A distinguished administrator, faculty member and thought leader in the world of higher education for more than two decades

Dr. Montserrat ‘Montse’ Fuentes began her role as president of St. Edward’s University in July 2021. Her historic inauguration as the first Hispanic president of St. Edward’s was held in February, 2022. Since then President Fuentes has pursued numerous efforts to position St. Edward’s as a destination university for a more just world in order to accomplish our Strategic Plan 2027.

Dr. Montserrat Fuentes, President of St. Edward's University

Dr. Fuentes’ career trajectory demonstrates the hallmarks of a profession in pursuit of excellence and 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. Below are a few of her career highlights and achievements:

  • PhD in Statistics from the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
  • 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 wellbeing 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

View President Fuentes’ CV