Biography: Dr. Suzanne M. Rivera
Dr. Suzanne M. Rivera is Macalester College’s 17th president. Dr. Rivera is a nationally recognized academic leader, and an advocate for equitable access to higher education. She is a frequent speaker and writer on the public purpose of colleges and universities, the importance of the liberal arts for a thriving democracy, and the contributions made to society by pluralistic academic institutions.
Prior to her arrival at Macalester, Rivera served in academic and leadership roles at Case Western Reserve University, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and the University of California–Irvine. A scholar of bioethics and public policy, her research is focused on the moral dimensions of science. She co-edited the book Specimen Science (MIT Press, 2017) and has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and public scholarship pieces addressing topics at the intersection of ethics, policy, and social justice. Her research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Research Integrity, and the Cleveland Foundation.
She serves on the boards of professional societies such as the American Association of Colleges & Universities, the Council of Independent Colleges, and the Associated Colleges of the Midwest. She also chairs the Presidents’ Council of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and serves on the NCAA Presidents Advisory Committee. Her local civic leadership includes serving as a trustee of the Science Museum of Minnesota and College Possible.
Dr. Rivera earned a BA from Brown University, a MSW from the University of California–Berkeley, and a PhD in public affairs from the University of Texas at Dallas. She and her spouse, American literature scholar Dr. Michael Householder, have two adult children, Antonio (married to Eliza) and Elena.
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