*Updated 3:18 p.m. Nov. 16*

Senior Vice President for Strategic Development and Assistant Professor of English Daniel Porterfield (COL ’83) has been named the president of Franklin & Marshall College.

“I am excited and honored at the prospect of leading Franklin & Marshall College, a historic American institution poised for remarkable influence in the 21st century,” Porterfield said in a Franklin & Marshall press release.

Porterfield’s transition begins next month, according to the press release, but he will remain at Georgetown to complete his final semester. He will assume his new position on March 1.

Larry Bonchek, chair of the Franklin & Marshall Board of Trustees, said he was confident in the selection of Porterfield. “I know that Dan is totally dedicated to using his considerable intellectual powers, his managerial talent, his personal magnetism, his strategic vision and his encompassing interest in those who learn and those who teach, to advance the welfare of Franklin & Marshall,” he said in the release.

When Porterfield takes over as Franklin & Marshall’s next president in Lancaster, Pa., he will leave behind a legacy at Georgetown. From living in his Copley Hall apartment and inviting students for dinner, to maintaining an active presence on campus, Porterfield and his family will be missed, University President John J. DeGioia said in an email sent to the university community just before noon today.

“I have known Dan since our days as students at Georgetown. Throughout the years he has demonstrated an unfailing commitment to make a difference in the lives of young people here at Georgetown and beyond,” DeGioia said.

Beyond Georgetown, Porterfield has maintained a broad influence.

Porterfield received two bachelors degrees, from Georgetown in 1983 and later from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. George Stephanopoulos, co-anchor of “Good Morning America” and ABC News chief political correspondent, said he bonded with Porterfield during their time together as Rhodes Scholars, according to a document issued by Franklin & Marshall College Communications.

“What’s most impressive is how Dan’s commitment to the mission of challenging young minds has only deepened over these 26 years,” Stephanopoulos said in the document. “The students of Franklin & Marshall will learn how lucky they are to have a president with so much intelligence, integrity and energy.”

Porterfield worked in a senior role at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services following his time as a Rhodes Scholar. He then earned his Ph.D. from the City University of New York Graduate Center. Porterfield returned to work on the Hilltop in 1997.

In his former capacity as vice president for communications and now as vice president for strategic development, Porterfield has been at the helm of many university projects. He contributed to the development of the 2000-2010 Campus Plan, the signing of the Med Star contract for Georgetown University Hospital, and more recently as interim athletic director before Lee Reed took over the post in the spring.

This semester, Porterfield is teaching an English course on education and leadership, titled “Those Who Teach, Lead.” Students had to undergo a selective application process in order to take the course with the sought-after professor. Porterfield emailed his current students shortly after noon to inform them of his departure.

“As we discussed in class yesterday, just like for you it’s also important for me to continue thinking about the ways I’d like to give and grow more, and this new role is one way,” he said. “We’ll have plenty of time to spend together in the coming months. I value your friendship and very much appreciate your support.”

In past semesters, Porterfield teamed up with government professor Anthony Arend to teach a course popular among students, titled “Human Rights: A Culture in Crisis.”

Porterfield has been actively involved in social justice issues, from founding the D.C. Schools Project in the 1980’s to solidifying Teach For America’s role as a top recruiter of recent Georgetown graduates. TFA Founder Wendy Kopp, who spoke at the 2008 Georgetown College commencement, said Porterfield has set an example for today’s colleges and universities.

“Dan Porterfield is what higher education should aspire to in the 21st century – the uncompromising embodiment of leadership, learning and service,” Kopp said in the document released by Franklin & Marshall.

Porterfield also serves on the boards of the Jesuit Refugee Service-USA and the Cristo Rey Network, a group of 22 Catholic, college preparatory high schools for economically disadvantaged students.

On campus diversity issues, he was an early player in talks that eventually led to the founding of the LGBTQ Resource Center in 2008, the first of its kind at a Catholic university in the United States. Porterfield also served at the head of the Admissions and Recruitment Working Group for the President’s Initiative on Diversity and Inclusiveness, which released its recommendations last spring.

After living in Copley Hall for eight years, Porterfield and his wife Karen Herrling (COL ’84)(LAW ’90) and three daughters have been familiar faces on campus. “I love going to church in Dahlgren, playing pick-up basketball at Yates, and eating chicken fingers in Leo’s,” Porterfield said this fall. “I love sharing the Georgetown experience with my children who have performed in Rangila, cheered and yelled for the Hoyas, danced in Hoyathon, and sold lemonade in Red Square.”

In a viewpoint published in THE HOYA upon its 90th anniversary in January (“Profile of a Living Campus,” Jan. 14, 2010, A3), Porterfield reflected on what he called the hallmarks of Georgetown.

“Making the most of every day. Building community. Serving others. When we live these values in our daily lives, we animate the enduring spirit of Georgetown,” Porterfield wrote.

DeGioia did not specify in the email if a search was underway for Porterfield’s successor.

— Hoya Staff Writer Eamon O’Connor contributed to this report.”