“Does College Still Matter?”

Kathleen S. Jagger, Ph.D., M.P.H., is the fifth female and second laywoman president of Newman University. She began her role July 1, 2020 and was officially installed as Newman’s 12th president on October 7, 2021.

Kathleen came to Newman from Thomas More University in Crestview Hills, Kentucky where she served as acting president and held vice president and dean positions during her five-year tenure.

Kathleen earned a Master in Public Health with an emphasis in international health at the Harvard School of Public Health. She also did immunology research at the Medical College of Ohio and served as a research program director for Promedica Health System in Toledo.

She earned an undergraduate degree in zoology from DePauw and earned her doctoral degree in microbiology from the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine. Additionally, Kathleen earned a Certificate in Fund Raising Management from IUPUI Lilly Family School of philanthropy.

Service is a hallmark of Kathleen’s career. She is a current board member of the Tumaini Foundation for Global Health & Humanitarianism. She has also served on boards for Habitat for Humanity in Kentucky and Indiana; Northern Kentucky Education Council and Tri-Ed economic development council; and United Nations Assn-USA, Bluegrass Chapter. Kathleen has handled leadership roles on committees for the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) and American Society for Microbiology.

Kathleen was born and raised in the greater Chicago area. She is married to Dr. Jim Jagger, a primary care sports medicine physician, who formerly served as director of athletic medicine and team doctor for the University of Kentucky athletics. The couple have two grown sons, Matthew and Mark, and two grandchildren.

From 2002-2012, Kathleen served in numerous administrative and leadership roles at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, including interim vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of the College. She began her career at Transylvania as professor of biology.

From 1983-2002, Kathleen worked at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana where she was a professor of microbiology and public health.

From 1979-1983, she taught graduate and undergraduate students at Wright State University School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio, in its department of microbiology and immunology.