President of Dickinson University
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

William G. Durden is president of Dickinson College since 1999. Prior to that, he was a member of the German Department at the Johns Hopkins University for sixteen years and Executive Director of the Center for Talented Youth (CTY). Dr. Durden also, during his Hopkins’ engagement, served for eleven years as a senior education consultant to the U.S. Department of State and chaired the Advisory Committee on Exceptional Children and Youth.

Directly prior to coming to Dickinson College, he was simultaneously president of the division of the Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. and vice president of academic affairs for the Caliber Learning Network- a joint venture originally of MCI and Sylvan.

Dr. Durden received his undergraduate degree from Dickinson College then completed his M.A. and Ph.D. in German Language and Literature from the Johns Hopkins University. Directly following his degree from Dickinson, he studied at the University of Basle, Switzerland as a Fulbright scholar and was also a student at the University of Freiburg and the University of Muenster, Germany.

Among current activities, Dr. Durden is a member of the advisory board of CIES for the Senior Fulbright scholar program and participates on the selection committee for the German Chancellor’s Award of the Humboldt Foundation. He is also a board member of Walden University, a for-profit higher education institute.