Press Release, President

January 23, 2025 | By Cole Hatcher

Matt vandenBerg (Photo by James DeCamp)

Recognizing Excellence

Ohio Wesleyan President Joins Prestigious Higher Education, Leadership Organizations

DELAWARE, Ohio – Fueled by rising enrollment and strong student outcomes, growing student diversity, innovative initiatives, fiscal stability, and more, Ohio Wesleyan University continues to gain visibility and receive recognition from prestigious organizations.

Most recently, President Matt vandenBerg has been invited to join the Board of Directors of the I Know I Can college-access organization and to become a member of the international Young Presidents' Organization.

Based in Columbus, I Know I Can is one of the largest and most successful college-access organizations in the nation and works to help students in four Central Ohio districts achieve their higher education aspirations.

The Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) describes itself as a "global leadership community of over 35,000 extraordinary chief executives" in more than 140 countries. "YPO welcomes extraordinary leaders to grow stronger together to improve lives, businesses, and the world," the organization states.

"Ohio Wesleyan is gaining national and international renown for its innovation, access, and outcomes," said vandenBerg, Ed.D. "I am honored to represent the extraordinary work of our students, faculty, and staff with these two outstanding organizations and to help build meaningful partnerships that improve lives."

In November, Ohio Wesleyan became I Know I Can's largest scholarship provider when vandenBerg and I Know I Can CEO Katina Fullen signed a collaboration agreement that includes OWU awarding 25 Dr. Charles Thomas Scholarships annually to I Know I Can students.

The Thomas Scholarship provides total financial aid of at least full tuition for four years while the recipients pursue their OWU diplomas. The scholarship celebrates the legacy of Thomas, one of the first Black students in college baseball in the early 1900s. His experiences, grace, and fortitude inspired then-OWU head coach Branch Rickey to collaborate with Jackie Robinson in the 1940s to break Major League Baseball's color barrier.

In addition to joining the YPO and becoming an ex-officio member of the I Know I Can board, vandenBerg was selected in 2024 to serve as chair of the board of the Five Colleges of Ohio consortium and as a member of the Board of Directors of the national Annapolis Group of Liberal Arts Colleges.

He also serves on the Committee on Student Aid for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), the Presidents' Council of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), and the Investment Committee of the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC).

vandenBerg credits Ohio Wesleyan's growing reputation, in part, on its "laser-focused" efforts to help students access a national liberal arts education and persist to graduation. That work has resulted in OWU enrolling its most diverse class in history this fall; a first-to-second-year retention rate this spring of nearly 85%; higher graduation rates; and additional improvements resulting in year-over-year enrollment growth.

In addition, Ohio Wesleyan garnered national attention after it launched a groundbreaking collaboration with the Constructive Dialogue Institute in August to provide civil discourse training to all students, faculty, and staff, and again when vandenBerg discussed OWU's student inclusivity efforts in September as part of a panel discussion at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 2024 forum.

Learn more about vandenBerg at owu.edu/president, more about I Know I Can at iknowican.org, more about the Young Presidents' Organization at www.ypo.org, and more about enrolling at Ohio Wesleyan, including scholarship and financial aid opportunities, at owu.edu/admission.


Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.