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Susan Resneck Pierce, who joined Academic Search in 2006, is President Emerita of the University of Puget Sound where she served as President from 1992-2003. Under her leadership, Puget Sound entered the ranks of the national liberal arts colleges. As the result of a successful comprehensive campaign, the endowment grew from $68 million to $213 million (at the height of the market); SAT scores increased from 1067 to 1253; and applications for 650 freshmen places grew to 4400 annually. For her work at Puget Sound, Dr. Pierce was awarded the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District VIII Distinguished Leadership Award for 2003.

From 1990-92 Susan Pierce served as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Lewis & Clark College and from 1984-90 as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tulsa. As Assistant Director of the Division of Education Programs at the National Endowment for the Humanities, she directed the three federal programs that supported undergraduate education in the humanities. She also has served as Chair of the English Department at Ithaca College and as Visiting Associate Professor at Princeton University.

The author of The Moral of the Story (Columbia University’s Teachers College Press, 1982) and co-editor of a book on Ralph Ellison, Pierce has written and spoken extensively about American literature and educational issues. She has recently written a series of essays for Inside Higher Education on the presidency and matters related to search (see list below). Her essay “Toward a Smooth Presidential Transition,” (Association of Governing Board’s September/October 2003 Trusteeshp) is used widely by trustees across the country.

Dr. Pierce has served on the executive committee of the Annapolis Group, on the Council of Presidents of the Association of Governing Boards, on the boards of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and the American Conference of Academic Deans, on the advisory committee for the AAC&U project on engineering and the liberal arts, and on the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Task Force on College Drinking. She currently serves on the executive committee of the board of the Centre for the Arts in Mizner Park and the steering committee for the Festival of the Arts Boca.

Susan Pierce received her A.B. degree from Wellesley College, her M.A. degree in English from the University of Chicago, and her Ph.D. in English from the University of Wisconsin

In 2004-05, Dr. Pierce served as President of the Boca Raton Community Hospital Foundation and Vice President for the Hospital. More recently, as President of SRP CONSULTING, she advises colleges and universities on such matters as governance, effective board performance, board development, strategic planning and presidential evaluation. She also facilitates board retreats and serves as an advisor to new presidents and their board chairs.