Jennifer Frum (PHD ’09) became UGA’s fourth vice president for public service and outreach (PSO) in 2012, and the first woman to serve in the role. She retired in December 2024 with the title of emeritus vice president.

She provided institutional leadership for UGA’s outreach and engagement and economic development efforts across Georgia. The eight diverse units of PSO thrived during her tenure: the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel, Archway Partnership, State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Small Business Development Centers (18), and the Office of Service-Learning (co-managed with the Vice President for Instruction).

Under her leadership, PSO drove training, technical assistance, continuing education, and applied research programs which extended the reach of the university to all corners of Georgia. These efforts created new small businesses, made government more efficient, provided students with real-world experiences, brought economic development opportunities to Georgia, protected the environment, revitalized downtowns, and had a major economic impact on the state of Georgia. Her support for public service will continue long after her retirement thanks to a personal financial commitment she made in 2021 to create a community engagement endowment.

Numerous organizations have recognized Frum and her achievements. She was named one of Georgia Trend’s “Power Women” in 2012 and one of its 100 most influential Georgians in 2016. The publication also named her to its list of 500 most influential leaders in 2022 and 2023. She participated in the 2014 American Council on Education National Women’s Leadership Forum and the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation Higher Education Policy Fellows program in 2017-2018. She also received the UGA Blue Key Service Award in 2022 and the Jeannette Rankin Foundation “Smart Women” Award in 2018, and she was the commencement speaker for UGA’s graduate ceremony in fall 2022.

Frum joined UGA in 1995 as a research professional in the Office of International Development. She joined the Vinson Institute in September 2006, where she rose to deputy director and interim director of the institute before being named interim vice president for public service and outreach in July 2011. She also served as interim president of Armstrong State University from June through December 2017.

Frum served on the boards of the Athens Area Community Foundation, Georgia Academy for Economic Development, Georgia Women of Achievement, and Engaged Scholarship Consortium. She also served on the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities Council on Engagement and Outreach. In 2016, she cofounded the National Forum, a group of university-based senior engagement officers from around the country focused on networking and sharing best practices in the field.