{"id":2442,"date":"2023-04-18T13:50:53","date_gmt":"2023-04-18T13:50:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring2024\/?p=2442"},"modified":"2025-04-21T18:48:38","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T18:48:38","slug":"lssu-alum-dr-todd-fritch-93-appointed-president-of-university-of-west-alabama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring25\/lssu-alum-dr-todd-fritch-93-appointed-president-of-university-of-west-alabama\/","title":{"rendered":"LSSU Alum Dr. Todd Fritch \u201993 Appointed President of University of West Alabama"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Todd G. Fritch, a 1993 graduate of Lake Superior State University, was chosen as the next president of the University of West Alabama (UWA), officially stepping into the role in January 2025.<\/p>\n

Fritch, a distinguished higher education leader with a wealth of experience, earned his Bachelor of Science in Geology, cum laude, from LSSU, before going on to complete his M.S. and Ph.D. in Geology at Baylor University. His academic career also includes completion of the prestigious Institute for Educational Management program at Harvard University in 2022, further strengthening his leadership credentials.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am truly grateful for the strong educational foundation that Lake Superior State University provided,\u201d <\/em>Fritch commented. \u201cThis foundation has given me the opportunity to build an incredible career in higher education and has inspired me to pay it forward each day<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Before being selected as UWA\u2019s next president, Fritch held several prominent academic leadership positions, most recently serving as Executive Vice President and Provost at the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. His previous roles include Chief Academic Officer and Vice President at Shorelight Education and Provost at American International College, as well as senior academic positions at The American College of Greece and Northeastern University.<\/p>\n

Fritch’s dedication to academic excellence and community engagement was honored when he received LSSU\u2019s Outstanding Alumni Award in 2016. This prestigious recognition celebrated his significant contributions to higher education and his ongoing commitment to positively impacting his community. In 2010, Fritch established the Norma and Weldon Fritch Scholarship at LSSU to honor his grandparents, who, despite not attending college themselves, deeply valued education and provided him with loving guidance and financial support throughout his academic journey. Their influence instilled in him a strong commitment to earning a college degree, which ultimately shaped his career and accomplishments.<\/p>\n

Fritch reflected, \u201cMy entire family has always b<\/em>een supportive of me throughout my educational journey, and my grandparents were especially encouraging and supportive factors in my life.\u00a0 I was thrilled to be able to establish a memorial scholarship in their names at LSSU to honor their love and support, and hope that this scholarship will help others realize their educational aspirations.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Fritch\u2019s appointment marks a significant milestone in his career and underscores the impact that LSSU alumni continue to make in higher education and beyond. As he takes the helm at UWA, Fritch carries forward the values and experiences that have guided him throughout his career, starting with his time at LSSU.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf not for the education and experiences I was provided during my time at LSSU I probably would not be where I am today in my career,\u201d <\/em>Fritch remarked. \u201cI strive to make Laker Nation proud every single day, and hope that I have represented my alma mater with pride and honor.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Todd G. Fritch, a 1993 graduate of Lake Superior State University, was chosen as the next president of the University of West Alabama (UWA), officially stepping into the role …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":3120,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[14,8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2442"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2442"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2442\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3120"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakerlog.lssu.edu\/spring25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}