Hood College

It’s safe to say that Olivia G. White, Ph.D., is one of the most beloved and celebrated staff members that Hood College has ever had. Her dedication to the college and more importantly, its students, has created an unmatched legacy of not only strong leadership, but also of selflessness, resilience, acceptance, fairness and joy.

Dean White’s retirement, after more than 28 years as vice president of student life and dean of students, at the end of 2020 marked a bittersweet milestone in Hood College’s history. Dean White has a unique ability to make every person she comes across feel special. She embodies each of Hood’s core values—hope, obligation, opportunity and democracy—in all that she does. So much so that the Hood family refers to Olivia as the unofficial “O” in Hood. She has played a central role in developing Hood into the community it is today. She embodies the warm, selfless leadership that is part of the student experience. Her legacy of service extends beyond campus into the Frederick community. In 2017, she was the first female recipient of the George B. Delaplaine Distinguished Citizen Award, in recognition of the positive and lasting impact she made has made in the Frederick community. As Dean White packed up her office and wrapped each of her treasured elephants, she recalled the story attached to each: “Like each and every student who came through that door, each has a story to tell, each is unique, and each has brought me joy.”