MARIETTA, OH (May 15, 2019)—Dr. William Ruud, Marietta College President, will address the Washington State College of Ohio (WSCO) class of 2019 at the college’s commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 18, 10 am at the Marietta College Dyson Baudo Recreation Center.
“I have enjoyed working with Dr. Ruud to strengthen our partnership and expand higher education opportunities for more people in our community,” said WSCO President Dr. Vicky Wood. “He shares my passion for providing college access to all and strengthening our community through education.”
Last year, WSCO and Marietta College launched WSCO2MC, a dual admission agreement that provides students with a high quality, affordable option to earn a bachelor’s degree.
“This partnership is changing lives,” Wood proclaimed. “With the collaborative work we are doing and the plans we have for the future to advance higher education in the Mid-Ohio Valley, I thought it was fitting to include Dr. Ruud in our 46th commencement.”
A North Dakota native, Ruud began his academic career teaching business courses at Northwestern Louisiana State University in 1978. From 1978-81 Ruud served in the U.S. Army as an Armor and Adjutant General Officer and conducted research in leadership assessment at the U.S. Army Research Institute in Washington, D.C.
From 1981-93, Ruud taught at the University of Toledo and served as an Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies, coordinated the MBA program as an Associate Dean, served as Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, Assistant Director of the University Honors Program and eventually served as Interim Dean of the College of Business Administration.
In 1993, Ruud was appointed Dean of the College of Business & Economics and Professor of Management at Boise State University before being promoted to Vice President for Institutional Advancement in 1998. While at Boise State, he led a successful $12.5 million campaign for a new engineering facility, established faculty fellowships and created endowments to support student research.
During his presidency from 2007-13, Ruud revitalized Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. While serving as the 10th President of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, from 2013 to 2016, Ruud reversed a downward enrollment trend and experienced increased donations of more than $50 million.
On July 3, 2016, Ruud accepted his third presidency at Marietta College, becoming the institution’s 19th president. As one of the nation’s most prominent leaders in higher education, Ruud has assisted in a variety of leadership capacities at colleges and universities across the U.S. He has used his wealth of experience to lead universities to academic excellence and achievement, as well as ensure they fulfill their essential role in the region and state.
