As of Wednesday, July 1, 2026, Dr. Angela Lindner has become the LearningWell Coalition’s Executive Director. Lindner succeeds Keith Buffinton, who is retiring after leading the Coalition since its founding.

Lindner joins the Coalition following a nearly three-decade career at the University of Florida, most recently as Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs, a role she has held since September 2024. She also previously served as Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs and as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Student Affairs in UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, and she directed UF’s Engineering Leadership Institute. She now holds emeritus status at the university.

An engineer by training, Lindner earned a B.S. in chemistry from the College of Charleston, an M.S. in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of Michigan. Before entering academia, she worked as a chemical engineer at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and as a project engineer at General Motors Corporation. She joined UF’s Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences in 1998, where her research focused on environmental microbiology, bioremediation, and sustainable engineering, before moving into undergraduate leadership roles in 2008.

Lindner’s connection to the Coalition began in 2023, when she encountered its work through a podcast interview with Olin College President Emeritus Rick Miller. She reached out to the organization that same day, and within a week was in conversation with Miller and Buffinton about UF Quest, the university’s signature general education initiative. The University of Florida later joined the Coalition as a member institution.

“For us, it is keeping the personal and professional development of students at the center of all we do,” Lindner said of the Coalition’s mission in a recent interview with LearningWell Magazine. She pointed to expanding the Coalition’s membership and strengthening how member institutions measure the impact of their student-wellbeing initiatives as early priorities. “I’m excited to see the numbers double and see its role expand, not just next year, but 10 to 15 years from now,” she said.

Lindner will assume the Executive Director role as the Coalition continues to grow its network of member colleges and universities committed to student flourishing in work and in life.

 

About the LearningWell Coalition

The LearningWell Coalition is a growing network of colleges and universities — large and small, public and private — dedicated to ensuring that every student is prepared to flourish in work and in life. Through collaboration, networking, and access to evidence-based practices, the Coalition helps member institutions create and scale initiatives that support students’ academic, personal, and professional growth.