Paula O'Loughlin is presently the provost and dean of the faculty at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She also currently serves in a leadership role on regional and national boards related to liberal learning, equity, access and inclusion in higher education, and social issues. She previously worked as an academic leader as associate provost and dean of arts and humanities at Gustavus Adolphus College in St Peter, Minnesota. Her first career was teaching political science at the University of Minnesota Morris, a public liberal arts college.

Paula holds a doctorate in political science from the University of Minnesota.