At Fairmont, Dudley-Eshbach became the first woman to lead a four-year public institution of higher education in West Virginia. During her three-year tenure at the college, she was recognized by Change magazine as a "Young Leader of the Academy" in 1998 and was awarded the 1999 Elizabeth Dole Shattered Glass Award. Under her presidency, Fairmont received a $21 million GEAR UP grant, the sixth largest of the 164 grants awarded nationwide, and secured funding for numerous projects such as improvements to the library, Alumni Center and athletic facilities.