Lynn Boulger will likely be interim president.
Apr 15, 2026
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BAR HARBOR—This morning, the president of the College of the Atlantic announced to the community that she is stepping down and returning to Salt Lake City, Utah, to take another position.
According to a press release from the college, “She will take on the role of president at Westminster University, in Salt Lake City, Utah, this summer. She said that she is proud of the collaborative work she’s done with COA students, staff, and faculty, and that the college is in a strong position as she moves on.”
“I continue to believe deeply in the mission of College of the Atlantic. Its human-ecological approach, its connection to place, and its commitment to linking learning with real-world challenges make it not just relevant, but essential,” Torti said. “The foundation is in place for what comes next, and I’m excited to see where that work leads.”
Sylvia Torti began at College of the Atlantic in 2024. Also a novelist and biologist, she’d previously been the dean of the Honors College at University of Utah.
“I’ve been offered the opportunity to lead a small, liberal arts–based university in Salt Lake City. The chance to return to my son, my community of friends, and the natural environments that have shaped me felt like a calling I needed to follow,” Torti wrote in an April 15 email.
Torti had succeed president Darron Collins, PhD ’92 in 2024. Collins had led the college for 13 years.
“As the transition begins, the COA Board of Trustees is working with senior leadership to ensure the college is well‑positioned for continued progress, said board chair Cynthia Baker,” according to the college’s press release.
“Sylvia has provided thoughtful and bold leadership during her time at COA, and we are grateful for her service,” Baker said. “The college is on strong footing, and we are confident in the educational mission, the community, and the work ahead. We will move quickly and carefully to ensure a smooth transition.”
Torti wrote that she’ll work with the college’s board of trustees and leadership team to help with the transition.
“The Trustee Executive Committee will recommend the appointment of COA Vice President of Institutional Advancement Lynn Boulger as interim president at the board’s spring meeting this Saturday, April 18,” she wrote. “Lynn served as dean of institutional advancement at the college for 13 years before leaving in early 2021 to become executive director of the Authors Guild Foundation. She returned to COA in 2025 in her current role.”
“I believe so deeply in COA’s mission and I am honored and thrilled to join this dynamic community,” Torti said at the time of her appointment. “COA is already a leader in higher education because of its successful and inspiring commitment to a dialogical, ecologically based education, an approach that I believe will become increasingly important in the years to come. COA is a bold place where people acknowledge cooperation and conflict and strive to understand how and why those behaviors manifest. I think the founders were so right to create a school where we can use what we know about these dimensions of human nature to find solutions to both small and big problems. I am so inspired by the founders’ vision and the way that the school has kept this fire alive!”
Since it began in 1969, the liberal arts college nestled on the edge of Mount Desert Island, has been led by multiple presidents beginning with Edward Kaelber (founding president), Dr. Judith Swazey, Dr. Louis Rabineau, Dr. Steven Katona, David Hales, Andy Griffiths (one-year interim president), Collins, and Torti.
According to a press release at the time of Torti’s hire, “From 2012-2023, Torti served as dean of the Honors College at University of Utah, a liberal arts college nested within a large research institution, where she achieved ambitious goals through dedicated strategic planning, including tripling the diversity of the student body as well as increasing the number of out-of-state students. She also created a successful office to mentor for nationally competitive scholarships and initiated and implemented a vision for globally oriented, integrated curricula in ecology, health, and human rights. Torti, who is from a bicultural Latinx background and has lived and worked globally, is a collaborative leader with a passion for experiential, interdisciplinary learning, shared governance, and centering the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion in today’s higher education landscape.”
THE APRIL 15 TORTI EMAIL ANNOUNCEMENT
I’m writing to share that I will be stepping down as President of College of the Atlantic at the end of this academic year. This is not an easy message to send, and certainly not one I expected to write. My decision is a deeply personal one, shaped by an opportunity that will allow me to return to Utah, a place that has been home for more than 30 years.
I’ve been offered the opportunity to lead a small, liberal arts–based university in Salt Lake City. The chance to return to my son, my community of friends, and the natural environments that have shaped me felt like a calling I needed to follow.
As I reflect on my time at COA, I am struck by the strength, creativity, and purpose of this community. The work happening across the college—among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and partners—continues to demonstrate the power and relevance of human ecology in a rapidly changing world. It has been a privilege to witness the impact of COA’s mission in action.
Over the past two years, we have made meaningful progress together. We’ve strengthened the systems that support our work, built new partnerships, and aligned our operations toward a more sustainable future. We’ve also advanced critical IT modernization efforts that will enhance student success and institutional resilience. These steps position the college well for the years ahead.
Across the faculty, important work is underway as COA continues to engage with the changing federal higher education landscape. Faculty are exploring ways to clarify academic pathways while preserving the creativity and independence that define a COA education. This work will help ensure that COA remains both distinctive and responsive to the needs of today’s students.
I continue to believe deeply in COA’s mission. Its human‑ecological approach, its connection to place, and its commitment to linking learning with real‑world challenges make it not just relevant, but essential. In a moment when higher education is being tested, COA’s model of inquiry, collaboration, and care for the world stands out as a source of strength and inspiration.
In the coming months, I will work closely with the Board of Trustees and our leadership team to support a smooth and steady transition. The Trustee Executive Committee will recommend the appointment of COA Vice President of Institutional Advancement Lynn Boulger as interim president at the board’s spring meeting this Saturday, April 18. Lynn served as dean of institutional advancement at the college for 13 years before leaving in early 2021 to become executive director of the Authors Guild Foundation. She returned to COA in 2025 in her current role.
Thank you for your partnership, your generosity, and your belief in COA’s mission. It has been an honor to serve this community, and I leave with deep appreciation for the work we have accomplished together.
With gratitude,
ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC
College of the Atlantic, founded in 1969, enriches the liberal arts tradition through human ecology, a distinctive educational philosophy that integrates knowledge from all academic disciplines and from personal experience to investigate — and ultimately improve — the relationships between human beings and our natural, social, and built environments.
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