Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, July 14, 2025 – Dr. Dinh Vu Trang Ngan (Dr. Trang Ngan), an economist and long-serving member of Fulbright University Vietnam’s academic leadership team, will be the next president of the university. She assumed the role on July 10, 2025.
Dr. Trang Ngan, who currently holds the position of Vice President for Student Affairs, succeeds Dr. Scott Fritzen, who announced his decision to step down on June 30, 2025.
A Hanoi native, Dr. Ngan is a graduate of Bates College, the University of Chicago, and the University of Cambridge. She taught economics at Bates before joining the faculty of the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program, Fulbright University Vietnam’s predecessor, in 2008. Following the university’s establishment in 2016, Dr. Ngan led the design and development of the university’s undergraduate program in engineering and the liberal arts and sciences.
Dr. Dinh Vu Trang Ngan will be the next president of the university. She assumed the role on July 10, 2025.
“I can think of no one more qualified to lead Fulbright University Vietnam than Ngan,” said Fulbright trustee Thomas J. Vallely. “Ngan is an extraordinarily dedicated teacher and mentor who is deeply committed to the youth of Vietnam. Ngan’s deep understanding of American undergraduate education, combined with her commitment to helping Vietnamese students achieve their dreams makes her the ideal person to lead Fulbright,” he said.
“I am honored and humbled by the confidence the board has placed me,” said Dr. Ngan. “For me, the chance to study in the United States was lifechanging. I have dedicated my career to helping create transformational educational opportunities here in Vietnam, to empower Vietnamese students to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to excel in a world marked by uncertainty and opportunity,” said Dr. Ngan.
“My priority as president will be to ensure that our flagship academic programs have the resources needed to thrive and grow,” said Dr. Ngan. She cited recruiting and retaining outstanding teacher-scholars, scholarship support for students, and the rapid completion of Fulbright’s permanent campus in the Saigon High-Tech Park in District 9 as top priorities.
Dr. Ngan also highlighted the recent establishment of the Fulbright AI Institute as an important example of how Fulbright can advance its mission of developing highly educated, versatile, globally connected citizens fluent in leading-edge ideas and technologies.
“The AI revolution is here,” she said. “Fulbright has an obligation to ensure that all our students are prepared for success in a world where AI impacts every facet of their lives. I look forward to facilitating the continued expansion of AI related programs at Fulbright.”
Dr. Ngan said that she looks forward to supporting the continued roll-out of new undergraduate programs in AI and business, describing those offerings as strategic priorities for a university dedicated to preparing students for success in whatever field of endeavor they chose to pursue.
“As president, I will work to support the continued growth and expansion of our flagship undergraduate and graduate programs,” she said. Describing the Fulbright School of Public Policy (FSPPM) as her first “academic home,” Dr. Ngan said that the study of public policy is “a field that is near and dear to my heart.”
Observing that Vietnam “stands at a critical juncture in its development,” Dr. Ngan said “FSPPM’s commitment to educating public sector executives and research-based policy dialog has never been more vital. As president I look forward to supporting the work of my FSPPM colleagues to develop new initiatives that amplify the school’s reach and impact.”
At the same meeting that the university’s board of trustees selected Dr. Ngan to lead the university, the board voted to appoint Mr. Chris Helzer chairman of the board. Mr. Helzer succeeds Thomas J. Vallely, who served as chairman since 2012. In recognition of Mr. Vallely’s many years of devoted service to the university, the board voted to grant Mr. Vallely the honorary title “Founding Chairman.” Mr. Vallely will remain a member of the board.
Mr. Chris Helzer is the next Chairman of the Board.
Mr. Helzer, who retired in 2024 after a twenty-five-year career at Nike where he served as global head of public policy, has served on the Fulbright board since 2022. Earlier in his career he worked in the NGO sector to advance the US-Vietnam relationship and for private Vietnamese enterprises. Since joining the Fulbright Board in 2022, Mr. Helzer has demonstrated a strong commitment to our mission, leading strategic discussions about the university’s future.
“Since I first lived and worked in Vietnam over thirty years ago as a young college graduate, Vietnam and the Vietnamese people have been an important part of my life. I look forward to working closely with Ngan, with my fellow trustees, and with the outstanding Fulbright team to maximize Fulbright University Vietnam’s contributions to Vietnam’s continuing transformation,” Helzer said.
He cited the completion of the first phase of Fulbright’s permanent campus in the Saigon High Tech Park in Thu Duc City as a top priority. “The board is laser-focused on building the Saigon High-Tech Park Campus as quickly as possible,” he said, describing the campus as a cornerstone of Fulbright’s growth strategy.
Describing Ngan and Helzer as a “dynamic duo,” Fulbright trustee Ms. Hoang Thi Mai Huong said “Fulbright University Vietnam is very fortunate to benefit from leaders like Ngan and Chris. Ngan is a teacher-scholar who is deeply committed to serving the interests of our students. She will work tirelessly to ensure that their success is the university’s overriding priority.”
