11th President: North Dakota State College of Science's Lisa Karch Named President as State Board Approves This Week, Ending an Interim Term That Began in July
WAHPEPETON, Richland County, North Dakota: The State Board of Higher Education this week approved Dr. Lisa Karch as president of the North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS). Karch had served as interim president of NDSCS since July 2026 and now officially becomes the college's 11th president.
Prior to the interim appointment, Karch held multiple executive leadership roles at NDSCS, including executive vice president of academic affairs and vice president for instructional affairs. She also served in faculty and administrative leadership positions at Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Under Karch's previous tenure at NDSCS, she helped reverse a six-year enrollment decline, launched more than 55 new academic programs and certificates, secured a 10-year accreditation reaffirmation from the Higher Learning Commission, and helped establish the Career Innovation Center in Fargo, the college said.
Karch said she is honored and humbled to serve as the 11th president of NDSCS, noting that with locations in Wahpeton and Fargo and programs serving communities throughout the region and state, the college is positioned to meet workforce needs, support economic growth and create meaningful career pathways for students, and she thanked the State Board of Higher Education for its confidence and support.
Board chair Black said the board appreciates the commitment both leaders have shown to students and their institutions, and that their experience, collaborative leadership styles and dedication to educational excellence position Valley City State University and NDSCS for continued success in serving North Dakota. This week's approvals covered leadership appointments at both institutions.
Source: KBMW News, October 30, 2026
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于北达科他州的北达科他州立理学院（NDSCS）校园。照片：Marketingcats，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The campus of the North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS). Photo: Marketingcats, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
