Betty Siegel

Dr. Betty Lentz Siegel, the first woman to head an institution in the 35-unit University System of Georgia, and the longest serving woman president of a public university in the nation, was president of Kennesaw State from 1981 until July of 2006. Under her administration, the university evolved from a four-year college with an enrollment of 4,000 students and 15 baccalaureate-degree programs to its current university status, with enrollment exceeding 18,000 students and 55 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

In 1985 researchers at George Mason University named Kennesaw a “college on the move” and it was spotlighted in the book, Searching for Academic Excellence: Twenty Colleges and Universities on the Move and their Leaders (Spring, 1986). Dr. Siegel was cited for the perspective she has brought to institutional planning, her emphasis on teamwork through the creation of strong administrative teams and group interaction, and the institutional initiatives and high profile activities that brought the college excellent visibility in the local and state communities.

In 1987 the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) selected Kennesaw as one of the top three colleges and universities in its nationwide competition focusing on “The President and the Public.” In 1989 and 1990 Kennesaw State was recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of twelve regional institutions in the South labeled as one of the country’s “up and comers,” and one of two regional institutions in the South designated as a “rising star,” respectively. In 1991 U.S. News and World Report once again cited Kennesaw as a “rising star,” this time naming it number one in the South. Additionally, Kennesaw has been cited for exemplary programs in minority recruitment and retention; leadership programs for faculty, staff, administrators and students; international initiatives; and an array of support programs for inviting success.

In the fall of 2003 KSU was named by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities as one of twelve founding institutions included in its program entitled Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year. Most recently KSU was ranked number 1 out of 25 institutions noted for their learning community programs by U.S. News and World Report, and received mention for its first year freshman experience programs.

Additionally in 2003, the university received a million dollar donation to underwrite the work of the RTM Institute for Leadership, Ethics and Character and endow the Betty L. Siegel Endowed Chair of Leadership, Ethics and Character.

Academic Background

Dr. Siegel’s academic areas of expertise include child psychology and administration. She received her Ph.D. from Florida State University, a M.Ed. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a B.A. in English and History from Wake Forest University, and an Associate of Arts from Cumberland College. She completed two years of post-doctoral study in Clinical Child Psychology at Indiana University. She holds honorary doctorates from Cumberland College in Kentucky, Miami University in Ohio, Eastern Kentucky University, Lynchburg College, Morehead State University, and Southern Connecticut State University.