The board of trustees of the University of Redlands in Redlands, California, has announced that Krista L. Newkirk will serve as the twelfth president of the university. When she takes office in July, Newkirk will be the first woman president of the university.
The University of Redlands enrolls 3,200 undergraduate students and more than 1,700 graduate students, according to the most recent statistics furnished by the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 61 percent of the undergraduate student body.
Newkirk has been serving as president of Converse College, an educational institution for women in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The college is now becoming co-educational.
Prior to being named the tenth president of Converse College in 2016, Newkirk spent 13 years at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, first in the Office of Legal Affairs, then as chief of staff in the Office of the Chancellor.
“I am excited to be joining the University of Redlands,” Newkirk said. “This is an especially important time in the history of the university. I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and working with the dedicated and talented faculty, staff, trustees, students, and alumni, as well as reaching out to community members and businesses. As we continue to reassess what the higher education landscape will look like following the pandemic, this is our opportunity to create together a bright future.”
Newkirk grew up on a cattle ranch in Missouri. She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska, where she majored in English. She holds a juris doctorate from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.