Katherine Rowe Fell, Ph.D.

Katherine Rowe Fell was named the 17th president of The University of Findlay on March 25, 2010. She will officially begin her tenure on July 1.

Fell is currently serving as vice president for advancement at Centenary College, Shreveport, La., where she has been the chief development officer since 2000.

A native of Stamps, Ark., she earned a bachelor of science in education in English, with a minor in speech, from Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia, and a master of arts in English from Louisiana Technical University in Ruston. She completed a Ph.D. in English from Texas A&M University at College Station. 

Fell began her tenure at Centenary in 1986 as an associate professor of English. During her 14 years as a professor, she developed an interdisciplinary major in communication, which grew to become one of the college’s strongest majors; taught a variety of introductory and upper-level English courses; published scholarly articles and presented at conferences.

When Centenary was selected to participate in a nationwide project on transformation in higher education sponsored by the American Council on Education and the Kellogg Foundation, Fell led Centenary’s ACE-Kellogg team and contributed to an ACE article on how to achieve essential change on a private, church-related college campus. She serves as a member of the Pew Higher Education Roundtable, sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Fell moved to administration as a member of the development team, first as director of foundation and corporate relations from 1998-2000 and then as director of development from 2000-2004. She has worked with senators and representatives to secure $3 million in grants for the sciences and campus security. Her work with the state government over the past 11 years has resulted in five first-generation scholarships, 88 endowed professorships, two endowed chairs and one endowed super chair in communications, representing a total in private and state donations of $13.3 million.
 
After joining the development team, she assisted with the successful completion of a fund-raising campaign for which the institution set an initial goal of $70 million, increased it to $90 million and reached a total of $103 million.

She was named vice president for advancement at Centenary in 2004, and led the launch of a new comprehensive campaign, “Fulfill the Promise,” which in two years has raised gifts and pledges totaling $40 million, and is on track to achieve its goal despite the worldwide economic downturn. During her years at Centenary, the college’s endowment tripled to more than $120 million at its high point.

Fell and her husband, Roger, are the parents of six children.