The St. Edward’s Board of Trustees is very pleased to announce that it has unanimously selected Dr. Montserrat Fuentes to be the next president of the university, effective July 1, 2021.

Dr. Fuentes will bring to the job a deep knowledge of higher education, a dedication to providing world-class scholarship and classroom teaching, an unsurpassed commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and a clear vision for the university’s future. Dr. Fuentes shares the university’s devotion to social justice and to the Holy Cross mission of educating the heart and mind. The Board is convinced that Dr. Fuentes is the right leader to move the university forward in the growing and evolving State of Texas and in the dynamic, global city of Austin.

She will stand on the shoulders of giants. The university has been blessed with a succession of outstanding presidents. Dr. Fuentes will take the helm after the long-planned retirement of Dr. George E. Martin.

During Dr. Martin’s 21-year tenure, the university has grown undergraduate enrollment by 55%, invested more than $400 million in our beautiful hilltop campus, significantly improved our national and regional rankings, continued our national leadership in producing Fulbright scholars, and significantly strengthened the endowment. All this while reaffirming and institutionalizing the university’s responsibilities as a Hispanic Serving Institution, including our allegiance to our renowned College Assistance Migrant Program and, more generally, to serving working-class families.

Dr. Martin is a revered and beloved model of a modern lay leader of a Catholic and Holy Cross university. The Board has every confidence that Dr. Fuentes will continue the upward trajectory on which Dr. Martin has set the university. 

— Steve Shadowen ’80
Chair, Board of Trustees

More About Montserrat Fuentes

During a career spanning more than two decades, St. Edward’s University President-elect Montserrat Fuentes has served as a distinguished administrator, faculty member and thought leader. Her trajectory in higher education demonstrates the hallmarks of a career in pursuit of excellence and in service to others. Beyond her academic achievements, she has championed the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion through work that has helped women, minorities and disadvantaged students reach their full potential.

Here are a few of her career highlights and achievements:

  • A PhD in Statistics from the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
  • Executive Vice President and Provost, University of Iowa 
  • Dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Visiting Scientist or researcher at the United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Lucent Technologies, and AT&T Bell Labs
  • North Carolina State’s Equity of Women award, for major contributions to the equity and well-being of women (2013)
  • Director of STATMOS (2011–2016), an NSF funded center created to promote multi-institutional and interdisciplinary research and training at the interface of Statistics, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, with 200 members and 21 affiliated institutions 
  • Research grants from the National Science Foundation, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Editor for the Journal of the American Statistical Association, Applications and Case Studies, (JASA-ACS), among other scientific publications
  • Medal of Distinguished Achievement by the American Statistical Association, Environmental Statistics Section for major statistical methodology contributions, leadership and mentoring roles (2017)
  • National Academy of Sciences, participant in math, air quality and STEM committees
Montse Fuentes

"I will be devoted to the success of all our students, faculty and staff to unlock their full potential, while offering an individualized, high-quality education in a caring environment and strengthening the ties and connections to the Austin community."