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Dr. Ronald Roskens

Dr. Ronald Roskens

Dr. Ronald Roskens served as Chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) from 1972 through 1977. He came to UNO after 13 years at Kent State University as a professor and eventually executive Vice President.

After serving five years as UNO Chancellor, Roskens was named president of the University of Nebraska in 1977, a post he held for 13 years (now, President Emeritus). During those years, he brought an international perspective to the university, developing programs with universities in Asia, Latin America, Europe and China. Dr. Roskens also negotiated an exchange program with Kabul University in Afghanistan, and oversaw development of a major center for Afghan studies at UNO.

From 1990 thorough 1992, Dr. Roskens served as Administrator for the United States Agency for International Development. As Administrator, he was chief executive officer of an $8.1 billion annual program of economic and humanitarian assistance to more that 100 countries in the developing world, including Central and Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union. After assuming the leadership of USAID Roskens presided over a major restructuring of the agency, establishing a more streamlined organization with clearer lines of responsibility in managing foreign assistance programs.

Ronald Roskens has served as chairman of the board of the American Council of Education--representing more than 3,000 universities and colleges--and as president of the Association of Urban Universities. He was a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and is currently a member of the Chief Executives Organization (CEO). Dr. Roskens is a director of ConAgra Foods, Inc., the Russian Farm Community Project, the Advisory Board of the World Food Programme (Rome, Italy) and the Capital Federal Foundation of Topeka, Kansas, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a licensed minister in the United Church of Christ.

Born in Spencer, Iowa, and reared on a farm nearby, Ronald Roskens holds degrees from the University of Northern Iowa and the University of Iowa, where he earned a Ph.D. in 1958. He has received honorary degrees from twelve institutions of higher education. Dr. Roskens and his wife, Lois, have three daughters, and one son, and twelve grandchildren.