Dr. Philip Cavalier, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Tennessee at Martin, was named Wednesday as the new president of Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. He received unanimous approval by the Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. His appointment at Kutztown University is effective July 6, 2025.
Cavalier came to UT Martin in July 2018 and was the university’s chief academic officer throughout his time at the university except for a period when he served as UT Martin interim chancellor from March 1, 2023, until Dr. Yancy Freeman became the permanent chancellor.
“Dr. Cavalier’s extraordinary tenure at UTM exemplifies the highest ideals of academic leadership—unwavering commitment to excellence, genuine dedication to student success, and passionate engagement with our community,” said Freeman in a university announcement. “The tremendous progress we’ve achieved under his guidance will continue to benefit our university for generations to come.”
Freeman added he will announce an interim provost in the coming days.
During his seven years in the role, Cavalier led the creation of UTM’s 2025-30 strategic plan and two strategic enrollment plans and developed or enhanced eight academic programs aligned with student interests and local workforce needs. He also played a key role in boosting student retention and graduation rates, managed the university’s largest budget, and forged new partnerships with community colleges and regional employers, including a major collaboration with Ford Motor Co.
Before joining UT Martin, Cavalier held several faculty and senior leadership roles in higher education, including provost at Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas, provost and dean of the college at Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois, and dean of general education at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. He was a Fulbright Scholar at Kyiv International University and Kyiv Slavonic University in Ukraine and a tenured faculty member in English at Catawba College. Cavalier holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in English from Northeastern University in Massachusetts and a doctoral degree, also in English, from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He has served in higher education administration since 2004.
