PhD, 2009 Jennifer Frum retired from service as vice president for public service and outreach at the University of Georgia on December 1, 2024. Frum led UGA's expansive public service and outreach enterprise since 2011, initially as interim vice president, before being named to the role permanently in July 2012. During her tenure, PSO achieved national preeminence with a portfolio of award-winning programs that touch every corner of the state. Under her leadership, PSO raised more than $50 million in private funds and $230 million in sponsored programs to support outreach programs and faciliites. As vice president, Frum provided institutional leadership for eight diverse PSO units: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, Center for Continuing Education and Hotel, Archway Partnership, State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Small Business Development Center, and the Office of Service-Learning, which is co-managed with the UGA Office of Instruction. She also championed the opening of the Atlanta Economic Development Office, which is comanaged with the UGA Office of Research, and brought economic development support to rural areas through strategic faculty appointments based in South Georgia. Additionally, Frum expanded opportunities for UGA students to gain workforce experience, grow in civic engagement and make an impact through experiential learning, engaging over 12,000 students a year in these learning experiences. Under Frum's leadership, UGA has been consistently recognized as a national leader for its work in public service and outreach. PSO received the University Economic Development Association National Award of Excellence in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023. UGA was recertified as a national Carnegie Community Engaged Institution in 2020 and receivedd the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities' (APLU) Innovation and Economic Prosperity University designation. In 2022, UGA received the APLU's highest national award for public service for the Archway Partnership. Frum's career at UGA began in 1995 as a research professional in the Office of International Development. She then served as assistant director of the UGA Office of International Public Service and Outreach, where she led the development and implementation of projects in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. She joined the Carl Vinson Institute of Government in 2006 and later served as the institute's deputy director and interim director. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from West Virginia University, a master’s degree in international relations from George Washington University and a PhD from the UGA Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education.
