[2][3] It was announced on March 1, 2022, that Sullivan had accepted an offer to become the president of Santa Clara University, beginning in Fall 2022.

[8] On February 14, 2013, Sullivan was named the 15th president of University of St. Thomas, a private Roman Catholic institution in St. Paul, Minnesota.

As the successor of the Reverend Dennis Dease, Sullivan was the first woman and lay person to hold the title of president in St. Thomas history.

[9][10] In nine years at St. Thomas, President Sullivan launched the Dougherty Family College as a pathway toward a bachelor's degree for underserved students, raised more than $100 million in new scholarships, and completed the university's transition from Division III to Division I athletics.

[11] On March 1, 2022, it was announced that Sullivan accepted an offer to become the president of Santa Clara University, beginning in July 2022.