dean of graduate studies. In this role, she supervised administrators and staff in the Office of the Provost and worked collaboratively with faculty and administrators across 12 academic schools. She previously held leadership positions in the School of Arts and Sciences, including vice dean, senior associate dean, and associate dean for faculty. 

An associate professor of History, Sherman specializes in early modern intellectual history. She has published numerous scholarly articles and is the author of “Uses of the Dead: The Early Modern Development of Cy-Près Doctrine,” which examines medieval and early modern canon law. Her forthcoming manuscript, “The Godefroy Family of Scholars, 1580-1880,” explores the notable lineage of a family of influential French legal-historical scholars.

In 2017, Sherman received the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Early Career Teaching from Catholic University in recognition of her innovative, interactive, and student-centered teaching methods. 

Sherman is also the author of the children’s book, “A Dog’s Life,” and contributed to the bestselling international travel guide, “Let’s Go Europe,” published in 1998 by St. Martin’s Press.

A summa cum laude graduate of Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in History, Sherman earned both her master’s degree and Ph.D. in History from Princeton University. 

“I am honored to join the McDaniel community and excited to partner with faculty, staff, and students in advancing the McDaniel College mission," Sherman said. "I believe strongly in the value of a liberal arts education and look forward to building on McDaniel’s many strengths, including its commitment to personalized education. I am eager to support faculty in their teaching and scholarship while helping students prepare for meaningful lives and careers.”