St. Olaf College has named a Florida private school provost and former Carleton College biology professor as its next president.

Susan Rundell Singer, 63, will be St. Olaf’s 12th president and the first woman to lead the Northfield college. She’ll take over in June for the retiring David R. Anderson, president since 2006.

Rundell Singer is provost and vice president for academic affairs at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, a private college of similar size to St. Olaf. She previously was director of undergraduate education at the National Science Foundation and spent 30 years teaching biology at nearby Carleton.

“I am so eager to be part of a campus that is centered in a community I have long called home,” Rundell Singer said in a news release. “I see St. Olaf as a beacon of light in higher education. Every Ole, supported by advisors and mentors, creates their own pathway integrating coursework and co-curricular experiences. They will be prepared for meaningful careers and empowered to address pressing global issues. I envision a St. Olaf where every Ole thrives, developing intercultural competence and many other skills needed for future work and life.”

Jay Lund, chairman of the St. Olaf Board of Regents, said Rundell Singer has “a national reputation, local ties, impeccable credentials, and the experience to lead St. Olaf to new levels.”

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