President Marylou Yam Elected to National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities Board

Dr. Yam to Serve on the Board of Directors for the Organization Representing 1,700 Institutions
Dr. Marylou Yam


BALTIMORE – Notre Dame of Maryland University President Marylou Yam has been elected to the board of directors for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), representing the nation’s 1,700 private, nonprofit higher education institutions.

Dr. Yam will begin her three-year term on July 1 as the board member for Region II, which includes Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. A visionary leader with a commitment to innovation and service, Dr. Yam has served as NDMU’s 14th president since 2014. She led the effort to develop the University’s five-year strategic plan, 
Going Beyond: Vision 2025, that is guiding institutional growth, historic fundraising, and overall excellence to fulfill the University’s mission.

Under her leadership, NDMU launched Maryland's first
 bachelor's and master's degree programs in art therapy  and in 2016 the university introduced NDMU Online which offers several fully online degree programs for adult undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students. The University launched master’s degree programs in family and adult/gerontology nurse practitioner studies last fall, and NDMU will offer a master’s program in physician assistant studies in fall 2023.

Dr. Yam serves as chair of the Maryland Independent Colleges and Universities Association. She has previously held several board positions, including immediate past chair of the Colonial States Athletic Conference, and in Baltimore City, vice chair of the Keswick Multi-Care Center, and trustee on the board of Caroline Center.


The Daily Record has twice named Dr. Yam to its Higher Education Power 30 list and twice selected her for its Maryland Top 100 Women list. In 2021, she was also named one of Maryland’s Most Admired CEOs by The Daily Record.

Founded in 1976, NAICU is the only national membership organization that serves as the voice of the nation’s private, nonprofit colleges and universities. NAICU board members set the association’s agenda on federal higher education policy, actively encourage support for the association’s priorities and initiatives, and oversee the organization’s financial administration.


Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.

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