Walden University Names Cynthia G. Baum as New President

Minneapolis—February 1, 2012—Walden University announced today that its Board of Directors has named Cynthia G. Baum, PhD, as the ninth president of Walden.

Dr. Baum, who most recently served as executive vice president overseeing Walden’s five colleges, will now be responsible for the overall day-to-day management, academic quality, financial performance, accreditation and governance of Walden University. Prior to her role as executive vice president, Dr. Baum was vice president of both the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the College of Health Sciences at Walden.

“Dr. Baum’s strong and seasoned leadership skills have made a tremendous impact on Walden University during the past few years,” said Paula R. Singer, chair of Walden University’s Board of Directors. “She has made extraordinary contributions to Walden, and our entire university community will be well served by her commitment to learning outcomes and the university’s student-centered focus.”

Dr. Baum has more than 20 years of leadership experience in postsecondary education where she served as a campus president and regional vice president for a number of institutions. She previously held full-time faculty appointments with Virginia Tech and The Catholic University of America. Dr. Baum is also a clinical psychologist, and prior to her higher education experience, she worked in the nonprofit sector as assistant executive director for education at the American Psychological Association (APA). She has published and presented to professional organizations on diverse topics in psychology, and her work in psychology education has been recognized with several honors and awards, including a Presidential Citation from the APA.

Dr. Baum also has been a member of and has held leadership positions in organizations such as the APA, the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, the Society for the Teaching of Psychology and the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology, where she served as president. Dr. Baum holds an MS and PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Georgia.

“I want to thank the board as I am deeply honored to be named the next president of Walden University,” said Dr. Baum. “I look forward to advancing our mission of positive social change, creating new opportunities for our student-centered culture and developing high-quality degree programs that meet the demands of today’s working professionals and impact tomorrow’s scholar-practitioners.”

Jonathan A. Kaplan, president of Walden since 2007, has been named by the board as chief executive officer of Walden. Mr. Kaplan has been instrumental in Walden’s development, growth and progress during his five years as president. In his new role, Mr. Kaplan will be responsible for Walden’s strategic direction and overall performance as well as broader responsibilities within the Laureate International Universities network.

For more information about Walden University, visit www.WaldenU.edu.

About Walden University
For more than 40 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 48,500 students from all 50 states and more than 140 countries are pursuing their bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees online at Walden. The university provides students with an engaging educational experience that connects them with expert faculty and peers around the world. Walden is the flagship online university in the Laureate International Universities network—a global network of more than 55 campus-based and online universities in 28 countries.

Walden offers more than 65 degree programs with more than 330 specializations and concentrations. Areas of study include health sciences, counseling, human services, management, psychology, education, public health, nursing, public administration and information technology. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.hlcommission.org.