University of Tulsa picks Arizona State University law dean as next president
Stacy Leeds, the dean of the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, has been named the next president of the University of Tulsa, effective July 1.
Leeds will be the first woman to lead the Oklahoma university, where she graduated from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1997, according to a March 9 press release.
At ASU Law, she helped advance the school via “momentum through innovation, strategic planning and a deep commitment to student success,” according to another March 9 press release. Angela Banks, the vice dean and a professor, will serve as ASU Law’s interim dean.
According to the Women Attorneys in Higher Education Leadership study by the Association of American Law Schools, of the 158 attorneys who have served as president of a college or a university from 1970 to 2019, only 16, or 10.1% have been women. In 2017, 30% of college presidents were women, but 20% of college presidents with a JD were women.
Leeds is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and was the first Native American woman to lead a law school, according to CherokeeCourts.org.
At the University of Tulsa, Leeds replaces Rick Dickson, the interim president, who served in the role since Brad Carson left the presidential role, according to the university’s press release.
Leeds “returns to her alma mater as a trailblazer but equally as a grounded, experienced leader who will steward this university with exceptional care,” said Marcia MacLeod, the chair of University of Tulsa’s board of trustees, in a statement.
“The priority moving forward is our promise to our people: students, alumni, faculty, staff and community,” Leeds said in a statement. “By providing selfless mentorship and unwavering support, we will give our students the foundation to expand their minds and the confidence to push their boundaries.”
Law.com also had coverage.
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