LAKELAND, Fla., April 25, 2023 - Florida Southern College President Dr. Anne B. Kerr has appointed Dr. Lauren Albaum as Vice President of Student Life. Dr. Albaum has served as the Interim Vice President since December 2022.
"Dr. Albaum is an extraordinary visionary, leader, and teacher," said Dr. Kerr. "Her research focuses on the relationship between student success, academic performance, and motivation. She has a vision for a holistic approach in preparing students to make a positive and consequential difference in our world, and I'm excited to see how she will further enhance student life in the years ahead."
Dr. Albaum came to Florida Southern in November of 2016, as the Director of the Health Profession & STEM Career Development Center. While there, she directed the strategic planning, development, and implementation of innovative resources to support students' career development and improve career and graduate school outcomes.
In November of 2020, Dr. Albaum was promoted to the position of Executive Director of the Career Center, where she created and executed an excellence-driven strategic vision for the campus-wide career services department. Under her leadership, the Career Services office, named for alumnus Peter C. Golotko '90 MBA '96, was relocated to the Rogers Building.
Based on Dr. Albaum's results, The Princeton Review's 2023 edition of The Best Colleges guide showcased FSC's Career Services Department, ranking it No. 24 in the nation. FSC was the only institution in the State of Florida to be ranked.
"I want to thank Dr. Kerr and the entire Board of Trustees," Dr. Albaum said. "They have afforded me a wonderful opportunity to continue to enrich the lives and careers of our students, and I look forward to doing exactly that."
Dr. Lauren Albaum is a respected educator and administrator with extensive leadership experience at various institutions across offices of student involvement, career services, athletics, student support, and academic affairs. Dr. Albaum earned her Ph.D. from the University of South Florida, where she also obtained a post-graduate certificate in college teaching. She earned her master's degree in higher education administration from the University of South Carolina and holds a bachelor's degree from Florida State University.
Dr. Albaum is a frequent regional and national presenter and writer. She serves in various leadership positions and on several boards, such as The Florida Children's Museum, the Junior League of Greater Lakeland, the United Way of Central Florida, the Lakeland Economic Development Council, Polk Vision, and the National Association of the Advisors of Health Professions. Dr. Albaum is a graduate of Leadership Lakeland Class XXXVIII and a member of Leadership Florida Connect Class 12. Recently, she was honored as a Polk Emerging Leader, as the 2021 ATHENA International Young Professional Leadership awardee, and as an Honorary Gladiator by the United States Army.
About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1883, Florida Southern College is the oldest private college in the state. The College maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 70+ undergraduate and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, nursing, and physical therapy. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio, is an award-winning national leader in engaged learning, and boasts 30 NCAA Division II National Championships. Florida Southern is ranked at #8 among the "Best Regional Universities in the South" by U.S. News & World Report in its 2023 "Best Colleges" guide and is included in The Princeton Review's 2023 Best 388 Colleges guide and the "Fiske Guide to Colleges 2023." The 2022-2023 Colleges of Distinction guidebook praises Florida Southern's AACSB-accredited Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise alongside the College's School of Education and its Ann Blanton Edwards School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Poets&Quants, U.S. News & World Report, Fortune, and The Princeton Review further laud the Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise and the Ann Blanton Edwards School of Nursing and Health Sciences as foremost programs in the nation for business and nursing education. Home to the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, FSC has appeared on The Princeton Review's top 20 "Most Beautiful Campus" national listing for 13 consecutive years. Connect with Florida Southern College.
SOURCE Florida Southern College
