EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is featured in the Spring 2025 edition of The Tartan magazine. Read more from The Tartan at alma.edu/tartan.
Alma College’s newest president has a wealth of expertise and years of academic leadership.
Dr. Joseph Odenwald comes to Alma College from Southwestern Michigan College (SMC), where he has served as president since 2020. Under Odenwald’s presidency, SMC developed an ambitious strategic framework with goals to develop and sustain purposeful academic programs to support enrollment, increase student retention and success, maintain financial stability, and enhance engagement with alumni as well as its local community of Dowagiac, Mich.
Notably, Odenwald led efforts to increase the college’s enrollment every year from fall 2022-24 (surpassing 2,000 total headcount for the first time since 2019), devise its 2020-23 and 2024-26 strategic plans, create the Offices of Institutional Advancement and Academic Affairs, retain an “AA Stable” credit rating from Standard and Poor’s and double its budget-stabilization fund.
Under Odenwald’s leadership, SMC implemented its first fully online courses, added eight completely new academic programs, and revived its intercollegiate athletics program after a 25-year hiatus. Odenwald led fundraising efforts that went toward the $3.5-million renovation of an athletic facility and expanded campus residence hall capacity by 8 percent, using grants and institutional fund balances to cover the $3-million cost.
A first-generation college graduate, Odenwald in 2005 earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana College, a private university that enrolls about 1,100 students. He further earned his Master of Science degree from Mississippi College, Doctor of Education degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and master’s degree in management, strategy and leadership from Michigan State University. He also holds a Certificate in Fundraising Management from Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Prior to his service at SMC, Odenwald served in a variety of key academic leadership roles. He worked for six years in student affairs at Mississippi College, ultimately serving as associate dean of students and an adjunct faculty member in the school of education. Odenwald moved on to the College of Engineering at Louisiana State University, where he served as assistant dean for academic affairs and student services, before joining SMC in 2017 as its vice president of student services.
Odenwald lives in Dowagiac with wife Laura, their son Joseph and nearly 14-year-old dog Eleanor.
Dr. Joe Odenwald and wife Laura.
Q&A with Dr. Joe Odenwald
Where did you grow up as a child?
A small town in Louisiana called Ferriday: rural, agricultural, a lot like mid-Michigan in some important ways.
What are your favorite memories from childhood?
Being on a farm with my dad and grandfather. I have a lot of photos in my office from that time and place. It was a formative part of my life.
Is there anything from Louisiana that you would like to bring with you to Michigan?
Mardi Gras! We try to go down for at least one weekend every year. I’ve also introduced a lot of students to Louisiana-style fish through the years.
What are your favorite memories from college?
I was a resident advisor for three years and that had a big impact on my college experience.
What books are you currently reading?
“Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,” by Yuval Noah Harari, “Citizen: My Life After the White House,” by Bill Clinton, and “A History of Alma College: Where Plaid and Pride Prevail,” by Gordon Beld and David McMacken.
What is your preferred streaming service, and what are you currently watching?
I’ve got to go with Hulu, because we love “Only Murders in the Building,” with Steve Martin and Martin Short. I can’t believe how good they are together.
How did you meet your wife?
Laura and I were both working at Louisiana State University; she was in communications and I was the assistant dean for academic affairs and student services. We were assigned to work on a project together. A year and a half later, we were married!
How has parenthood changed your life?
It’s humbled me like nothing else. There is no harder job than being a parent — but none is more rewarding, either. It’s led to a great deal of personal reflection for me. We are very excited for Joseph to grow up on a college campus.
What are your hobbies?
Right now, I’m working on a book. It’s a history of my alma mater, Louisiana College. It’s kind of an expansion on my dissertation, looking both backwards and forwards. I love college history and think it’s very instructive to our present.
Why Alma? Why now?
I wanted to go back to where I come from — a residential, liberal arts environment — even though all of the experts say it’s one of the hardest markets to work in right now. I don’t believe that it has to be that way. I think Alma and institutions like it are best-suited to solve some of the biggest problems in society today, including a lack of critical thinking and putting service above self. We can make a major difference in the world by producing a critical mass of Alma graduates.
Why the liberal arts?
We need the broad perspective of the liberal arts. In my own personal experience, the bachelor of arts degree that I received from a liberal arts institution was the fulcrum that the rest of my education rested on. Getting that degree was absolutely critical for me to getting where I’m at today.
What is it like transitioning to a presidency?
It’s very exciting and a little scary. There are only about 5,000 colleges and universities in America and it’s a privilege to lead one of them.
Have you ever worn a kilt?
No, but I’m going to need to get one! I can’t wait.
Dr. Joe Odenwald and son Joseph.
Quotable
“Joe’s integrity, skills and passion for the mission of Alma College have made him a pleasure to get to know. His proven track record in enrollment, budget and strategic planning make him the right leader at this critical juncture. I’m excited to welcome him as Alma College’s 14th president.”
— Interim President Eric Blackhurst ’83
“We had an extraordinarily strong pool of both internal and external candidates from which to choose our 14th president. Our search committee, under the leadership of our board vice chair, went through a very thorough process of discerning who would be the best choice. Dr. Odenwald’s commitment to liberal arts education, experience as an impactful leader in higher education, and enthusiastic vision for the future of our alma mater made him the clear choice to be our next leader. I look forward to welcoming Joe and his family to our Alma College community.”
— Board of Trustees Chairman Darryl Schimeck ’82
“I am excited to have Dr. Odenwald as our next president! As a student representative on the search committee, I worked to honor students’ desires for a president who is student-focused, wants to be directly involved with students, and transparent. I believe Dr. Odenwald excels at each of these areas. He is positive, knowledgeable, personable, and passionate.”
— Toby Layson ’25
“I’m very excited for the future of Alma College under President Odenwald’s leadership. He immediately had a strong connection with the search committee, including faculty, staff, board members and a student. He has an understanding of the challenges that higher education institutions including Alma College are currently facing but never backed down from those challenges and had great ideas and experience on how to combat them.”
— Senior Director of Alumni & Community Engagement Sarah Dehring
“(Joe) has an incredible passion for higher education and the liberal arts experience. He enthusiastically emphasized that he will be engaged with our students, while supporting them in all the opportunities Alma has to offer.”
— Head Football Coach Jason Couch ’97
