ATHENS, Ohio — The Ohio University Board of Trustees announced Wednesday the school's 23rd president will be Dr. Lori Stewart Gonzalez.
Gonzalez will replace President Hugh Sherman, who agreed to serve a two-year term with plans to retire at the end of the school year. Gonzalez will begin her service as President on July 1.
“Dr. Gonzalez’s background in, and knowledge of, the health sciences will serve her well as President of Ohio University,” said President Sherman. “A third of our students are enrolled in health sciences professional programs, and we are home to the largest public medical school in the state. In addition, she brings with her a clear understanding of the region we serve.”
The university says the selection of Gonzalez concludes a national search that began with a university-wide engagement project last fall.
“We started this process by partnering with the University community to define what we wanted in our next President, and I am thrilled to be able to say that we found everything we were looking for in Dr. Gonzalez,” said Peggy Viehweger, chair of the Ohio University Board of Trustees and chair of the Presidential Search Committee. “Dr. Gonzalez has broad experience as an academic leader and a deep commitment to the power of public higher education. What set her apart, however, was her open and honest communication style and her demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and to build strong teams – characteristics our stakeholders told us were of utmost importance.”
Gonzalez comes from the University of Louisville, where she currently serves as Executive Vice President and University Provost. She also served as Interim President for more than a year during a presidential transition.
Prior to Louisville, Gonzalez was the Vice Chancellor of Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.
She also served as the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor at Appalachian State University and Dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Kentucky.
Gonzalez holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Florida. She also has professional experience as a speech-language pathologist.
“I see public education as the ultimate opportunity to give back, and I’m so honored to partner with the Ohio University community to give back to a region that I call home,” Gonzalez said. “I know that when communities come together to support public education, our cities and towns are strengthened, our civic engagement is elevated and the students we serve discover new opportunities that change their lives and the lives of generations to come.”