Alumna Kristi Mindrup’s journey to becoming the 13th president of Western Illinois University began with a deep commitment to higher education, shaped by her time at the University of Iowa and the support of her family who put an emphasis on education.

Earning her Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Policy and Leadership Studies from the UI College of Education's Higher Education and Student Affairs program in 2012, Mindrup gained the knowledge and leadership skills that would prepare her for a career dedicated to student success and institutional growth. 

Now, as she steps into the presidency at WIU, she brings with her not only nearly three decades of experience but also a profound understanding of how education transforms lives— something she herself experienced.

 “I had a wonderful time at the University of Iowa,” she says. “Even though I was a part-time student, I truly immersed myself in the experience. The faculty mentors were outstanding, and I learned so much from my research teams and peer groups.”

Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs Sherry K. Watt, who worked closely with Mindrup as her dissertation chair during her doctoral studies, spoke highly of her leadership qualities. 

“Working with Dr. Mindrup has been one of the greatest pleasures of my career,” Watt says. “Dr. Mindrup, as a student, and an alum, was a dream collaborator on all of my research and teaching teams. She builds caring connections through listening well to others. She always contributed enlightening ideas, and she has a keen sense about ways to improve the higher education experience. It is her great sense of humor that still makes me smile when I think of her.”

Watt adds, “It does not surprise me at all that Dr. Mindrup would be entrusted with a university presidency. She is a wonderful representative of how to translate the leadership skills learned from a HESA degree program. WIU has made an excellent choice for president. Based on my experience with Kristi, I am certain she will have a long-lasting positive impact on their campus.”

Mindrup, who has served WIU in various capacities for nearly 28 years, steps into the role with a deep commitment to the university’s mission and community.

 “It’s a great honor to serve a university that I have worked at for nearly 28 years,” Mindrup says. “I’ve really come to embrace the mission of Western Illinois University. The students we serve, and certainly over those 28 years, I’ve developed very positive collaborative relationships with our faculty and staff. It’s very special, as I also earned my master’s degree at Western, and I have a long family connection to WIU. My aunt graduated with both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from WIU, and my grandparents really loved the university. That family connection makes this even more special.”

Mindrup’s priorities as president include strengthening WIU’s programmatic offerings to meet regional and workforce needs, expanding access for traditionally underserved students, and fostering an inclusive and welcoming campus environment. 

“Western Illinois University has a strong tradition of serving first-generation students and those who may not have initially imagined themselves attending college,” she says. 

While working on her doctoral degree, Mindrup says she was also impressed by Iowa’s commitment to first-generation students.

As she assumes the presidency, Mindrup reflected on her career trajectory and the mentors who guided her along the way. 

“I never initially imagined this career path, but I’ve always been inspired by the impact of higher education,” she says. “I’m motivated by the opportunity to help students realize their potential and by the role higher education plays in improving lives and communities.”

She also acknowledged the significance of serving as WIU’s first female president, noting that women’s leadership in higher education has grown over time.

 “Sally Mason was president when I was at Iowa, and seeing a woman in that role had an influence on me,” she says. “I think it’s important to recognize the progress we’ve made in leadership representation.”

With decades of experience at WIU and a strong foundation in educational leadership, Mindrup is poised to lead the university through its next chapter, in part due to skills and relationships she gained at the University of Iowa. 

"My favorite memory as a student at Iowa is being part of a research team,” Mindrup says. “I was part of the Privileged Identity Exploration research team. It was a group of seven or eight of us – most of us students in the program and also Dr. Sherry Watt, who was the research lead. We would come together on Saturdays, and we called it the PIE group. We really got into the scholarship of pedagogy related to multicultural education and had the opportunity to think about how to approach dialogues in the classroom about challenging issues. It was a wonderful experience." 

Mindrup adds, “We had engaging, insightful conversations that still inform the work that I do today. Out of the classroom, I commuted back and forth between the Quad Cities and Iowa City, but I would stay in Iowa at times. We would have celebrations together and get together once a week to debrief and support each other, usually somewhere on the ped mall. Those are some of my best memories, just those informal times when the people in my classes stayed together to support each other. We're still in touch thanks to social media. It was just an honor to be part of their experience, and I am so grateful that they were part of mine because I definitely learned so much about them, about our field, and about myself through them."