As the leader of one of the largest institutional employers in the Cedar Valley, the president of UNI plays a key leadership role in the development and promotion of the Cedar Valley economy. The Alliance & Chamber looks forward to the opportunity for Cedar Valley leadership to introduce the Ruud’s to our economic and civic interests, and emphasize the importance of business/community/education collaboration.

Dr. William N. Ruud began serving as the 10^th president of the University of Northern Iowa on May 31, 2013.  He previously served as president of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania since 2007.

President Ruud, Bill, as he prefers, began his career in higher education at the University of Toledo in 1981.  He taught business and ethics courses, was selected to coordinate the MBA program, served as the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and was appointed Interim dean of the College of Business Administration.  In 1993, he was named dean of the College of Business and Economics at Boise State University and was promoted in 1998 to Vice President for Institutional Advancement.

In 2000, Bill was selected to serve as the Chief Education Policy Advisor for the Office of Governor Dirk Kempthorne, State of Idaho.  In 2004, he was named Vice President for Development/University Relations at California State University at Stanislaus.

President Ruud has a wealth of varied leadership experiences at public universities.  He has successfully led the completion of the reaccreditation process, cultivated and developed major gifts for universities, and oversaw increases in faculty research programs and grants, student enrollment and graduation rates.  He is known for his business acumen and has consulted organizations on educational assessment and economic development issues.  He continues to conduct research on institutional leadership and organizational behavior topics.

President Ruud received his Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and Hospital Administration from the University of North Dakota.  He received his Master’s degree in Business Administration and his Doctorate degree in Organizational Behavior from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

He has served on numerous advisory panels, governance and chamber boards, and literacy councils.  He is a veteran of the U.S. Army, and he and his wife of 36 years, Judy, reside in the UNI President’s House with their Cockapoo, Fuzzy.