Hello, and welcome to Gators on Purpose, where we talk with Allegheny College alumni who show us the power of combining what you love with what challenges you. At Allegheny College, being a Gator on Purpose means shaping your own extraordinary path, and those unusual combinations lead to extraordinary outcomes — meaningful careers and lives built on purpose.
I’m Briana Lewis, Associate Professor of French and Faculty Liaison to the Center for Career and Professional Development, and I’m talking today with Dr. Ron Cole, Allegheny College class of 1987, and currently serving as Allegheny's president. Today, we're going to learn about President Cole's time as an Allegheny student and his experience as an alum and how Allegheny has shaped his life and career. President Cole, thank you for joining us on this first episode of Gators on Purpose.

President Cole: It is a pleasure to be here, Briana.

Briana: So, to start off today, I'd like to ask you to take us back a ways. Think back to when you were 17, 18 years old and making that college decision. Why did you choose Allegheny?

President Cole: For some reason, growing up in Brooklyn in New York City, I became impassioned with mountains and wilderness. And I was also, through middle school and high school, a voracious reader. And I picked up this one book by John McPhee, and the title is Coming into the Country. And it was a book that told the story of people and culture in Alaska. And I was hooked. And that got me excited about learning more about that place that seemed so wild, and free, and full of adventure and excitement and passion for life, from the characters I learned in this book. And so from there, I understood that there were pathways that maybe can get me into work in the outdoors. And one of those pathways was studying geology. Understanding earth processes, again, looking at mountains and understanding how they form was just fascinating to me. So now fast forward, my wandering into the guidance counselor's office, pointed me to the college catalogs and I started with the A's, and there was Allegheny College. I got past the A's but I opened the catalog and there's something that struck me. I couldn't tell you exactly what it was, the language, the way the academic programs were described, the sense of community. Any case, I came out to visit. I took, I think it was a Trailways bus out, found Meadville, and man, I left here knowing that this was the place I wanted to be. And I had visited one or two other places and this was it. And that's how I came across Allegheny.

Briana: And how was your transition to college as a student? Did it go the way you expected?

President Cole: I had a wonderful, absolutely beautiful experience as a student and it was also one of the most challenging roles I think I ever had. So, I did horribly my first term. And while I didn't get kicked out, I got a warning. So, it took me that first term before I started to understand what learning was about. And I didn't do that on my own. I had a whole ecosystem of support: my academic advisor Bob Schwartz, Nancy Sheridan, a number of other people. I'll credit Milosh Mamula who was director of Financial Aid at the time, because it was also challenging for myself and my mom to afford, believe it or not, going to Allegheny at that time. And so I had this support that I didn't actually go out and ask for. It just happened, because somebody recognized, “oh, this person is struggling.” 

Briana: Right. And I think that's an experience that a lot of our current students can relate to.

President Cole: May I share another story?

Briana: Sure.

President Cole: In my first term, I had an English class, English writing composition class. It was actually the class I got my best grade in. Um, and there was a project I was working on and I was stumped. I didn't know exactly how to approach the writing project. I turned in the paper as best as I could and I didn't do very well on the paper but there was a comment on the bottom from the professor to come and see her. Any case, I go up to the prof's door, which was ajar and I knew they were in there, and I stood out for what seemed like an eternity, and I walked away. I couldn't bring myself to knock on her door. I didn't think that maybe I wasn't smart enough, worthy of her time, but I just walked away. I started to do better in the class, and towards the end, I remember getting a note on another paper commenting on the progress made, and that also made me realize that, oh, the faculty, or the professors are paying attention not just to what you're turning in but paying attention to the people in their classrooms. And that was impactful.

Briana: Yeah. So, um, you said you came here already with an interest in geology, with that already as your plan,

President Cole: That's right.

Briana: Was that a firm plan? Was there another decision point later on? 

President Cole: I would describe my plan as pretty firm. I wanted to pursue that. But as I learned more through introductory geology and then I actually had a research experience in my first year, starting in my second term, and I was hooked. That exploration through research, that concept of curiosity-driven work just again hooked me in a way that I never looked back. 

Briana: What else stands out to you as important to your experience as a student?

President Cole: So I would like to spend a moment on my experience with the music program here. I believe it was seventh grade that I had the opportunity to start taking music and being part of an ensemble and I chose the violin. My grandfather played the violin and so that was a connection for me. Never had any lessons. I just showed up and Floyd Johnson, Mr. Johnson, was the music teacher. Absolutely amazing human being, patience of a saint, um who helped all of the string players, who had never picked up a string instrument, learn enough to get by and play things together. And that moment of feeling like you're part of something bigger than yourself was just such a great feeling, that I'm contributing along with the students around me to make this sound. Now, I wasn't in the audience. I couldn't vouch for the sound, but it felt good while we were playing it in seventh grade.

Briana: That’s what counts!

President Cole: Now, fast forward to Allegheny. I showed up, and I walked over to the music department and found the string instructor. His name was Tom Wood. And I asked if he would do lessons. He said, "Sure." And he got me to audition for the civic symphony, and in due time I was playing in a Baroque ensemble with a few other students. In any case, that experience just completely broadened my horizon outside of my main area of focus in the sciences. I gained a whole appreciation for all of the cultural importance of music performance and being part of performance. And also, that's given me such a greater appreciation for being in the audience and listening and understanding what has to happen in order to make something like that work. So I'll never forget those positive experiences that I had in the Allegheny music program alongside my geology major. The other thing that was impactful were the people that I met and built community with. I lived in Ravine my first year and the folks on my hall, we formed a community. We'd walk over to dinner together, you know, when it was meal time, folks would go around knocking on everybody's door and “hey, let's go.” And while that group found other community after the first year, I also started to connect with others, and that sense of meeting people who had different backgrounds, different experiences, socioeconomically, different parts of the country, that, to me, was enriching. I also met my wife at Allegheny. 

Briana: That’s pretty important! 

President Cole: Yeah. So Nancy and I met in our first year in Ravine, happened to stumble across each other in the laundry room. And, fast forward, we have been together ever since. And so that certainly has been an important part of my Allegheny experience that has shaped my journey.

Briana: Yeah. Um so you -- you and Nancy both -- graduated in 1987. And what was your next step after that?

President Cole: So I went to grad school and I was so excited. In fact, I remember when I was doing my senior project -- I had the best time, it was so much fun -- and I remember my advisor Bob Schwartz invited a friend of his to Allegheny who ultimately became my graduate advisor and I didn't know it at the time. His name was Pete DeCelles and he was at University of Rochester. And so, Bob said, "Just tell them about your senior project." And I did. And it was an amazing conversation. And next thing I know, I'm heading to the University of Rochester for graduate school. 

Briana: That’s great.

President Cole: And Pete was just a stellar, absolute stellar advisor. Really helped me learn how to continue my journey in scholarship, but also was someone who taught me how to really be even more independent in my thinking, and gain confidence in the work that I was doing. So, I did a master's thesis and then a PhD thesis, on a project along the San Andreas fault in California, the early history of that fault. And then while I was finishing up my PhD, I was trying to decide next steps.

Briana: Yeah.

President Cole: And so before I finished my PhD, I started moonlighting, doing consulting work for an environmental firm: hydrogeologic reports and really fundamental things that I could do while I was finishing up my PhD. Well, in short, that turned into a full-time gig, before I defended. So, I was working full-time, doing environmental consulting work in Western New York. Really glamorous things: landfill sighting -- 

Briana: Nice.

President Cole:  -- if you close your eyes and listen to the seagulls, it's just like being at the beach -- 

Briana: Yes.

President Cole:  -- cleaning up underground storage tanks that are leaking, soil and water remediation, finding water supplies for small towns, that type of work. And that became really interesting to me. So when I finished my graduate work, I stayed on and worked in that for a few years until the office that I was in, I was actually helping to manage the office. We shut it down because that was the start of a downturn of industry. We closed that office. I was literally unemployed. So, I started my own consulting gig. I got insurance, went home to my inkjet printer, made up business cards, and had my contact sheet and started consulting on my own. And that was going -- starting to go, I think, pretty well when the job at Allegheny opened up.

Briana: Ah.

President Cole: And I applied. Didn't think, I wasn't sure, I didn't really expect that it would amount to anything. And here I am.

Briana: Here you are. And, it sounds as though -- I say this understanding not a lot about the field you were working in -- but it sounds as though it wasn't necessarily the specific preparation of your graduate education that allowed 
you to do that consulting work. Have I understood that right or is that…?

President Cole: You are spot on. So, what prepared me for that consulting work were the classes I had with Sam Harrison at Allegheny College and some of the course work I had with Wayne Brewer and Bob Schwartz. My graduate work was in a completely different area. What I learned at Allegheny College was how to learn, how to do research, how to process information and if there was something to solve, understanding the steps to try to go about and solve that. And that gave me confidence. In fact, when I first went to graduate school, when I started to meet the other graduate students, when I started to talk with them and we talked shop, you know, and compared geology notes and stories, I felt woefully underprepared because I didn't have the same level of geo-trivia.

Briana: Ah.

President Cole: I didn't know as many names of things. Others were spouting off all these various fossil species and mineral types, but when it came down to even exams that asked questions that required problem solving. And certainly when it came to doing my research for my master's degree, man, did I feel well ahead of the pack. And I attribute that to everything I learned at Allegheny. And to your point, that absolutely transferred to my ability to do the consulting work that I was engaged in.

Briana: Because you had more flexibility, if not geo-trivia.

President Cole: That's right.

Briana: Yeah. So you got the job at Allegheny and that it sounds as though that felt like a step in the right direction for you.

President Cole: It was. 

Briana: So tell me about the experience, which was about 20 years for you, of being on the faculty at Allegheny, what was -- what did you enjoy about that? What was -- what made it worthwhile, fulfilling?

President Cole: Well, that's easy. The opportunity that I had to teach at Allegheny College provided me the chance to pay it forward. And I don't mind cliches. As a teacher and a mentor, I was motivated by my students. I engaged just like I was engaged in research as a student before the senior project. I wanted to do the same. So I engaged students in research. And so, over time, I don't know how many students spent time with me in Alaska. Um, two dozen, 25, something like that, maybe 30 over time. Each one of those students, each person was meaningful to me as I had the amazing opportunity to watch them discover and learn, get disappointed and excited about what they were doing. And that I mentioned the research, the fieldwork in Alaska, but that happened in the classroom. Some of the best experiences I remember having as a teacher were those students that weren't doing well. Maybe that apple didn't fall far from the tree. But the best experiences I had were when those students got it and I I could see them accelerate. And then from there they understood how to learn going forward. And so again, I go back to that cliche of, it was my opportunity to pay it forward at my alma mater.

Briana: Yeah. Tell me more about taking students to Alaska. That sounds like … well, it sounds like an undertaking!

President Cole: I'd say they were mini-expeditions. We would hike in for a day or more, or when I had grant funding, get dropped off by a helicopter or a tundra plane or a float plane 50, 75, 100 miles from any road, any place. We had students, some of whom went on to grad school in geology, some went into teaching, some got into completely different fields. But when I've been in touch with them, they reflect on the learning they had, that wasn't just about the fieldwork, but it was about understanding ways of living. And that was part of what motivated me to help do this as well. Some students had not had very much camping experience. So that, for those students who hadn't been camping, this was like a whole new world for them. You're living in a tent and your food, by the way, is nowhere near your tent because there's a grizzly bear in the area and it's very different when you're not working at a place where you're at the top of the food chain. 

Briana: So you taught for 20 years or so as a faculty member, and then you, in 2015, became provost and dean of the college and then president in 2022. So I wonder if you could talk a little bit about your transition from faculty to administration. Also kind of an inflection point career-wise and I'm interested in that. What motivated that transition?

President Cole: When the opportunity for provost and dean of the college came up, when that was announced, I didn't apply until I was nominated. So, I, it's not something that I immediately said, "Ooh, I think I want to do that." I believe I was motivated by two things. One was finding new ways to serve Allegheny. The other was, I'd been teaching for 20 years and this felt like it could be a new learning opportunity, you know, a new way to develop different skills and maybe apply what I knew as a faculty member and bring that forward. So, all of that was very naive, but there you go. I wind up being appointed into the role, and actually when that happened there were large drops of irony.

Briana: Tell me more about that!

President Cole: Because early in my faculty years, this is my third or fourth year, there were decisions made at Allegheny College that I didn't agree with. And so I took it upon myself at a faculty meeting to raise my hand and call out the then-president and dean about what they were doing. The next day, I get a call from the president's secretary. “President Cook would like to see you in his office.” So, I walked in and I made some sort of comment, “Well, I guess I better work on my CV, huh?” And Richard looked at me and said, "Are you kidding? I want to learn more about what you're talking about.” So I say dripping with irony because once I stepped into the administrative role I started to gain a much deeper appreciation for the work that the administration had done while I was early on in my faculty. I couldn't tell you if I would have agreed or not to what their decisions were but I understood more about what was going on and I had a greater respect for what was happening. And I also learned from Richard Cook, what leadership could be: engaging, listening, learning, and then he changed things. And that stuck with me. When I had a chance to step into that role, I thought maybe I could help make a difference in some ways.

Briana: And so you say that some of your assumptions going in were a bit naive. How has it been different than what you expected? 

President Cole: Let me share two attributes, perhaps the only two attributes that I brought to that role, and they both relate to my training as a scientist, particularly geoscientist. One, I have a relatively good relationship with uncertainty. You know, doing geology, if you have to map what's underground, you don't, you can't see it. You have limited data points. So, you find what you can and then you interpolate and try to make your best assumptions. I quickly learned that very few other people were as comfortable with uncertainty as I was, when I stepped out of my departmental world. And so, I realized I had to stop and really fill in as many gaps as possible. The second piece is my sense of time. I think long term. There are short term moments that might be cataclysmic in the geologic record: volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, you know, major events. And when those are done, the tectonic plates keep moving. So I've observed in Allegheny’s history, higher education broadly, there are cataclysmic moments, shifts, and when those are done, things are going to keep moving. And I realized that part of what I needed to try to understand was how to come out the other side, right? When these cataclysmic shifts happen, what are we going to be? How are we going to keep moving? And we know the world's going to keep going, and how are we going to be part of that? How are we going to actually shape that future after those events? And so I attribute that to some of my just ways of thinking. But they also to what I'd call were very naive assumptions going into that role.

Briana: Yeah. So in your day-to-day now, in present tense, how would you articulate what we might call your sense of purpose? As you get up and come to Allegheny College to be President every day, how do you articulate what keeps you going in that work?

President Cole: That's easy. I’m going to start with our students. And when I'm having a frustrating time in my office, I get up and I walk around campus, or I'll say, "I'm going to go run this errand now over to the Campus Center” or “I'm just going to go to Brooks for lunch." Invariably, I'll strike up a conversation with a student and it reminds me, and it inspires me. Right? So, the frustrations that I experience are largely external to our campus, and reminding, being rooted in the mission that we have around education is what drives me. And now I'll ripple that out and I think of the faculty and the staff who work with students every day. And I miss that, right? I really do. Um, and I am grateful for what I see happening across campus and it's countless. Some days I'll actually try to jot down all the good things I see happening and it's inspiring. There are far more good things than I would say negative things. I guess, I don't know if that helps answer the question.

Briana: Yeah. Yeah, it does. And it's similar -- you may or may not realize this -- it's similar to what you said about your work as a faculty member, and to your time here as a student that it's this community. 

President Cole: Yeah.

Briana: And so my final question today: What advice do you have for current or future Allegheny students who hope to build successful lives of meaning and purpose after Allegheny?

President Cole: Be generous with yourself and with others. Trust your capabilities, and believe in what you can do. And pause every once in a while. Enjoy the moment that you're in.

Briana: President Cole, it's been wonderful to talk with you today. Thank you again for the conversation.

President Cole: Well, thank you, Briana. I think this is a wonderful concept. I hope you have many, many engaging conversations with alumni, sharing their purpose for Allegheny. So, thank you.

Briana: Thank you. 
I would also like to thank all the members of the Allegheny community who helped make Gators on Purpose possible, including members of our Alumni Engagement and Marketing and Communications teams. Our digital humanities librarian, Andrew Miller, provides technical support for our recordings. Our music was composed by Dominic Juliana, Allegheny class of 2026, under the mentorship of Professor Michael Dolan, and was performed by piano instructor Wendy Plyler. Editing and mixing are done by me, your host, Briana Lewis. From campus to career, every Gator has a story that's uniquely their own, stories of curiosity and unusual combinations of interests, fueled by creativity and a supportive community. These stories remind us that Allegheny College doesn't just prepare you for a job, it prepares you for a life lived on purpose.