Chicago State University Chooses Zaldwaynaka Scott as Its Next President

The board of trustees of Chicago State University has chosen Zaldwaynaka “Z” Scott as its next president. The university has been without a permanent president for two years. Scott is scheduled to take office on July 1.

According to the latest figures supplied to the U.S. Department of Education, there are more than 2,300 undergraduate students and about 1,200 graduate students enrolled at the university. Women make up 70 percent of the student body.

In accepting the appointment, Scott told the Chicago Tribune, “I am humbled and thrilled to have been selected by the board to lead the university. I think this is an amazing opportunity.”

Scott is an attorney for the Foley & Lardner law firm, which has offices in 21 major U.S. cities including Chicago. Scott served on the board of trustees of Chicago State University from 2009 to 2013. A former federal prosecutor, Scott has served as an adjunct professor at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and the John Marshall Law School.

Scott is a graduate of the University of Illinois, where she majored in journalism. She earned her law degree at Indiana University.