Susan C. Aldridge, PhD, to be Formally Installed as University President on October 9
Susan C. Aldridge, PhD, an accomplished and widely recognized higher education leader, author and strategist who has held executive leadership positions in some of the country's largest universities, will be installed as president of Thomas Jefferson University by Jefferson CEO Joseph G. Cacchione, MD, during an October 9 Inauguration ceremony.
Dr. Aldridge was appointed as the University’s seventh, and first female president on May 7, 2024, having led the institution in an interim role since June 2023. During that time, Jefferson undergraduate students continued to achieve great success in employment and graduate school acceptance at the rate of 97%, exceeding the national average of approximately 86%.
Dr. Cacchione noted that Dr. Aldridge is the ideal leader to usher in a new era for the University.
“Dr. Aldridge’s extensive higher education experience and visionary leadership make her a natural fit at this pivotal moment in Jefferson’s history,” says Dr. Cacchione. “Her dedication to our students, faculty and staff as president and a past member of Jefferson's Board of Trustees speaks to a commitment to leading us into our third century.”
Dr. Aldridge’s inauguration will occur during Jefferson’s bicentennial celebration year, and the importance of leading the University into its third century is a cornerstone of her presidency.
“Seeing everything we’ve accomplished over the past 200 years is humbling. Our role for the future is to put Jefferson on a solid path to success, building on this legacy and not forgetting what makes us special,” says Dr. Aldridge. “I will take advantage of opportunities to make us even stronger and differentiate us as a university focused on the professions of the future — including professions that might not be designed yet — and for our students to graduate with the values, empathy and commitment to community.”
Previously, Dr. Aldridge served as a senior executive at Drexel University, University of Maryland and Troy University; as a Senior Fellow at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and as an executive consultant in higher education.
She has counseled university leaders on topics ranging from student access, enrollment and retention to technology-mediated and hybrid education. She also co-authored the book Wired for Success, which provided university presidents with a wealth of innovative, research-driven, technology-enhanced models for student success and strategic business growth. As well, she has been Principal Investigator for several U.S. Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) grants and served as a national proposal reviewer for the agency.
Having received her bachelor’s degree from Colorado Women’s College, Dr. Aldridge earned both a master’s degree and PhD in public administration at the University of Colorado.
As she looks to the university’s future, Dr. Aldridge sees strategic opportunities for the University, Jefferson Health and Jefferson Health Plans, particularly with the new addition of Lehigh Valley Health Network.
In a rapidly changing world, Jefferson remains at the forefront of preparing students for the future of work with a professions-focused education that blends collaborative real-world learning, industry engagement and innovation. Jefferson students drive progress and growth in architecture, business, design, engineering, fashion and textiles, health, medicine, nursing, science and social science.
“The more we know about our Pennsylvania population and their unique needs, the more laser focused our education and health strategies,” she says. “It allows us to be more efficient as an enterprise, which will be the hallmark of our future — to influence the impact and outcomes for our students, patients and clients.”
With the combination with LVHN, Jefferson, which includes Thomas Jefferson University — a national research doctoral university with 8,300 students — is now the largest employer in Philadelphia with 65,000 employees and one of the largest academic health systems in the nation. This will provide new and unique opportunities for our students and graduates.
“We will have jobs. This will differentiate us from every other university in our region and allow us to recruit students into critically needed professional fields,” she says. “The enterprise also hires graduates specializing in real estate and construction, data analytics, business, marketing, communications and computational science. These critical areas for our future will guide our academic growth.”
The inauguration ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. October 9 at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. In addition to Jefferson leadership and faculty members, delegates from local and national Universities and colleges, alumni, donors, students and members of the community will be present for this historic moment in Jefferson’s history.