Ohio State University has named its 23rd president

Athens, Ohio – Ohio University Dr. Laurie Stewart Gonzalez will become the school’s 23rd president on Wednesday, the Board of Trustees announced.

Gonzalez will succeed President Hugh Sherman, who has agreed to serve a two-year term with plans to retire at the end of the school year. González will begin his term as president on July 1.

“Dr. Gonzalez’s expertise and knowledge in the health sciences will serve her well as president of Ohio University,” said President Sherman. “A third of our students are enrolled in professional health science programs, and we are home to the largest public medical school in the state. In addition, she brings with her a clear understanding of the region we serve.”

The university says the selection of Gonzalez concludes a national search that began with a university-wide engagement project last fall.

“We began this process by working with the university community to determine what we wanted in our next president, and I’m thrilled to say that we found everything we were looking for in Dr. Gonzalez,” said Peggy Vichweger, chair of the Board of Trustees. of the Ohio University Board and Chairman of the Presidential Search Committee. “Dr. Gonzalez has extensive experience as an academic leader and a deep commitment to the authority of public higher education. However, what set her apart was her open and honest communication style and her demonstrated ability to work together and build a strong team – characteristics that our stakeholders told us were extremely important.”

Gonzalez hails from the University of Louisville, where she currently serves as the university’s executive vice president and provost. She also served as interim president for over a year during a presidential transition.

Prior to Louisville, Gonzalez was vice chancellor for academic, faculty and student affairs at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.

She also served as provost and executive provost at Appalachian State University and dean of the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences.

Gonzalez holds a PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Florida. She also has professional experience as a speech pathologist.

“I see public education as the best opportunity to give back, and I am honored to partner with the Ohio University community to give back to the region I call home,” Gonzalez said. “I know that when communities come together to support public education, our cities and towns are strengthened, our civic engagement is enhanced, and the students we serve experience new opportunities that change their lives and the lives of generations to come.”