Brescia University College has named Lauretta Conklin Frederking, the school’s vice-principal and academic dean since 2018, as its new President.
Frederking will take on the new role and title – Brescia’s 12 previous leaders have been designated ‘Principals’ – on August 1 as the institution seeks to elevate its brand, profile and international presence.
Brescia, Canada’s only women’s university, is affiliated with Western.
Brescia’s board of trustees unanimously approved Frederking’s appointment, following a comprehensive, national search.
Since her arrival at Brescia, Frederking has been “deeply entrenched within our community and has been an integral part of the university’s success,” said Karen McKay, chair of the board of trustees. “[Her] leadership, passion for women’s education, steadfast faith and desire for innovation placed her as the ideal candidate for this role. Dr. Frederking will be instrumental in positioning Brescia as one of Canada’s leading post-secondary institutions – especially as the University continues to grow in both size and reputation.”
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Frederking has more than 25 years of teaching, research and administrative experience and a wealth of knowledge in diversity and inclusion programming.
At Brescia, Frederking has launched a number of programs and initiatives, including conceptualizing and launching the Brescia Bold first-year course; amplifying the university’s experiential learning offerings; forming the Dean’s Speaker Series; establishing the Master of Engineering in Food Processing program; building key relationships with future donors and partners; and launching the “Resilience” podcast.
“This is Brescia’s time to shine. On a daily basis, I am inspired by Brescia’s holistic education opportunities for women to deepen their expertise and practice their skills in a healthy, vibrant learning environment,” Frederking said. “With outstanding faculty and staff and from our Ursuline mission of wisdom, compassion, and justice, we are preparing our students to become smart, strong, ethical leaders who make a difference in our local and global communities.”
Frederking began teaching comparative political economy, immigration and research methods as a graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis. She went on to win several teaching and research awards as a professor at the University of Portland, where her roles also included being associate provost and serving as a member of the university’s leadership cabinet.
Frederking holds degrees in political science from the University of Toronto, Columbia University and Washington University in St. Louis
