Biography

Georgia native Russell T. Keen, EdD, assumed the presidency of Augusta University (AU), effective July 1, 2024. Keen previously served as executive vice president for administration and chief of staff to the president at AU, where he held an executive leadership role since July 2015. In this position, Keen managed and allocated the university’s more than $1 billion budget, managed and coordinated its executive vice presidents and served as head administrator in the president’s absence. He has worked within the university system for more than 22 years. Previously, he also held leadership roles at Georgia Southern University and in fundraising at the University of Georgia.

Russell T. Keen, EdD
President, Augusta University

From 2001 until 2015, he worked at Georgia Southern University, where he advanced from director of annual giving to vice president for external affairs. In these positions, Keen secured hundreds of millions of dollars in university funding from individual fundraising campaigns and state and federal grants. His roles included vice president of governmental relations and community engagement where he developed relationships with local, state and federal officials to enhance the success of the university and its advocacy efforts. He previously worked as the major gifts officer at the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Georgia.

Keen, a first-generation college student, holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in higher education administration from Georgia Southern University. He earned an EdD in higher education management from UGA in 2019. His family has been part of the Augusta community for generations.

Outside of his university work, Keen serves the community as a member of several boards, including the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Rotary Club of Augusta, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Conservative Policy Leadership Institute and the Government Affairs Council of the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities. 

Keen is a graduate of the 2010 Class of the Georgia Academy of Economic Development, the 2011 Class of Leadership Bulloch, the 2012 Class of Leadership Georgia, the 2012 Class of the Conservative Policy Leadership Institute, a 2014 graduate of the Protocol School of Washington and the 2016 Class of Leadership Columbia County. Past affiliations and community involvement include the American Heart Association (Heart Ball Chairman 2018), United Way of the CSRA Board of Directors, Statesboro Rotary Club Board of Directors and the Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Keen and his wife, Karen, have been married for 22 years and have two children, Kaleigh and Brinson, who are both proudly enrolled at universities within the University System of Georgia. 

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