Dr. Carol A. Cartwright
President Emeritus, Kent State University and Bowling Green State University
Carol Cartwright has served as a member of the Knight Commission since August 2000. A highly respected voice in higher education, Carol Cartwright’s career has been distinguished by innovative teaching, pioneering research and national leadership. She was president of Bowling Green State University from 2008-2011. Her retirement in June, 2011 marked a 45-year career in public higher education. Notable achievements at Bowling Green include a new strategic plan, new campus master plan, the largest construction and renovation program in the history of the university, and the launch of a plan to reform undergraduate education.
From 1991-2006, Dr. Cartwright served as president of Kent State University, a role that earned her the distinction of the first female president of a state college or university in Ohio. A partial list of achievements under her leadership includes the implementation of new colleges and academic programs in a wide range of high-demand fields, introduction of pioneering technologies to enhance learning, increases in enrollment, an extensive construction and renovation program which included complete renovation of the historic campus buildings, and the successful completion of Kent State’s first major fund-raising campaign.
Prior to her presidency at Kent State, she was vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of California at Davis, and dean for undergraduate programs and vice provost of The Pennsylvania State University. She served as a member of the Penn State faculty from 1967-1988, where she led a variety of research projects and authored numerous books, professional publications and technical reports.
Dr. Cartwright held prominent leadership roles in higher education’s most influential national organizations, chairing the board of directors of the American Association for Higher Education and serving on the boards of directors of the American Council on Education, the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, and the American Association of Colleges and Universities. She served as a presidential appointee on the board of trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and as a board member of the National First Ladies Library. Cartwright has previously served on the NCAA Board of Directors and as chair of the NCAA Executive Committee. She is currently a member of the NCAA Committee on Infractions.
Additionally, she currently serves as vice chair of the board of directors for National Public Radio, the American Council on Education Commission on International Initiatives, and the board of directors for the Collegiate Women Sports Awards (Honda Cup).
Dr. Cartwright has been a leading member of numerous regional and statewide cultural, civic and economic development organizations in Ohio. Her participation in initiatives to improve Ohio’s economy includes past service on the Governor’s Commission on Higher Education and the Economy. She also served on the boards of directors of KeyCorp (retiring in 2012), Republic Engineered Steels, Inc. (1992-98) and the Davey Tree Expert Company (2002-08). Currently, she serves on the boards of directors of PolyOne Corporation and FirstEnergy Corporation. She chairs the governance committees of both boards.
The scope of her contributions to higher education led to Dr. Cartwright’s induction into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility. She received distinguished alumni awards from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where she earned her bachelor’s degree, and from the University of Pittsburgh where she earned masters and doctoral degrees.
Other honors include the Clairol Mentor Award in Education, northeast Ohio ATHENA Award, March of Dimes Franklin Delano Roosevelt Humanitarian Award for Excellence and the ACE Mentor of the Year Award. She received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Heidelberg University in 2012. Marking her retirement from Kent State, the Auditorium Building on the university’s Kent Campus was named “Carol A. Cartwright Hall” in her honor, and the Mid-American Conference established the prestigious Cartwright Award which is given annually to the member university with the best overall record in athletic competition, academic achievement and public service.