Greg Cant, PhD
Greg Cant was named the seventh president of Wilkes University in 2019. A native of Australia, he has 30 years of experience as an educator and administrator in the United States and abroad. President Cant is regarded as a visionary academic leader who grew enrollment at previous institutions by developing a variety of innovative and market-driven programs.
A Persevering and Innovative Leader
When President Cant officially began his tenure as Wilkes President in late May 2020, the campus and the country were faced with significant challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among President Cant’s priorities was overseeing plans for a successful campus reopening for the fall 2020 semester. Under President Cant’s leadership, a cross-functional group of University employees ensured that Wilkes students, faculty and staff could experience a fall semester with residential opportunities and uninterrupted academic instruction. In 2021, President Cant developed the transitional Bridge to the Future Strategic Plan (.pdf), designed to guide the University through the pandemic.
In June 2023, a more comprehensive and traditional planning process led to the University’s new strategic plan, Innovate. Engage. Thrive. (.pdf) The plan, built on the success and lessons of the Bridge to the Future plan, introduced six key goals essential for Wilkes to flourish that will guide the University until 2028. President Cant will lead the University in advancing academic success; promoting innovation and partnership, supporting student success; prioritizing community, enrichment and service; strengthening financial resilience; and optimizing infrastructure.
Under President Cant, Wilkes University has received a number of transformative gifts to support student success as well as key initiatives outlined in the strategic plan, including the naming of the Dr. Richard Abbas Alley School of Education, the establishment of the Cohen Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the formation of the Chu-Wiendl Scholarship and a significant investment in the Bonner Leaders Program.
A Leader in Business with a Passion for Culture
President Cant is the former dean of the Feliciano School of Business at Montclair State University. Under his leadership, the school developed and implemented over two dozen programs that enhanced enrollment and academic quality, leveraged interdisciplinary expertise and addressed critical market needs. During his tenure, the Feliciano School of Business experienced an overall enrollment growth of nearly 50 percent, including a graduate population that grew by 115 percent.
President Cant also served as dean of the Offutt School of Business at Concordia College in Minnesota where he worked with key constituents to transform Concordia’s business program into a comprehensive business school. Under his stewardship, the Offutt School established an intensive new curriculum, grew its faculty and staff, developed new initiatives and programs and raised more than $56 million.
In addition to these roles, he has served as a professor in Guangdong, China, and worked in the United Kingdom, as well as in his native Australia. He holds his doctor of philosophy degree from the University of Western Australia and a master’s degree in industrial relations from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada. He also earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial relations and economics from the University of Western Australia.
Cant and his wife, Angela, live in the President’s House on the Wilkes campus. He has two adult children, Genevieve and Callum, who live in Australia, and two college-age children, Eliza and Jackson. He and Angela enjoy exploring the wonderful outdoor resources northeast Pennsylvania offers and getting to know their downtown Wilkes-Barre neighborhood.
Angela Cant
Born in Perth, Western Australia Angela graduated from the University of Western Australia with a major in Labor Relations and spent ten years working in Human Resources in the mining industry. Her work took her around the country including three years living in the "outback" of far north Australia and a semester teaching Human Resources in China.
After relocating to the US she spent a number of years at home raising her family and living on a hobby farm in Washington State. After moving to Fargo-Moorhead Angela returned to school to study Accounting. Upon completion she combined her passion for travel and higher education and commenced a career in international education at Concordia College.
Prior to moving to Pennsylvania, Angela worked at Montclair State University in New Jersey, initially providing immigration services and support to international students and research scholars. There, she ultimately worked with faculty to develop and manage faculty-led study abroad programs.
Angela and Greg reside in the President's House on the campus of Wilkes University. They have two children, Eliza and Jackson.