Jon C. Stuckey, Ph.D., became the ninth president of Messiah University on May 1, 2026, after serving as interim president beginning July 1, 2025. Following a national search, the Messiah University Board of Trustees unanimously appointed Stuckey to the presidency on March 27, 2026.
President Stuckey has devoted more than 26 years to Messiah University, serving in a variety of academic and administrative leadership roles. Throughout his tenure, he has demonstrated a deep commitment to Messiah's mission of educating students toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, leadership and reconciliation in church and society.
As interim president, Stuckey led the University in celebrating the 30th anniversary of Messiah's identity and mission statements, reaffirming their central role in shaping the institution's future. He collaborated with trustees, faculty, staff and students to develop the framework for Messiah's next strategic plan, focused on strengthening the University's Christ-centered educational experience, advancing academic excellence and innovation, expanding access and affordability, and ensuring long-term financial sustainability. He also guided a comprehensive campus master planning process designed to support the University's strategic priorities for generations to come.
Prior to becoming president, Stuckey served as Messiah's vice president for advancement and a member of the President's Cabinet beginning in 2023, providing leadership for the University's fundraising, alumni and parent relations, and marketing and communications offices. Earlier leadership roles at Messiah include associate vice president of development, executive director and director of development, senior development officer, and director of foundation relations and sponsored programs.
During his leadership tenure, Messiah has raised more than $130 million in philanthropic support for academic, administrative and athletic facilities, scholarships and endowments. Stuckey directed the University's capital campaigns from 2007 to 2022, each exceeding its fundraising goal. Most notably, The Campaign for Messiah University raised $83.4 million—the largest campaign in the University's history. Early in his career at Messiah, he established the University's first grants office, significantly expanding external funding for faculty research and institutional initiatives.
In addition to his administrative leadership, Stuckey has served as an assistant professor of sociology, teaching courses in the Department of Psychology, Criminal Justice and Sociology and the Department of Human Development and Family Science.
Before joining Messiah in 2000, Stuckey spent 13 years at Case Western Reserve University, where he held a variety of teaching, research and administrative leadership positions. His academic background is in sociology, with particular expertise in social gerontology and medical sociology. His research—published in scholarly journals and presented at national and international conferences—focused on the role of faith in caring for family members with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and was among the earliest scholarship in this field.
President Stuckey earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in sociology from Case Western Reserve University and a B.A. in psychology from Malone University.
President Stuckey and his wife, Shari, have been married for nearly 40 years. Shari recently retired after a distinguished 39-year career as an educator, including 25 years as an English teacher at Hershey High School. During the family's early years at Messiah, she also served as an adjunct faculty member, teaching courses in education, communication and writing. The Stuckeys have two grown daughters. Their oldest daughter, Taylor, and her husband, Justin, are 2017 Messiah alumni and are the parents of the Stuckeys' first grandchild, Emma. Their younger daughter, Blake, is a social worker in New York City.
Stuckey's inauguration theme, "Living the Lord's Calling: Act Justly. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly.", reflects his vision for faithful, Christ-centered leadership and his commitment to advancing Messiah University's mission while serving its students and community with humility, wisdom and grace.