Dr. Paul J. Maurer became the 11th president of Sterling College on January 1, 2009. He brings rich educational experience and thoughtful conviction about the role of the Christian academy to Sterling College.

Prior to his arrival at Sterling, Dr. Maurer provided leadership at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Ill., as its Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement and President of the Trinity International Foundation, beginning in 2002. As a member of the president's executive team, he helped shape strategic planning, policy, and operational decisions for the University. Through his leadership, gift income grew, including the most successful capital campaign in Trinity's history.

Prior to his work at Trinity, he served at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif., where he provided leadership for a successful $57 million capital campaign. During his tenure at Westmont, he was involved in the early formation of Westmont's Gaede Institute for the Liberal Arts.

He received his Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science from the School of Politics and Economics at Claremont Graduate University, where he was named a John M. Olin and H.B. Earhart Fellow. He also earned his Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 1989, and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Cincinnati in 1983. He has published in Presidential Studies Quarterly and contributed to a volume entitled The Moral Authority of the Government. He is working on a book on the religious rhetoric of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.

Dr. Maurer and his wife, Joellen, have four children, Jon, Elizabeth, Daniel and Sarah. He was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio and continues as a fan of the Cincinnati Reds, Bengals and Bearcats. In his free time he enjoys reading, biking, golf and backpacking.