The Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus has taken the baton as EMU’s interim president, officially beginning her role on July 1, 2025. Dr. Dycus previously served as vice president for student affairs, equity, and belonging at EMU where she oversaw the Student Life, DEI, and Athletics departments—and nurtured a co-curricular vision of social accountability, holistic well-being, and academic success. She was also a member of the Executive Leadership Team and President’s Cabinet.
EMU announced the selection of Dr. Dycus as interim president in April after a unanimous vote by the EMU Board of Trustees in March. The decision followed a national search process that began after Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman, EMU’s ninth president and first woman president, announced her retirement in October 2024, effective June 30, 2025. Dr. Dycus, the first Black woman in EMU history named to the position, will serve a minimum term of two years.
Since April, Drs. Dycus and Huxman have been meeting regularly to discuss the intricacies of the presidency, engage with key community stakeholders, and identify priorities for the year ahead in order to ensure a smooth transition between leaders.
“The example Susan set for the many female leaders on campus is astounding, and her leadership has empowered us all,” Dr. Dycus said. “I’ve learned so much from the way she has moved through her role, modeled leadership, and created new space to lead authentically.”
Dr. Dycus’ responsibilities include promoting the passions, positive outcomes, and successes of the university to both internal and external audiences. “One of the critical roles of a university president is to serve as its chief storyteller,” said Dr. Dycus. “To be able to advocate, celebrate, and cheerlead for EMU will be an exciting and essential part of my work as interim president.”
As chief storyteller for EMU since 2017, Dr. Huxman is confident in her successor. “Shannon is absolutely the right person to lead EMU into its next chapter. She has the smarts, the stamina, and the faith connections and storytelling gifts.”
A call to lead
After earning a bachelor of arts in middle and secondary education from Butler University, Dr. Dycus served as a high school teacher in Indianapolis from 2006 to 2008. While she loved the classroom, she sensed a deeper calling that extended beyond teaching toward spiritual leadership. She decided to follow in her family’s footsteps and enroll at Christian Theological Seminary (CTS). In 2010, she became a third-generation graduate of CTS, where she earned a master of divinity and was ordained as a minister in the Disciples of Christ tradition.
Dr. Dycus spent time as a hospital chaplain before serving as an academic advisor (2011-2013) and adjunct faculty member (2012-2017) at Franklin University of Ohio’s Indianapolis campus.
From 2013 to 2019, Dr. Dycus served as co-pastor of First Mennonite Church in Indianapolis. It was at First Mennonite that former EMU board member JB Miller ’70 first witnessed Dycus’ leadership strengths. Miller said she struck him as “wise beyond her years” during his time as a congregant. “She leads with confidence,” he said. “There’s a gentleness to it but also a firmness that people find refreshing. She can make tough decisions and is willing to own those tough decisions.”
During a sabbatical in 2017, Dr. Dycus attended a summer program in spiritual direction at Eastern Mennonite Seminary—her first introduction to EMU and the surrounding Shenandoah Valley. She recalls falling in love with the campus and imagining a future in Harrisonburg with her husband, Gregory, and their two sons, Malachi and Semaj.
She saw an opportunity to bring her vision to life two years later when EMU posted for the position of dean of students. Dr. Dycus applied for and landed the job, which she began in July 2019. She served in that role until 2023 and as vice president of student affairs and dean of students from 2023 to 2024, before being promoted to vice president for student affairs, equity, and belonging.
Dr. Dycus has “made it a priority to support EMU students as they arrive on campus and to navigate barriers in their education” since 2019 when she created and led the C.A.R.E. Team, a proactive and coordinated response to supporting student needs and their well-being. Dr. Dycus helped EMU to understand and expand its care and services throughout the pandemic.
In 2020 and 2024, she secured Department of Justice sexual violence prevention grants to fund EMU’s Safer Together office. She has worked with EMU Counseling Services to increase staffing and training for mental health support, and has been a staunch student advocate for peaceful responses to global injustices.
“I’ve seen so many students grow just by knowing her, observing her, and having the chance to connect with her,” said Jonathan Swartz MA ‘14 (conflict transformation), MDiv ‘14, dean of students at EMU. Swartz echoed a favorite saying from his high school basketball coach when reflecting on her leadership approach. “Be quick, but not in a hurry.” He said, “Her steadiness and ability to think quickly and plan well, but not be in a hurry, showed up and shined through during COVID.”
That steady, people-centered leadership is something Dr. Dycus intentionally cultivates. “I’ve been trained to be present with people, to show up and listen, offer empathy, and apply what I’ve learned to shape my leadership,” said Dr. Dycus, who earned a doctor of ministry in public theology from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in 2024.
The track ahead
As Dr. Dycus takes the lead on the track ahead, her top priority remains EMU students—specifically ensuring they have a safe, supportive environment and meaningful learning experiences. Her vision also includes maintaining a strong commitment to a values-based education while continuing to create new pathways of access and achievement for students, as outlined in the university’s 2023-2028 strategic plan. Another leadership focus will be inspiring confidence among faculty and staff while reimagining a more streamlined academic structure that supports long-term financial stability.
Dr. Dycus says that evolving EMU will not be easy but that she is hopeful. “The role will be challenging. There will be hurdles. But hope comes from a power greater than those challenges and from people united in purpose,” she said. “We can overcome what lies ahead. What we’re building together is stronger than anything that stands in our way.”
To learn more about Dr. Dycus, visit: emu.edu/president
This article is an abridged version of the feature story that will appear in the summer 2025 issue of Crossroads.
We are fortunate that Rev Dr Shannon Dycus has accepted this role at EMU.
We can rest assured that we are in good hands as she guides the EMU ship through the next phase of our life together.
Kudos to President Huxman for shepherding EMU through extraordinarily challenging years, and blessings to Dr. Dycus who is well qualified to provide leadership for the years ahead.
Congratulations! You sound like what is needed at EMU.
Congratulations Shannon! You’re definitely the right person to lead EMU for such a time as this, God bless you!