Susan C. Aldridge, PhD, president of Thomas Jefferson University — a groundbreaking higher education leader, strategist and thought leader — was appointed as President of Thomas Jefferson University on May 7, 2024, having led the institution as Interim President since June 2023. Dr. Aldridge also served as a member of the Thomas Jefferson University Board of Trustees from July 1, 2022 to July 21, 2023.
Previously, she 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.
At Drexel University from 2013 to 2019, Dr. Aldridge served in the dual roles of President of Drexel University Online and the university’s Senior Vice President for online learning. While directing the expansion of Drexel’s online presence to more than 100 programs, she led development of a system of comprehensive services addressing the unique needs of online students, and guided implementation of new approaches that resulted in improved retention and learning outcomes. She also spearheaded a research project around innovative practices in technology-enhanced education, which resulted in the award-winning, open-source website, Virtually Inspired.
As President of the University of Maryland Global Campus from 2006 to 2012, Dr. Aldridge was responsible for the institution’s vision, strategic initiatives, management and sustainable growth strategy. She led a doubling of both enrollment — to 97,000 in 28 countries — and annual revenue to more than $400 million. And under her leadership, the organization completed the largest capital campaign in its history and received dozens of national and international awards.
As Vice Chancellor of Troy University, Alabama from 2001 to 2006, she served as chief executive officer of the university's Global Campus. It served ~18,000 students on satellite campuses in 17 U.S. states and 14 countries, and an additional 9,000 students through the online eCampus.
In addition, Dr. Aldridge has served as a higher education consultant and as a Senior Fellow at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. In those roles, she counseled university leaders on topics ranging from student access, enrollment and retention to technology-mediated and hybrid education. She 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.
Dr. Aldridge earning outstanding service awards from both HHS and the U.S. Social Security Administration; was recognized by the Governor of Colorado for exceptional leadership in healthcare service planning and delivery; was twice included in the list of Washington DC’s Top 100 most powerful women; and received awards from the US Distance Learning Association, Women in Technology and Campus Technology.
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.