M. Lee Pelton is the 12th President of Emerson College. Since arriving at Emerson, Pelton has outlined a bold vision for Emerson as the global hub for arts, communication and liberal arts. He has created new incentives and resources for faculty development, interdisciplinarity, global engagement, and innovation; promoted and renewed the College’s civic leadership in the City of Boston; and strengthened financial planning and operations.

Prior to Emerson, Pelton served for 13 years as the President of Willamette University in Salem, OR. Pelton serves on the Board of Directors the Boston Chamber of Commerce, Museum of African-American History in Boston, MA, and as Chair of the Boston Arts Academy.

Pelton began his academic career at Harvard University, where he earned a Ph.D. in English literature with an academic focus on 19th-century British prose and poetry.