The Missouri Western State University Board of Governors voted unanimously on Thursday, Feb. 25, to name Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy Missouri Western’s sixth president. Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, formerly Missouri Western’s vice provost, has been serving as interim president since Aug. 3, 2020.

Dr. Kennedy became Missouri Western’s vice provost in January, 2020, after being selected through a nationwide search. In that role, she focused on a number of elements of Missouri Western’s strategic plan, Pathways to Excellence, including strengthening student success, creating new partnerships and expanding applied learning.

Before coming to Missouri Western, Dr. Kennedy was dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology and interim dean of the College of Health Professions at the University of Akron. She had been at the University of Akron since 1997, beginning as an assistant professor of social science. Her administrative experience began as a department chair in 2002. She became associate dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology in 2014, becoming dean in 2016. In that role, she established several key partnerships with industry and other educational institutions. She added leadership of the College of Health Professions in 2017.

Dr. Kennedy grew up in Kansas City, graduated from Ruskin High School and has family in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Master of Arts in Psychology, Graduate Certificate in Gerontology and Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology, Applied Cognitive Aging, all from the University of Akron.

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