Dr. Kathy Schwaig was formally invested as the sixth president of Kennesaw State University in a ceremony Thursday in front of faculty, students, staff and community leaders. There were also video greetings from Gov. Brian Kemp and other political leaders from around the state.
Schwaig was announced by the University System of Georgia as the sole finalist for the university presidency last March.
“At KSU, we all have the opportunity to influence – to be a part of the process of helping students shape and build their lives,” Schwaig said after being presented the Presidential Chain of Office from University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue. “Putting students first means that we care equally about their academic success and their KSU experience. We must be more deliberate in our work to engage and support students and ensure that they are on a path to graduate in four years.”
The article about the investiture on the KSU website stated that Schwaig experienced difficulty as a student early in her academic life.
“I struggled in every dimension and almost didn’t graduate,” Schwaig said. “When I look back on that time in my life, I remember the faces and the words of those who encouraged and supported me. They influenced me profoundly and somehow, I did graduate.”
Schwaig earned a BBA in Accounting, an MBA in Information Systems from Baylor University, and a Master’s of Liberal Arts from Johns Hopkins University, and a Ph.D. in Information Systems from the University of South Carolina.
Her 20-year career with KSU includes serving as a professor, before becoming dean of the Michael J. Coles College of Business. She was named provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs in 2019, and was name as interim president when former president Pamela Whitten left to take on the presidency at Indiana University in July of 2021.
Schwaig was named as permanent president of the university early this year.