• Welcome Dr. Summer McGee as LR’s 13th President

    Lenoir-Rhyne University Board of Trustees Appoints Dr. Summer McGee as President
    Lenoir-Rhyne University has selected Summer McGee, Ph.D, as the institution’s 13th president. Her appointment was enthusiastically approved by the Lenoir-Rhyne Board of Trustees after a national search.

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Giving Tuesday 2021 recap


Lenoir-Rhyne celebrates the success of Giving Tuesday, an annual global giving movement for the causes and organizations we care most about.

A masked student holds out a thank you postcard to the camera

Alumni, family and friends of Lenoir-Rhyne came together on this year’s Giving Tuesday to show their support for current students, collectively raising $93,960 for the university in honor of this global day of giving.

Gifts arrived to support all facets of the LR experience; from scholarships and academic departments to athletic teams and campus arts programs, donor support reached all corners of the campus community. Gifts to the Fund for Lenoir-Rhyne, the university’s annual fund, will provide unrestricted, current-use support for every student on campus today.

The success of the day also included an exceptional $11,215 specifically designated for the students and academic programs at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. Students attended a campus event to learn about Giving Tuesday and offered their thanks to the donors who supported this effort.

The day concluded a fall matching gift challenge issued by an anonymous alum in the Class of 2004 in October: for every dollar raised, all gifts to LR were matched in support for the university up to $100,000.

We are grateful for the gifts of our generous supporters. Thank you, Bear Nation!

The door to Toni Oakes' office covered with post-it notes from students, Theta Xi flag to the left

Beloved professor. Inspiring mentor. Joyful presence. Lenoir-Rhyne remembers Dr. Toni Smith Oakes, who shaped the heart and spirit of the OT program.

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Four student researchers from LR pose for group photo at NCAS

Lenoir-Rhyne University students showcased their academic excellence and research expertise at the 2025 North Carolina Academy of Science (NCAS) annual meeting in late March.

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