Suzanne Ortega serves as President of the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS). The only U.S. higher education association devoted solely to graduate study, CGS has nearly 500 U.S. and Canadian members and 25 international affiliates. A sociologist by training, Ortega’s research focuses on social inequality, mental health, and graduate education. 

Prior to assuming her current position, she served as the University of North Carolina Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs (2011–14). Previous appointments included the Executive Vice President and Provost at the University of New Mexico, Vice Provost and Graduate Dean at the University of Washington, and the University of Missouri. The author of numerous articles and book chapters, Ortega’s masters and doctoral degrees in sociology were completed at Vanderbilt University. She has served on review panels for NSF and NIH, has been the principal investigator or co-investigator on grants totaling more than $21 million in state, federal, and private foundation funds. 

Ortega has served on a number of professional association boards and committees, including the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), the National Academies of Science Committee on Revitalizing Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century, and the National Science Foundation’s Human Resources Expert Panel. In addition, she is currently a board member of the American University of the Emirates, serves on Advisory Councils for the Vanderbilt University Graduate School and the Societies Consortium on Sexual Harassment in STEMM.