In July, Marcheta Evans, who has four degrees from the University of Alabama, became the 12th woman to serve as president of St. Catherine University in St. Paul. Evans is the first person of color to lead the university. For the 2024-25 academic year, 1,163 new students enrolled, a 6.5% increase from the previous year. Evans, an experienced administrator, says her focus is on enhancing student success and well-being. That, she says, will mean “expanding mental health resources, strengthening advising and mentoring systems, and fostering a campus culture that celebrates diversity and inclusion.”