For the first time in its history, Upper Iowa University (UIU) is being led by a female president.
UIU officially inaugurated Kathy Franken as its 22nd president during ceremonies Friday (05.03) in Fayette. The Eldora native becomes the first woman to take over as president, although she’s not entirely new to the position. When former President William R. Duffy II transitioned to a president emeritus role, Franken was named interim president and chief financial officer in May 2023.
Franken has been with UIU since 2008, when she served as an academic advisor to adult learners at the university’s Waterloo Center. She also has nearly a decade of administrative service at the college and, after being named vice president in 2015, Franken led distance education recruitment and operations and was later named vice president for finance and enrollment management,
Franken earned a bachelor’s degree from Wartburg College in 1993 and master’s degree in higher education administration from Upper Iowa in 2012.
