Dr. Catherine Wehlburg has officially been inaugurated as Athens State University’s 39th President. A Presidential Inauguration & Investiture Ceremony was held this morning in Carter Hall and attended by University faculty, staff, alumni, and special guests. Dr. Wehlburg began her Presidential term in May 2024 after serving as Interim President since January 2023. She is Athens State’s third permanent female president in the institution’s history.
”We’re very proud of Dr. Wehlburg,” said Senator Arthur Orr, Chair Pro Tem of the Athens State University Board of Trustees. “In the few years that she’s been here, she’s been making great strides for our university. We look forward to the future and her being our president. In my opinion, the best is yet to come.
“Dr. Wehlburg brings personal and professional qualities of the highest order to her new position. The Athens State University Board is fully persuaded that she can take Athens State to heightened levels not previously seen. We have great confidence in her leadership, and the time could not be more right for her to lead the university onward.”
Dr. Wehlburg received her B.S. in Psychology and her M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Florida. She is an accomplished leader and has over three decades of experience in higher education. In addition to her faculty and administrative roles, she has also served as a Senior Fellow at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and at the American Association of Higher Education (AAHE).
She is known nationally for her scholarly work in teaching, learning, and the assessment of student learning outcomes. She has been recognized for her work in outcomes assessment by being elected president of the Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education (AALHE) and has received their Outstanding Achievement Award. She is currently Editor-in-Chief for the New Directions for Teaching and Learning (NDTL) series and serves on editorial boards for several national higher education journals. Dr. Wehlburg represents Athens State by serving on the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) Board of Directors.
Dr. Wehlburg has also served on many accreditation committees for The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), chairing several of these.
“What an extraordinary and humbling moment this is,” said Dr. Catherine Wehlburg, President of Athens State University. “I stand before you today with immense gratitude, a deep sense of purpose, and tremendous hope for what lies ahead. It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as the president of Athens State University—a university with a proud legacy, a strong present, and an even brighter future.
“I am so deeply honored to lead this university because I believe in the transformational power of access, of opportunity, and of education that meets people where they are and helps them go further than they ever thought possible.”