Office of the President

Dr. James C. Votruba

DR. JAMES C. VOTRUBA
President
Northern Kentucky University

  • image of presidentOn August 1, 1997, James C. Votruba became President of Northern Kentucky University, a nearly 16,000 student metropolitan campus located in the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati area.  Dr. Votruba came to NKU from Michigan State University where he was vice provost for university outreach and professor of higher education from 1989-97.  Prior to his tenure at MSU, he was dean of the College of Education and Human Development (1983-1989) at Binghamton University.  He previously held faculty and administrative positions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Drake University.
     
  • President Votruba earned his B.A. in political science, M.A. in political science and sociology, and his Ph.D. in higher education administration from Michigan State University.  He is a frequent lecturer, author, and consultant in the areas of higher education leadership, strategic planning, and public engagement.  In 2010, Dr. Votruba chaired the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Board of Directors.   In 2002, he chaired the AASCU National Task Force on Public Engagement.  In 2004, he delivered the annual AASCU President-to-Presidents Lecture entitled “Leading the Engaged University.”  From 2004-2006, Dr. Votruba served as President of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities.  In 2005, he co-chaired Vision 2015, a Northern Kentucky regional planning process.
     
  • Dr. Votruba serves on a variety of boards including the National Campus Compact Board of Directors, the Association of Governing Boards Council of Presidents, United Way of Greater Cincinnati Board of Directors, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Greater Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Northern Kentucky Tri-ED Board of Directors, Vision 2015 Executive Committee, the Agenda 360 Advisory Board, and the Ohio National Mutual Holding Company.
     
  • Dr. Votruba’s wife, Rachel, plays an active leadership role in several community-based non-profit organizations. Their family includes three children and six grandchildren.