Franklin Pierce University has announced that Peter A. Eden, the current president of Landmark College, will be the seventh president of Franklin Pierce University, starting July 15.

Eden will be replacing outgoing University President Kim Mooney, who will retire June 30, after holding the position for the past eight years.

Eden obtained an undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Ph.D at the University of New Hampshire, with post-doctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in microbiology, molecular biology and neurobiology.

Before entering academics, his early career was in molecular biology and as a research project director at Biomeasure, Inc. in Milford, Massachusetts and Paris, France. He has since served as the Dean of Arts and Sciences at Endicott College and as a tenured Associate Professor and Chair of the Science Department at Marywood University.

“I am genuinely honored and excited to join the Franklin Pierce University community, and my family feels the same way,” said Eden in a press release issued by Franklin Pierce. “This opportunity is compelling, as Pierce has all the pieces for success in a challenging higher education industry, including a beautiful New England campus, academic centers with programs based in the growing allied health fields, online learning platforms, a reputation as a Division II athletics powerhouse, personalized academic pathways leading to careers, and dedicated faculty and staff.”

Eden has been president of Lankmark College since 2011, and was part of a significant revitalization of the college, including helming the introduction of new degree programs and a graduate-level online certification program and diversifying revenue streams, and doubling the college’s endowment fund. He also led the capital campaigns to build the Nicole Goodner MaFarlane Science, Technology and Innovation Center, to replace the turf on the soccer and lacrosse field and a build a new facilities complex.

Eden was instrumental in creating LC Online, a online education platform.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Peter Eden as the next President of Franklin Pierce University,” stated Steve Duprey, chair of the Franklin Pierce University’s Board of Trustees. “Dr. Eden’s remarkable track record of innovative leadership in higher education and his dedication to enhancing academic programs and financial stability make him uniquely qualified to lead Franklin Pierce. We are confident that under his leadership, the University will achieve new heights of success.”

Eden said among his goals as Franklin Pierce president would be raising funds to improve the campus and building relationships.

“Building on the hard work of others, we must increasingly engage Ravens alumni; raise significant funds to improve the campus, invest in our human capital; stay abreast of ever-changing priorities and needs of current and future undergraduate and graduate students; and find effective ways to reach and attract prospective students outside of this region,” said Eden. “At Landmark College, we are a truly close-knit community with a personalized approach to everything, including access to me and my office. Therefore, I am looking forward to a very close relationship with all members of the Pierce community, as we take risks and intentionally adapt in ways that deliver student success, however defined and measured.”

Eden and his wife, Joanne, a nurse anesthetist at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, are the parents of three children, Atticus, Dexter, and Vivienne. Eden plays in several adult ice hockey leagues in Keene and is involved in other local athletics programs through his children.