| Joan Leitzel | |
| Order: | 17th |
| President of the University of New Hampshire | |
| Term Start: | 1996 |
| Term End: | 2002 |
| Predecessor: | Dale F. Nitzschke |
| Successor: | Ann Weaver Hart |
| Order2: | Interim |
| Title2: | Chancellor of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln |
| Term Start2: | July 22, 1995 |
| Term End2: | January 31, 1996 |
| Predecessor2: | Graham Spanier |
| Successor2: | James Moeser |
| Birth Date: | 2 July 1936 |
| Birth Place: | Valparaiso, Indiana, U.S. |
| Alma Mater: | Hanover College Brown University Indiana University |
| Spouse: | James R.C. Leitzel[1] |
| Occupation: | mathematician |
Joan Ruth Leitzel (née Phillips; born July 2, 1936) is 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[2] and received the Charles Holmes Pettee Medal in 2002 for her contributions to the University of New Hampshire.
Leitzel attended Hanover College (BA 1958), Brown University (AM 1961), and Indiana University (PhD 1965 in algebra under the supervision of).[3]
Dr. Leitzel was the commencement speaker at Hanover College and received an honorary doctorate degree from her undergraduate alma mater in May 2024.[4]