President & Leadership

Dr. Polly Peterson, President

Dr. Polly (Larson) Peterson ’89 became the University of Jamestown’s fourteenth President on March 1, 2018.

Under her leadership as President, UJ has seen growth both in the form of enrollment, program, creation and building development.

Dr. Peterson has served the University for 29 years, first as Controller in the Business Office; as a faculty member in the Department of Business, Accounting, and Economics; as Vice President for Institutional Advancement; and as Executive Vice President.

Dr. Peterson holds a Ph.D. in higher education – institutional analysis from North Dakota State University and an M.B.A. from Regis University. Her undergraduate degrees in accounting and business administration are from the University of Jamestown.

Dr. Peterson holds memberships in the North Dakota State Board of Accountancy and the American Association of Certified Public Accountants. She has participated in the American Academic Leadership Institute’s Executive Leadership Academy and has been named to the Top 25 Women in Business by Prairie Business Magazine. She was named Outstanding Woman Leader in 2018 by the Jamestown Zonta Club.

Dr. Peterson has co-led a session at the Council of Independent Colleges’ Presidents Institute, “Cultivating the Leadership Pipeline.” She is also a member of the Anne Carlsen Center Board of Directors and the Sanford Health Network Board of Directors.

Dr. Peterson and her husband, Darin, have three grown children.