Sullivan University names Jennifer Gaither as first female president

• Jennifer Gaither becomes the first female president of Sullivan University
• Chancellor Glenn Sullivan called her appointment a pivotal moment for the university
• The announcement also highlighted aerospace leader Sullivan for her decades-long contribution to Mississippi State University and the aerospace industry

Sullivan University has named its first female president, the university recently announced on Wednesday the selection of Jennifer Gaither as Sullivan's seventh president. Prior to her appointment as President, Jennifer was Associate Provost at the University.

Glenn Sullivan, chancellor and CEO said, "Jennifer’s appointment represents a pivotal moment for Sullivan University. She possesses a rare combination of institutional memory and forward-thinking vision."

Jennifer replaces Tim Swenson, who stepped down in 2025 after being placed on administrative leave, LBF reported. He was in the role for nearly three years. Glenn Sullivan has been serving as interim president since Swenson's exit.

Jennifer said, "The Sullivan community will work together to build a more resilient and dynamic university."

In 1962, Sullivan University opened its doors to approximately 1,800 students in the fall of 2025, according to LBF. Approximately 370 people are employed by the university.

The graduate of MSU '89 in aerospace engineering has been doing nearly 40 years business with MSU, since undergrad days. Sullivan also has a 1993 master's degree in engineering mechanics and a 2003 general engineering doctorate, both with a concentration in aerospace.

She was raised on campus and her father was an aerospace professor before her and sparked her interest. Currently her research interests are centered around structural health monitoring, optical sensing technologies, and manufacturing techniques to speed up the development and implementation of lightweight composite structures for use in the aerospace industry.

Sullivan's first job with the university was as a research engineer at the university's Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, where she worked on the design of the original prototype all-composite Honda MH-02 business jet. She then became a lecturer in the aerospace department, moving on to assistant professor (2005) and full professor (2018). She then took over as the interim head of the department before becoming department head in 2022.

Sullivan is an associate fellow member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the founding member and advisor to MSU's Women of Aerospace student group. She has received the 2019 Hermann Oberth Award for advancement in aeronautical sciences, and the 2014 SAE International Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award.