Luther Board of Regents elects Dr. Paula Carlson the 10th president of Luther College

Dr. Carlson visited the Luther College campus on Thursday to meet people

The Luther College Board of Regents met Friday morning and officially elected Dr. Paula Carlson as the college's 10th president.

Carlson had been serving as vice president for mission at St. Olaf College.  Before that she served as the director of the Wendt Center for Character Education and associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Dubuque.

Luther Board of Regents chair Paul Torgerson, who served as co-chair of the presidential search committee, said "Dr. Carlson's broad experience in liberal arts and strategic leadership will be key in continuing the mission of Luther College.  The other co-chair of the presidential search committee, Board of Regents vice-chairperson Sandy Lee, said, "We want to thank the search committee for their efforts to develop an effective recruiting process that enabled us to bring the right leader for our future."

Carlson will begin her job as Luther College president July 1st.  She succeeds interim president Dr. David Tiede, who has served since last July 1st, and Luther's ninth president, Richard L. Torgerson, who retired June 30th of last year.

"I am deeply honored to become Luther's next president," said Carlson.  "I look forward to working with students, faculty, staff, regents and the wider Luther community to continue building Luther's strengths as an excellent, vibrant and thriving liberal arts, residential college of the church."

A 1976 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of St. Olaf, she holds a Master of Arts degree, a Master of Philosophy degree, and a doctorate in English and comparative literature from Columbia University.

A campus-wide event to welcome Carlson will be held this spring, before her official start in July.