Gateway Technical College Board of Trustees members today selected Ritu Raju as Gateway Technical College’s newest president, replacing retiring president Bryan Albrecht.
Raju was selected as part of an extensive, nationwide search and will begin her duties Jan. 5.
“Today we thank Dr. Bryan Albrecht for his 16 years of service as president of Gateway Technical College,” said Gateway Board of Trustees Chairperson Rebecca Matoska-Mentink. “Through your vision, we have witnessed the transformation of our college community.
“Today, we celebrate the milestone that serves as a stepping stone for our college – the announcement of your successor. It gives me great pleasure to announce that Dr. Ritu Raju has accepted the offer to serve as Gateway’s next president.”
Matoska-Mentink also noted that the board “expresses its appreciation for Dr. Raju’s interpersonal abilities, her courage, and her warm and thoughtful vision to the Gateway community.”
Raju brings the skills and leadership gained from 18 years in higher education, most recently as vice president for Academic Affairs at Tarrant County College’s Northeast Campus in Hurst, Texas, a position she’s held since 2020. Prior to that, she served as dean for Advanced Manufacturing at Houston Community College in Houston, Texas.
“It is an honor to be selected for this role. The 112-year legacy and the amazing work that Bryan Albrecht has done are two cornerstones that I honor and cherish,” Raju told the board.
“I am very excited and very humbled to be able to come to this community to learn, serve and grow with each one of you. I look forward to interacting with every member of the Gateway community. This is my family, my Redhawk family.”
Scott Pierce, chairman of the Ad Hoc Presidential Search Committee, said the search process was a lengthy and thorough one that ultimately engaged hundreds in the process. Staff, students, business leaders, educators and other interested members of the community offered their support and insight to the committee, too.
“The most important part in this entire process was the great support we received from our many college communities, as we reviewed the hundreds of comments following the four day visits of our four semi-finalists held in mid-September,” said Pierce.
“That feedback was most helpful and gave our Ad Hoc good information from which to select our candidates for final interviews.”
To learn more about Raju: gtc.edu/documents/rita-raju-full-biography
Retiring president Bryan Albrecht began his Gateway career in 2003, was named interim president in 2005 and full-time president in 2006. He is the second-longest serving president in the Wisconsin Technical College System.
