Interim President Helen K. Lafferty, Ph.D.
Helen K. Lafferty, PhD began her tenure as interim president of Youngstown State University on Feb. 1, 2023.
A native of Youngstown and graduate of Ursuline High School, Lafferty earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from YSU and a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, followed by post-doctoral work at the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University and the National University of Ireland-Galway.
For more than four decades, Lafferty has been an administrator and a faculty member at Villanova University just outside Philadelphia. She has taken a sabbatical from Villanova to serve as interim president at YSU.
YSU Board of Trustees
The Youngstown State University Board of Trustees are selected by the Governor of Ohio and appointed to 9 year terms. The board consists of 11 members, two of which are student members. There also are two national/global trustees on the board.
YSU News
YSU DPT Deemed "Program Of The Year"
The Ohio Physical Therapy Association has named YSU’s Doctor of Physical Therapy as the 2021 Program of the Year.
YSU DPT students Gabrielle Wagner, Macy Debevec and Evan Urrutia with the OPTA DPT Program...
Legacy Scholarships Awarded To Five YSU Students
Five Youngstown State University students who are the children of YSU graduates have been awarded $1,000 Alumni Society Legacy Scholarships
Five Youngstown State University students who are the children of YSU graduates have been awarded...
YSU Is Partner in Tech Initiative
YSU Is Partner in Tech Initiative To Grow Jobs, Bolster Supply Chain
A partnership between Youngstown State University, the University of Northern Iowa and the National Center...
Past Presidents of YSU
YSU has had nine past presidents. Find out more information on the presidents who have served the University since 1935.