Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU) is set to celebrate the inauguration of its eighth president, Carson Castleman, in an event that will be open to the public at no cost.

According to an MVNU press release, Castleman's inauguration will take place at 10:30 a.m. on April 3 in the R.R. Hodges Chapel Auditorium. A public reception is scheduled to follow at 2 p.m. in Foster Hall inside Ariel Arena.

Rev. Edward Phillips, J.D., Chair of the MVNU Board of Trustees, expressed his confidence in Castleman's leadership during an announcement made in August 2023. "We have found a collaborative leader in Dr. Carson Castleman," said Phillips. "He has the right education, experience, interest, drive, and passion to lead MVNU into a bright future." He further noted that Castleman's "enthusiasm and welcoming style are infectious" and that his distinguished career full of accomplishments made him the unanimous choice of the Board of Trustees. "We believe he is the right leader to move MVNU to new heights as the premier Christian university in the region," Phillips added.

The same press release from MVNU confirmed that Castleman was unanimously elected as the university's president on Aug. 11, 2023, and officially began his tenure on Oct. 1, 2023. The inauguration ceremony will be livestreamed on mvnu.tv for those who cannot attend.

Castleman's academic background was also detailed in the MVNU press release. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications/English from Northern Kentucky University and earned his masters in Human Resource Management from Indiana Wesleyan University along with a Master of Arts in Religion and Counseling from Liberty University. His doctorate was completed in Educational Leadership and Administration from Capella University.