Rita Cheng Chosen to Lead Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff

Rita Cheng has been named as the sole finalist for the position of president of Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. The university enrolls nearly 22,000 undergraduate students and 4,200 graduate students. Women make up 58 percent of the undergraduate student body.

Since 2010 Dr. Cheng has served as chancellor of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She also taught accounting at the university. Earlier, she was provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She spent 22 years on the faculty and staff at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Dr. Cheng is a graduate of Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Quebec. She holds an MBA from the University of Rhode Island and a Ph.D. in management from Temple University in Philadelphia.

Dr. Cheng’s appointment must still be formally approved by the full board of regents, but this is thought to be a mere formality as several members of the board, including its chair, were on the presidential search committee.