Biography

Profile: Jon C. Stuckey earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in sociology from Case Western Reserve University and his B.A. in psychology from Malone University. Prior to being named president by Messiah's board of trustees in March 2026, he served as Messiah’s interim president, and as a member of President's Cabinet as vice president for advancement, where he oversaw the University’s fundraising, alumni and parent relations, and marketing and communications offices. He has also served in various other leadership roles at the University since 2000, including: associate vice president of development; executive director and director of development; senior development officer; and director of foundation relations and sponsored programs.

Fundraising success: During Stuckey’s leadership tenure, more than $130 million has been raised at Messiah in support of academic, administrative and athletic facilities, as well as institutional scholarships and endowments. He served as administrative director of capital campaigns from 2007–2022, all of which exceeded their goals. The most recent, The Campaign for Messiah University, raised $83.4 million—surpassing its $75 million goal and becoming the largest campaign in University history. 

Academic grants/faculty experience: Early in his tenure at Messiah, he established the University’s first grants office, significantly expanding funding from private and public sources for faculty research and institutional initiatives. Stuckey has also served as an assistant professor of sociology—teaching courses in the Department of Psychology, Criminal Justice and Sociology and in the Department of Human Development and Family Science.

Before Messiah: Prior to coming to Messiah in 2000, Stuckey served for 13 years in a variety of teaching, research and administrative leadership roles at Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio. With a background in social gerontology and medical sociology, Stuckey’s published research, which also included presentations at national and international scientific conferences, focused largely on the impacts of faith when caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. Stuckey’s work was one of the earliest lines of inquiry in this area of study.

Personal/family: President Stuckey's wife, Shari, has been a high school English teacher for 39 years, and will be retiring in June after teaching for the past 25 years at Hershey High School. When they first arrived at Messiah in 2000, she also taught as an adjunct faculty member, including courses in education, communication and writing. The Stuckeys have two grown daughters. Their oldest daughter, Taylor, and her husband, Justin, are 2017 Messiah alumni. They live outside of Leesburg, Va., with their daughter, Emma—the Stuckeys' first grandchild. Their younger daughter, Blake, works as a social worker in New York City.