Susan Aldridge Becomes the First Woman President of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia

Susan Aldridge has been named the first woman president of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. She has served as interim president for the past year.

Thomas Jefferson University enrolls about 3,800 undergraduate and 4,500 graduate students. Women represent 74 percent of the undergraduate student population.

Dr. Aldridge has over two decades of higher education leadership experience, including presidencies at two other institutions. Prior to her current role, she was president of Drexel University Online and president of the University of Maryland Global Campus. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade at Troy University in Alabama, serving as vice chancellor and director of the Western Region.

Additionally, Dr. Aldridge has conducted extensive research into student success, growth strategies, and leadership within higher education. She previously spent one year as a senior fellow with the American Associate of State College and Universities where she published Wired for Success: Real-Word Solutions for Transforming Higher Education (AASCU, 2014).

Dr. Aldridge is a graduate of Colorado Women’s College where she double majored in sociology and psychology. She holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in public administration from the University of Colorado Denver.