Folt elected chair of AAU board


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President Folt served at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as president for six years and at Dartmouth College for 30 years as a professor of biological sciences and interim president prior to her time at USC. (Daily Trojan file photo)

The Association of American Universities elected USC President Carol Folt as chair of their Board of Directors Tuesday.

“I’m honored to have been selected by my colleagues, the presidents, and chancellors of America’s leading research universities, to chair the AAU Board,” Folt said in an AAU statement released Tuesday.

Formerly the vice president of the AAU board, Folt will now publicly spearhead AAU projects and act as the leading spokesperson for the association. She is also slated to lead discussions with lawmakers regarding national and federal policies affecting research universities. 

“AAU plays a central role in educating policymakers about the unique role that research universities play in our nation’s well-being and economic health, and I’m delighted in helping to lead such a wonderful organization,” Folt said.

Folt began her tenure as president of USC on July 1, 2019. Prior to USC, she served at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as president for six years and at Dartmouth College for 30 years as a professor of biological sciences and interim president. An accomplished environmental scientist, Dartmouth named Folt an endowed professor of biological sciences in 2007. Both UNC-Chapel Hill and Dartmouth are members of AAU.

Presiding AAU President Barbara R. Snyder said “President Folt brings a wealth of experience as a scientist and as a leader of AAU institutions both public and private,” said Barbara Snyder, presiding AAU president. “Her willingness to take on difficult challenges, even when under public scrutiny, makes her especially suited to serve in this role.”

Founded in 1900, AAU comprises 65 of the leading research Universities from around the United States. According to their mission statement, AAU strives to “help shape policy for higher education, science, and innovation; promote best practices in undergraduate and graduate education; and strengthen the contributions of leading research universities to American society.”