John D. Haeger
President
Northern Arizona University
John D. Haeger leads Northern Arizona University
in its commitment to undergraduate education—a
commitment enhanced by the university's ongoing
efforts in research, graduate education and distance
learning. Dr. Haeger is dedicated to the advancement
of the professional schools at Northern Arizona
University.
Dr. Haeger has been president since 2001 after
joining the university as provost in 2000.
During his term as president, Dr. Haeger has led
the university as it emphasized the integration of
technology in teaching and student services. He also
has strengthened the university's ties to Arizona's
rural students who receive their education through
the university’s distance learning programs. At the
same time, the university has reemphasized its
commitment to internationalization, with new
agreements with Chinese universities and renewed
exchange opportunities around the world.
Dr. Haeger is a member of the Arizona Board of
Education, the Governor's P-20 Council, the board of
directors of the Translational Genomics Research
Institute (TGen), is former chair of the United Way
of Northern Arizona board, serves as commissioner
for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher
Education, and is past chair of the Council of
Presidents of the Big Sky Conference.
Dr. Haeger has worked at all levels of higher
education—professor, chair, dean, vice president and
provost.
The president earned his bachelor's, master's and
doctoral degrees from Loyola University in Chicago.
He was a professor and chair of the history
department at Central Michigan University as well as
the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He
later worked as associate dean and then interim dean
and finally dean of the College of Graduate
Studies/Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at
the same institution.
He also served as provost and vice president for
academic affairs at Towson University in Maryland.
Dr. Haeger had substantial years in the classroom
before his administrative career and published
several books and numerous articles on topics
related to the history of economic change in the
United States and how it affects individuals and
institutions. His work on The Investment Frontier
won a national award from Choice magazine and his
book on John Astor argued for Astor’s role as the
first modern American venture capitalist