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Montana State's Dr. Waded Cruzado Makes History as APLU's First Latina President


Montana State University President Waded Cruzado has been named the next president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), marking aDr. Waded CruzadoDr. Waded Cruzado historic appointment as she becomes the first Latina to lead the organization.

Cruzado, who will assume the role on July 1, brings a deeply personal connection to the land-grant university mission, having begun her higher education journey as a first-generation college student at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez.

During her 14-year tenure at Montana State University, Cruzado has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to expanding access and success for underrepresented students. Under her leadership, the institution has seen dramatic increases in diverse student enrollment, with Hispanic student enrollment growing by 232%, Native American student enrollment by 71%, and Black student enrollment by 75%.

"Throughout my life, the history and the impact of land-grant universities and public higher education have provided me, and countless students and families, with inspiration and a call to action," Cruzado said. "I've seen firsthand the life-changing opportunity our public universities provide to their students, their communities, the country, and the world."

Her appointment comes at a crucial time for public higher education, as institutions nationwide grapple with questions of access, affordability, and inclusion. Dr. Gary May, Chancellor of the University of California, Davis, who led the presidential search committee, praised Cruzado as "an exceptional leader who brings deep experience in successfully leading a public and land-grant university to impressive new heights."

At Montana State, Cruzado's leadership has resulted in not just increased diversity but also improved outcomes across the board. The university has achieved record retention rates and a 61% increase in four-year graduation rates. Under her stewardship, the institution has also secured more than $850 million in private funding, supporting student scholarships and major campus expansion projects.

Dr. Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Chair of APLU Board of Directors and President of the University of Maine, highlighted Cruzado's unique qualification for the role.

"She is a tireless advocate for public and land-grant universities and the extraordinary role they play in driving progress in the lives of students, their communities and states, and the country at large," she said. 

Before her presidency at Montana State, Cruzado served in leadership roles at New Mexico State University and the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. She holds a Ph.D. in Humanities from The University of Texas at Arlington and has been recognized with numerous professional honors, including the APLU Seaman Knapp Memorial Lectureship and the Council of Fellows Mentor Award from the American Council on Education.

As she prepares to take the helm at APLU, Cruzado emphasized her commitment to strengthening public higher education's role in creating opportunity.

"It is truly a pleasure to heed the call to serve and to advocate for a better and brighter future for all Americans through the promise of public higher education," she said. "APLU is a champion of that message."

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