Marianne Evans Mount, PhD

Dr. Marianne Evans Mount is a founding leader of Catholic Distance University. She served as president from 2008 to 2023, and led CDU to become the global online university it is today, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and the Association of Theological Schools.

As an innovative and published Catholic leader in the field of education, Dr. Mount was appointed as a consultor to the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education, the only American to receive this honor. She also served as a public member of the Board of Commissioners of the Association of Theological Schools and as a commissioner of the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council.  Dr. Mount has presented for many organizations, including the International Federation of Catholic University’s General Assembly on how Catholic universities serve the public good and the Congregation for Catholic Education on the pedagogy of distance education.

Dr. Mount’s honors include Christendom College’s St. Catherine of Siena Award for Distinguished Service to the Church and Catholic Higher Education, DETC Distinguished Service Award, Loudoun County Woman of the Year for Education Award, Mount St. Mary’s University’s Bicentennial Medal, and the Outstanding Graduate Research Award at the 27th Annual Research to Practice Conference.

Dr. Mount earned her Ph.D. in Human Development from Virginia Tech in 2008. She has been an active Dame of Malta for 35 years.