Advancing Excellence in All Things
Dr. Feser brings to SLU a record of elevating — through connection and innovation
— all facets of a university’s mission to advance research, educate students, expand
access and serve local communities. His nearly eight years as Oregon State’s provost
have been defined by bold initiatives that have reshaped OSU’s trajectory, including:
- Strategic Vision: Leading the development and implementation of strategic plans focused on student
success, groundbreaking research and institutional innovation.
- Research Leadership: Championing a $213 million Collaborative Innovation Complex — now under construction
— to foster interdisciplinary research on grand challenges, powered by artificial
intelligence and accelerated computing.
- Inclusive Excellence: Achieving record-setting diversity in student enrollment while working to diversify
the faculty and embed equity and inclusion across OSU’s operations.
- Budgetary Innovation: Implementing a new shared responsibility budget model to advance transparency and
financial stability.
“Dr. Feser is a visionary leader whose formidable experience and expertise align with
Saint Louis University’s current strengths and exciting trajectory,” said Joseph Conran,
SLU trustee and chair of the search committee. “As a lifelong Billiken devoted to
this great university, I have full confidence in his ability to lead SLU into its
next era of growth and success.”
Praise for Dr. Feser
"The approachability and empathy he carries as a leader will no doubt foster meaningful
relationships with students, ensuring they feel heard and valued, while continuing
to make SLU a place we are proud to call home and be alumni of."
Praise for Dr. Feser
"As a servant leader and scholar, Dr. Feser is committed to SLU’s continued regional,
national, and international impact and growth for the greater good."
Praise for Dr. Feser
"Dr. Feser's conviction that our Jesuit, Catholic identity must be the foundation
for all of our work will ensure SLU is leading the conversation for what Jesuit education
for today’s world should be."
Praise for Dr. Feser
"Dr. Feser’s extensive experience around strategic planning, research growth, student
success, academic excellence and DEI positions him as a strong leader to continue
to advance SLU’s mission.”
Guided by Service and Committed to Community
Throughout his distinguished career in higher education, Dr. Feser’s leadership has
been deeply rooted in the Jesuit ideals of promoting justice, nurturing the whole
person and contributing to the greater good.
“I am deeply grateful to Dr. Feser for his willingness to serve in such an important
role. His experience as a scholar and administrator makes him uniquely qualified to
lead a place as complex as SLU,” said Thomas P. Greene, S.J., the provincial superior
of the Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province. “But even more, I was heartened
to hear of his desire to use education to engender hope in the young, his commitment
to the University being leaven for the city, and his dedication to the University's
Jesuit, Catholic identity.”
A noted scholar of city and regional economic growth and development, Dr. Feser strongly
believes that all universities must be partners in serving and improving the well-being
of the communities they call home. At OSU, his community-focused efforts included:
- Downtown Hub: Opening the OSU Portland Center in downtown Portland, which anchors the university’s
strategy in the city, including programs to support expanded pathways to OSU for students
from diverse backgrounds.
- Community Partnerships: Growing the OSU-Cascades campus in Bend, Oregon, and collaborating with local leaders
to launch the development of a campus-based innovation district to support regional
economic development goals.
- Economic Development Leadership: Serving on boards and commissions to address economic development, workforce strategies
and public policy challenges.
Building on Past Progress and Charting a Path Forward
From left: Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D.; Fran Pestello, Ph.D.; Kathy Feser; and Edward
J. Feser, Ph.D.
Dr. Feser will succeed Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D., who announced in March that he would be stepping down from the presidency at the end of June 2025 after
more than a decade of transformative leadership highlighted by record student enrollment,
fundraising and research growth, among many other accomplishments.
“President Pestello’s vision and outstanding leadership are evident in the success
of SLU students, its excellent faculty and staff, its impressive growth in research
scale and impact, the depth and quality of its partnerships and impact in St. Louis,
and the achievements of Billiken student-athletes and teams,” Dr. Feser said. “I’m
excited to work with the SLU community to build on Dr. Pestello’s accomplishments
and advance Saint Louis University as one of the finest urban research universities
in the country.”
“Because of the contributions of countless SLU community members, the University is
poised to reach new heights of distinction,” Dr. Pestello said. “Dr. Feser has the
knowledge, experience, skill and values to serve as the next steward of Saint Louis
University’s noble mission — working for and with the campus and the region to create
new possibilities for a thriving, hope-filled future.”
