![Lori Woeste Headshot](/images/apus/portraits/leadership/lori_w.jpg)
Dr. Lori Woeste is the Dean of Research and Academic Excellence, and in this role she also serves as an institutional member on the Council of Graduate Schools and on the review board for the Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory, and Practice.
Dr. Woeste has been with APUS since 2017 where she first served as the Director of Doctoral Programs, a role which expanded in 2021 when she became the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies; then the Associate Dean of Research and Academic Excellence.
Dr. Woeste has a strong background in academics and research, with a student-focused approach that has led her to various leadership positions, grants and awards throughout her career. Previously she served as Dean of Math and Science at Kirkwood Community College, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and as the Associate Dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois.
Dr. Woeste earned both her Ed.D. and M.S. in Health from Illinois State University. She has her B.S. in biology from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.