Sarah Ewing

Dr. Sarah Ewing is Duquesne’s provost and vice president for academic affairs. She assumed the role on July 1, 2026, after an extensive national search.

As provost, Dr. Ewing is responsible for the university’s academic operations, including over 200 degree and certificate programs across Duquesne’s 10 schools. She also oversees research and innovation, online learning, student success,  university libraries, academic centers and institutes, and international programs, including Duquesne in Rome and Dublin.

A seasoned leader and decorated scholar, Dr. Ewing rose through the faculty ranks at Gannon University, starting as an assistant professor and program director, then becoming a dean and later the university’s provost. As Gannon’s provost, Dr. Ewing helped drive the university’s strongest gains in student retention in a decade and oversaw the successful expansion of its Florida campus.

Dr. Ewing was a key leader in advancing Project NePTWNE (Nano and Polymer Technology for Water and Neural networks in Erie), a Gannon University water sustainability initiative focused on improving Lake Erie’s water quality, combating climate change, and promoting economic development in the Erie, Pa., region.

Dr. Ewing has also held board roles with Erie-region organizations, including Our West Bayfront, UPMC Hamot, the Hamot Health Foundation, the American Cancer Society, and the Northwest Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center.

Prior to Gannon, Dr. Ewing was a lecturer in biology at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in biology. She earned a PhD in comparative biological sciences in cell biology from North Carolina State University as an NSF GAANN Fellow in Biotechnology.

• Ph.D., Comparative Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina State University, 2007
• B.S., Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 2001