EUGENE, Ore. — At its March 16 meeting, the Lane Community College Board of Education approved Dr. Stephanie Bulger as Lane’s eighth president by unanimous vote, following a nine-month national search.
“Even with a competitive and qualified candidate pool, Dr. Bulger stood out as the right choice for Lane,” said Board Chair Lisa Fragala. “Her long-standing experience with community colleges, student-focused background and strength with public-private partnerships align with Lane’s mission, vision, and values. We believe that she is the right person at this time to move the College forward.”
Fragala said the board was “thorough and deliberative” in reviewing information, meeting with the finalists, weighing feedback from the campus and community forums, and considering how well each finalist was suited to address the challenges and opportunities awaiting Lane.
Bulger is currently Vice Chancellor for Instructional Services at the San Diego Community College District in San Diego, CA, a position she has held since 2015. She has more than two decades experience in higher education, having held campus and district leadership positions including campus associate dean, dean of distance learning, campus chief academic officer, and vice chancellor. Prior to becoming Vice Chancellor for Instructional Services at the San Diego Community College District, she served as Vice Chancellor for Educational Affairs and Distance Learning at Wayne County Community College District in Detroit, MI.
As a leader, Dr. Bulger has been involved in initiatives such as regional community college collaborations, public-public and public-private partnerships, entrepreneurial initiatives, and philanthropic enterprises that were designed to address many of the challenges facing today’s community colleges. Her efforts have improved student transfer to universities, lowered textbook costs through open educational resources, expanded opportunities for dual enrollment, improved enrollment management, and connected more students to today’s jobs. She is committed to strengthening equity, diversity, and inclusion in community colleges.
Dr. Bulger is excited to get started at Lane this summer. “Lane Community College is nationally recognized as an innovative leader for its excellence among community colleges and I am honored to be the institution's next president,” said Bulger. “I appreciate the Board of Education for giving me the opportunity to lead such an outstanding institution into a promising future and look forward to working with the amazing and talented people who make up Lane Community College and the communities it serves.”
Fragala expressed appreciation to the other finalists and candidates, and to the 15-member search committee. She also thanked President Hamilton for five years of outstanding work and for providing ample time for the board to conduct a careful search.
Bulger has a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI (2003); a Master of Arts in 19th and 20th Century British and American Literature from The University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT (1985); and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Brigham Young University in Provo, UT (1983).
More information about the presidential search timeline online.
Lane Community College educates over 25,000 students annually at six locations across Lane County and online. Students and alumni from all 50 states and 79 countries create more than an $850 million dollar impact on the local economy, helping to support more than 13,000 local jobs. Lane provides affordable, quality, professional technical and college transfer programs; business development and employee training; academic, language and life skills development; and lifelong personal development and enrichment courses.