Susan Elrod

Susan Elrod is a Senior Scholar at the Association of American Colleges and Universities. She holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of California-Davis and a B.S. in Biological Sciences from California State University, Chico. She has experience as a college biology professor, college administrator, and national leader in science education. She is currently interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at California State University, Chico. She began at Chico in October 2014, after having served as Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at California State University, Fresno. In Fresno, she she led initiatives at the university, state and national levels that focused on improving student success and faculty development in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines, while enhancing support for research and expanding community and industry engagement.

Prior to these positions, she was the Executive Director of Project Kaleidoscope at AAC&U. In this position, she launched new national initiatives focused on improving undergraduate STEM education, expanded PKAL's existing regional networks, and enhanced PKAL's Summer Leadership Institute program. She has led a wide array of STEM education initiatives on a range of topics in higher education, such as PKAL's national initiatives on interdisciplinary program development, STEM transfer student success, sustainability in the undergraduate curriculum, and leadership development. At Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where she was a professor of biological sciences since 1997, Elrod has taught extensively, conducted scientific and educational research, and served as associate dean in the College of Science and Mathematics and as the director of the Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education (CESaME) from 2007-2009.  In addition, she has 10+ years of experience leading faculty development programs and workshops that result in generative outcomes for STEM departments and organizations. In 2006-07, she was an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellowship at the Colorado College and is a PKAL F21 faculty member, class of 2001.