Dr. Eric Darr was named President of Harrisburg University by the Board of Trustees effective May 9, 2013. He previously served as interim president since July 1, 2012.
Under Dr. Darr’s leadership, the University expanded to include a Philadelphia location; expanded its total enrollment to over 6,000 students, launched new graduate and undergraduate degree programs, secured grants and scholarship support, opened new housing for its students and expanded the University’s classroom and laboratory spaces. Additionally, he spearheaded the creation of the University’s Esports team, The STORM, and HUE FEST, the nation’s largest collegiate esports tournament.
During his career, he has developed and taught Doctoral and MBA courses in organizational learning, organizational change, organization design, process reengineering, business strategy and technology management. Further, he developed and taught executive education courses in measuring intellectual capital, corporate renewal, managing information technology resources, improving product development and creating organizational memory.
He has published numerous articles and book chapters on organizational learning, learning technologies and competitive advantage. He has been an invited speaker at universities in the United States, Austria, Great Britain, France, Australia and the Netherlands. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation and the Center for International Business Education and Research at UCLA. Additionally, he has conducted research and consulted in over twenty multinational corporations including Arthur Andersen, Gemini Consulting, TRW Space and Electronics, Hughes Aerospace, Bank of America, Xerox, British Airways and Qantas Airlines.
He was a consultant to Harrisburg University in 2004 and later joined the campus as vice president of finance and administration in January 2005. He has served as a member of the faculty, and as executive vice president and provost of the University, where he oversaw Academic Services, Enrollment Management, Information Technology Services, Library Services and Curriculum and Faculty Affairs.
Prior to joining Harrisburg University he was Chief Operating Officer from 2000 until 2003 at KnowledgePlanet, Inc., a software company located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. From 1997 to 2000, Dr. Darr led Ernst & Young’s Knowledge Management Consulting Services.
He earned both a bachelor-of-science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1985 and a master-of-science degree in psychology in 1988 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He also earned a master-of-science degree in Organizational Behavior in May 1991 and a doctor of philosophy degree in Industrial Administration (Organizational Behavior and Theory), in May 1994 from Carnegie Mellon University where he studied under Nobel Prize Winner and noted organizational theorist Herbert Simon.
