Before arriving at USD, Lyons spent years in a convent, considering life as a nun. Then she followed the path of her father and joined the military, earning the rank of captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve. In her 35-year career as an educator, Lyons has taught at elementary and middle schools, community colleges, and public and private universities.

With this varied background, the 55-year-old Lyons said, she brings to the Catholic private school an open and deferential mind. Hers is not a singularly Catholic leadership style, she says.

"It's more about having a real respect for the dignity of people," Lyons said recently from her office.

Upon arriving on campus in early July, Lyons introduced herself to more than 100 employees – from professors to administrators to cooks. She has also spent days going through the university's archives, trying to get a better sense of the mission and history of the university founders.

Her observations: Those who created the school were interested in building a university that would be welcoming to people of all faiths. They aimed to provide students with a liberal arts education and to improve their human condition.

Just two months into the job, Lyons has set some lofty goals.

She says her top priority is establishing a stable, increased source of funding for financial aid.

Over the next 10 years, she said, she hopes to build the university's endowment from about $80 million to $500 million and earmark the largest share of that for student scholarships.

What might surprise students is the vast difference between Lyons' upbringing and many of their own.

Lyons' father was a career Army officer, and her mother worked as a technician in a hospital lab. Growing up in a military family, Lyons moved many times, spending part of her childhood in Africa.

After attending a parochial high school, she went to the convent because the nuns were the most educated people she knew. The oldest of five children, she was the only one to attend college.

USD students this year will pay tuition of $23,410, with estimated total costs of room, board, transportation and personal expenses of $37,300.

While 74 percent of students receive some sort of financial aid, it's not uncommon to see many walking around the picturesque campus wearing designer clothing or driving luxury sedans.

The difference isn't lost on Lyons.

Shortly after her arrival, she was asked to address several hundred ironworkers meeting at USD over the summer. In an interview before her speech, she said offhandedly that having grown up in a family of shipyard workers, she's probably more familiar with their background than that of her students.

Despite the differences, Lyons says she's well-prepared for the job.

This will be the third institution she has led. She was the top administrator at the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo, and most recently, at the College of Saint Benedict, a small women's college in central Minnesota.

Some colleagues say Lyons isn't afraid to shake things up.

For example, as president of Saint Benedict, one of the first things Lyons did was replace half her management team. Later, she bought several copies of the best-selling management book, "Good to Great," and asked her senior staff and a trustee to read it.

"None of us had ever been told by a president what book to read," recalled Susan Lester, chairwoman of the board of trustees at Saint Benedict's. But Lyons' assignment was accepted, Lester said, because her attitude and articulateness make her a well-liked manager.

Lyons says she was simply trying to provide professional development for her team. "The people running the asylum have to be educated too," she quipped.

Some at USD said they have high hopes that Lyons will use that same gritty energy to increase the university's student scholarship funds, build a stronger sense of community on campus, and take a hands-on approach to increasing diversity among the faculty and student body.

Last year, the small campus was rocked by more than a dozen hate crimes and incidents, most directed at students.

The relative size of the student minority population, at 24 percent, has remained virtually unchanged for more than 10 years. Some students and faculty members have said they hope Lyons will be able to build the school's academic standing during tough economic times, and diversify its curriculum, faculty and student body.

Lyons plans to address each of these issues. In addition to her goals for increased financial aid, she's also organizing a committee to address issues of diversity and gender balance among the student body.

"The minority numbers are low," she said. "That's why we need to do our homework and come up with goals that are realistic and achievable."