Wright State is tapping Cheryl B. Schrader as its next leader. The university says Schrader is the first female to hold the school's top job.Schrader is currently chancellor of Missouri University of Science and Technology. She takes over July 1 for David Hopkins who is retiring at the end of June.
"This is the right time to be at Wright State," says Schrader in a statement. "The university has built up its potential over the past decade and is poised to move to the next level. And that’s where I would like to be."
Board Chair Michael Bridges says Wright State is at a "crossroads."
"It will take bold leadership to continue to move this great institution forward. The board believes Dr. Schrader's experience as a leader, innovator and educator makes her ideally suited to guide our university as we look ahead to the next 50 years of transforming the lives of our students and the communities we serve."
Schrader has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Valparaiso University and a master’s and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.
More background from Wright State:
Before coming to Missouri S&T, Schrader served as associate vice president for strategic research initiatives at Boise State University and dean of the College of Engineering at Boise State. She also held numerous administrative positions at The University of Texas at San Antonio, including associate dean for graduate studies and research for the College of Engineering and the College of Sciences, university graduate recruitment coordinator and associate director of the Center for Advanced Propulsion Studies.
In addition, she interned at the McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company in Huntington Beach, California. She is a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from the White House.
