Sinda K. Vanderpool has been named the tenth president of the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. Her appointment makes her the institution’s first woman president in its 77-year history.
According to the most recent federal data, the University of St. Thomas enrolls about 3,000 undergraduate and 800 graduate students. Women represent 57 percent of the undergraduate population.
Most recently, Dr. Vanderpool served as president and vice chancellor of St. Mary’s University in Alberta, Canada. Over her three-year tenure, she increased the university’s enrollment, nearly doubled its endowment, and advanced student success initiatives. Earlier, she spent 18 years with Baylor University in Waco, Texas, ultimately rising to the role of associate provost for student success.
“University of St. Thomas is a place where intellect, faith and human dignity are all held in equal esteem, guided by a mission that resonates deeply with my own calling in Catholic higher education,” said Dr. Vanderpool. “It is a privilege to lead an institution that not only pursues academic excellence, but also forms students in virtue, leadership and service. I am honored to help steward UST’s next chapter of growth and impact.”
Dr. Vanderpool is a graduate of Lamar High School in Houston, located just a few miles from the University of St. Thomas campus. She holds a bachelor’s degree in French from Davidson College in North Carolina and a Ph.D. in French literature from Princeton University in New Jersey.