Jennifer Frum became the University of Georgia’s fourth Vice President for Public Service and Outreach (PSO) in 2012, making history as the first woman to hold the position. In this role, she provided strategic leadership for UGA’s outreach, engagement and economic development initiatives across Georgia, overseeing eight diverse PSO units. She also partnered with the Vice President for Research to guide UGA’s economic development programming, including the university’s economic development office in Atlanta. Frum retired from this role in December of 2024.
Frum directed programs focused on training, technical assistance, continuing education and applied research. These efforts supported the creation of new small businesses, improved government efficiency and offered students valuable real-world experiences. Her leadership brought economic development opportunities to communities statewide, revitalized downtowns, protected natural resources and generated an annual economic impact in the hundreds of millions.
Under her guidance, PSO strengthened economic development partnerships throughout Georgia. Frum implemented three strategic priorities for UGA’s outreach programs: fostering job creation and prosperity, developing leadership across the state, and addressing critical issues facing Georgia. These priorities positioned the university as a key contributor to statewide progress and innovation.
Frum’s UGA career began in 1995 as a research professional in the Office of International Development. She later joined the Carl Vinson Institute of Government in 2006, where she later served as deputy director and interim director. From July 2011 to January 2012, she was interim Vice President for Public Service and Outreach before assuming the permanent role. Frum also served as interim president of Armstrong State University from June through December 2017.
Prior to her time at UGA, she worked in Washington for U.S. Representative Bob Wise.
Frum has served on the boards of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development, the Athens Area Community Foundation, and Georgia Women of Achievement. In 2016, she co-founded the National Forum, a working group of university-based senior engagement officers from around the country, focused on networking and sharing best practices in the field. Additionally, she has served on the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities Council on Engagement and Outreach and the National Engaged Scholars Consortium Board of Directors. She was an invited participant 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 serves as an Ex-Officio member on both the State Botanical Garden Board of Advisors and the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development’s Advisory Board. Since 2012, Frum has served as publisher of the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement.
Frum has a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia, an M.A. from George Washington University and a B.A. from West Virginia University. She was named one of Georgia Trend’s 2012 “Power Women” in Georgia, was among the publication’s 100 Most Influential Georgians in 2016 and 2017, and its 500 Most Influential Leaders in 2022 and 2023. She received the Janette Rankin Foundation “Smart Women” Award in 2018 and the University of Georgia Blue Key Service Award in 2022.