President Schrader named to Dayton Business Journal ‘Power 50’ list

Wright State University President Cheryl B. Schrader was named one of the 50 most influential women in the region by the Dayton Business Journal.

Wright State University President Cheryl B. Schrader was named one of the 50 most influential women in the region by the Dayton Business Journal.

Schrader was included on the newspaper’s 2017 “Power 50” list of the most influential women in the Dayton area who are driving business, government, economic development and change.

The Dayton Business Journal’s editorial board compiled this year’s honorees. Schrader and the other recipients were honored at a reception Sept. 14.

Schrader joined Wright State as the university’s seventh president on July 1. She immediately placed the university on firmer financial footing and reorganized financial and budget functions for increased efficiency and effectiveness.

Last summer, Schrader was named a Fellow by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) for her outstanding contributions to the field. She is also a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from the White House and the Hewlett-Packard/Harriett B. Rigas Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Education Society. She received the Distinguished Educator Award from the Electrical and Computer Engineering division of the ASEE and was named an IEEE Fellow in recognition of her leadership and contributions in engineering.

Prior to joining Wright State, Schrader served as the chancellor of Missouri University of Science and Technology from 2012 to 2017. She oversaw a comprehensive strategic planning effort that led to numerous successful initiatives, including an increase in state funding, a bold faculty hiring program, investment in doctoral student support and instructional and research lab upgrades.

Schrader previously served as associate vice president for strategic research initiatives at Boise State University and dean of the College of Engineering at Boise State. She held many academic positions at The University of Texas at San Antonio, including associate dean for graduate studies and research for the College of Engineering and the College of Sciences.

Schrader received her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Valparaiso University and her master’s and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

She has an extensive record of systems and control research, has written more than 100 publications, with five Best Paper awards, and has secured more than $11 million in grant funding.

Passionate about increasing interest in science, technology, engineering and math, Schrader’s current research interests focus on creating and assessing innovative learning methods that help students of all ages succeed in STEM areas.