Joan Leitzel, an American mathematician and university administrator, died on March 5, 2026, at age 89.
She served as interim chancellor of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for six months before becoming president of the University of New Hampshire, a post she held from 1996 to 2002. In 2002, she received the Charles Holmes Pettee Medal for her contributions to the university.
Leitzel was born Joan Ruth Phillips on July 2, 1936, in Valparaiso, Indiana, and earned degrees from Hanover College, Brown University and Indiana University Bloomington.
Joan Ruth Leitzel (née Phillips; July 2, 1936 – March 5, 2026) was an American mathematician and university administrator. She served as interim Chancellor of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for six months before becoming the president of the University of New Hampshire. She served in that role from 1996 to 2002 and received the Charles Holmes Pettee Medal in 2002 for her contributions to the University of New Hampshire.