Dr. Nancy Niemi to Become the 8th President of Framingham State University

Dr. Nancy Niemi to Become the 8th President of Framingham State University

Dec 23, 2021

The Framingham State University Board of Trustees voted unanimously on December 15th to select Dr. Nancy Niemi as the 8th President of Framingham State University.

Dr. Niemi is currently Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), an HBCU in Princess Anne, Maryland. Her appointment as President is pending approval from the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education in January.

"We were very fortunate to have three outstanding finalists to select from," says Board of Trustees Chair Kevin Foley, who also Chaired the Presidential Search Committee. "In the end, Dr. Niemi's passion and vision for the future of this institution and engaging interaction on campus helped her rise to the top. I'm confident she is the right leader for FSU moving forward."

Framingham State President F. Javier Cevallos announced last March that he would retire after the current academic year. Dr. Niemi will begin her tenure as President of FSU on July 1st, 2022.

"I am so grateful to have this opportunity and am excited about getting to know all the wonderful people I met when I visited FSU in early December," says Dr. Niemi. "The values at Framingham State align with my own: we share a commitment to public, fiercely student-centered education with a strong emphasis on liberal arts. There is so much at Framingham State that is already extraordinary and I look forward to working with the University to become an even greater version of itself."

Dr. Niemi's commitment to educational and social equity is evidenced in her work with universities across the country and in her research and publications throughout her career. Her experience in education includes positions as Professor and Chair of the Education Department at the University of New Haven as well as an elected school board member and as a middle school English teacher. Prior to her position at UMES, Niemi was the inaugural Director of Faculty Teaching Initiatives at Yale University's Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning.

A full bio and CV for Dr. Niemi can be found here.

About Framingham State University

Framingham State University was founded in 1839 as the nation’s first public university for the education of teachers. Since that time, it has evolved into a vibrant, comprehensive liberal arts institution offering small, personalized classes on a beautiful New England campus. Today, the University enrolls more than 6,000 students with 58 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences and professional fields. As a State College and University (SCU), Framingham State prides itself on quality academic programs, affordability, and commitment to access for all qualified students.