Sharon Hart

Sharon Hart is an esteemed American higher education administrator who served as president of Northern Marianas College from 2011 to 2016 and RIT Kosovo from 2016 to 2019. Her career has been characterized by her work in securing institutional accreditation, focusing degree programs on the needs of the workplace, addressing student affordability, and in academic leadership. In addition, Dr. Hart has served as a U.S. diplomat, most recently with United States Agency for International Development in Jordan from 2024–2025.

Education Hart holds a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University,a master's degree from Indiana State University, and a PhD in education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1995. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where her dissertation focused on the role of women in non-traditional careers and salary disparities. She resigned from this role on January 19, 2000, which followed an April 1999 vote of no confidence from faculty who were concerned that her focus on vocational training would be detrimental to academic programs. The reasons cited included allegations of financial mismanagement, unethical conduct, and jeopardizing the college's accreditation.

In November 2015, Hart announced that she would not renew her contract, which was set to end in July 2016. On February 4, 2016, she began an extended leave of absence, and David Peter J. Attao was appointed acting president.

RIT Kosovo In May 2016, Hart was named the new president of RIT Kosovo, becoming the first woman to lead the institution. She served in this role from 2016 to 2019. Since that time Hart has served as a higher education consultant in both the US and abroad. She is the CEO of Affordable US Education.

Personal life Hart is married to Steven West.