Laurie Carter

Joining Shippensburg University in 2017, Laurie A. Carter, J.D. leads the regional public university of 6,000 students as its 17th President. In her first two years, Carter has provided strong vision for enhancing the institutional priority of student success; reorganizing the institutional structure to meet student needs, opening a comprehensive Student Success Center, and launching a program for first generation college students. Under her leadership, the university established its First Year Experience program and the first School of Engineering in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Prior to Shippensburg, Carter served as the executive vice president and university counsel for Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, KY. She provided leadership for 33 departments, including the University Counsel’s Office and the Division of Student Success. Previously, Carter spent about a year as vice president for arts education at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, where she was responsible for providing strategic leadership, external relations and administrative management of the third largest arts education program in the United States. Earlier in her career, she held various positions over almost 25 years at The Juilliard School, considered the nation’s premiere performing arts college. Carter began her tenure at Juilliard as director of student affairs, then went on to hold positions as assistant dean for student relations and legal adviser, associate vice president, and lastly vice president and general counsel and executive director of jazz studies. She co-created Julliard Jazz and created, implemented and supervised diversity initiatives, resulting in a 10 percent increase in under-represented students and a doubling of under-represented faculty. Carter has taught at Eastern Kentucky, Juilliard and Seton Hall University. She served as director of residence life at Fairleigh Dickinson University and a residence hall director at William Paterson. She is a member of the Kentucky and New York State bar associations; the PA Chamber of Business & Industry, the National Association of College and University Attorneys; the Millenium Leadership Institute Steering Committee; and chairs the Women’s Committee for AASCU. Carter was also appointed by Governor Wolf to serve on the PA Tuition Account Program (TAP) Advisory Board. In addition to the Bachelor of Science degree in communications she earned from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Carter also has a Master of Arts degree in communications from William Paterson College, a Doctor of Law degree from Rutgers School of Law-Newark, and an Honorary Doctorate from Snow College in Ephraim, Utah.