Portland State University's 11th President, Ann Cudd, meets with students on campus
With excitement and anticipation, Portland State University warmly welcomed Dr. Ann E. Cudd as its 11th President Tuesday. Cudd brings a deep commitment to academic and research excellence, community engagement, racial equity, and the transformative potential of an urban-serving university.
Today, as she officially took on her new role, Cudd expressed her enthusiasm for leading PSU and emphasized her commitment to opening doors of opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds. Her sights are set on strategic planning, campus revitalization and community engagement, embracing PSU’s mission: Let Knowledge Serve the City. Cudd envisions PSU becoming a driving force behind the city of Portland's revival, actively engaging in shaping its future through collaboration with the community.
“I chose to come to Portland State because I deeply believe in its mission and the role the university will play as a catalyst for positive change in Portland,” Cudd said. “From our community-engaged research to the experiential learning opportunities that we provide for our amazing and diverse students, PSU is a powerhouse for change both in the lives of individuals and the collective of our city and our region.”
Enhancing student enrollment is also high on Cudd's agenda, with a particular focus on reaching out to low-income and first-generation students. She recognizes the national challenge of re-engaging potential students in higher education and believes PSU is uniquely positioned to address this issue.
“One of the many qualities that attracted me to Portland State was its identity as a university for access and its leadership in social mobility,” Cudd said. “Throughout my career I have seen first hand the impact that higher education can have on multiple generations. With 80% of our student body coming from Oregon, I could not be more excited to watch that impact play out across the state.”
Cudd brings a distinguished academic background and an unwavering dedication to promoting racial justice and equity initiatives. During her tenure as Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor at the University of Pittsburgh, she was instrumental in developing an online course on racism in America for incoming students. Her efforts to enhance financial aid through the Pitt Success Pell Match initiative mirrored PSU's Tuition-Free Degree Program, emphasizing her commitment to accessible education for all.
Throughout her career, Cudd has held leadership positions at distinguished post-secondary institutions, including Boston University, where she developed the experiential learning program "Metrobridge," echoing PSU's capstone program.
The PSU Board of Trustees appointed Cudd to the presidency, confident that her leadership, vision, and dedication to academic excellence, community engagement, and racial equity will pave the way for a brighter and more sustainable future for PSU.
“She shares Portland State’s values of student success and the ways in which a PSU degree can change lives for the better,” said PSU Board of Trustees Chair Benjamin Berry, in an announcement to campus earlier this year.
Cudd is the second woman to serve as PSU’s president in its 76-year history. She will greet Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and commissioners at the City Council meeting on Wednesday, and will kick off the 2023-24 academic year with a convocation ceremony in September.