Lisa Rossbacher

Lisa A. Rossbacher is an American scientist, writer and academic administrator.

She is the president emerita of Southern Polytechnic State University. She has also held the posts of President of Cal Poly Humboldt, Vice Chancellor of the University System of Georgia and Chair of Metro Atlanta’s Cobb Chamber of Commerce.

Rossbacher is also a geologist, writer, professor, former Vice Chancellor of the University System of Georgia,

Personal life and education Rossbacher was born in Fredericksburg, VA in 1953, as the eldest of three children. She resided in Dahlgren, Virginia during her childhood where her father was employed by the U.S. Defense Department, and performed research for the then Naval Weapons Lab.

She studied at Dickinson College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Geology. She attended graduate school at the State University of New York at Binghamton and received a Master of Arts in Geological Sciences. She went on to complete her academic studies at Princeton University, receiving both a M.A. and PhD in Geological and Geophysical Science in 1983.

Rossbacher is married to Dallas D. Rhodes, the former Department Chair of Geology and Geography at Georgia Southern University.

Career Throughout her academic studies Rossbacher worked for various government and non-profit institutions. She performed research for NASA as an astronaut candidate, and provided services for National Public Radio, and the U.S. Geological Survey. SPSU was founded in 1948 as a two-year division of Georgia Tech, and was organized as an independent university in the early 1980s.

Rossbacher focused on environmental sustainability by gearing the university's campus towards a greener environment. In 2007 she partnered the university with the American College and university presidents' Climate Commitment, sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. In 2008 the university broke ground on a new Engineering Technology Center; Rossbacher's commitment to sustainability influenced the construction plans, enabling the design to meet the certification requirements of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System.

Rossbacher is also credited with increasing enrollment and retention by an average of 20% each, adding eight new degrees,

Works As a scientist for NASA, she focused her research interests on the role of water and water ice on Mars. Trailblazer Award (2015), California State University presidents, honoring women in academia