Susan Fritz has been named interim president of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The school enrolls about 21,000 undergraduate students and more than 5,000 graduate students, according to the most recent data furnished to the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 48 percent of the undergraduate student body. When she take office on August 15, she will be the first woman to lead the university.
Dr. Fritz began her career in higher education in 1989 as an instructor in the university’s department of agricultural leadership, education, and communications. She went on to hold many leadership roles at the university including department head, associate dean of the College of Natural Resources, associate vice chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and interim dean and director of the Agricultural Research Division and the Nebraska Agricultural Experimentation Station.
In 2011, Dr. Fritz joined the central administration of the university as associate vice president for academic affairs. She was named interim provost in 2014 and was later promoted to the senior position on a permanent basis.
“It is the privilege of a lifetime to be entrusted with this role by the board of regents,” said Dr. Fritz. “I know from personal experience that the University of Nebraska is a powerful force for change and growth for young people and communities alike.”
Dr. Fritz holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, a master’s degree in adult education and agricultural education, and a doctorate in community and human resources all from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.