College President’s Report – March 2018
Appointments
Cal State Bakersfield Names New President
Dr. Lynette Zelezny has been named by the California State University Board of Trustees the next president of Cal State Bakersfield. Zelezny currently serves as provost at Fresno State University. She will begin her tenure in June of this year.
New President Announced at Carnegie Mellon
Carnegie Mellon has announced that Dr. Farnam Jahanian will become the school’s 10th president. Dr. Jahanian has served the last two years as CMU’s interim president. His appointment is immediate, with a fall inauguration scheduled.
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Coppersmith to Become President of Chesapeake College
Chesapeake College has named Dr. Clifford P. Coppersmith as the school’s next president. Coppersmith formerly served as dean of City College in Billings Montana. He will begin his post at the end of May.
Edmonds CC Names Next President
Dr. Amit Singh has been announced as the next president of Edmonds Community College outside of Seattle. Singh currently serves as provost of Clark State Community College. He will replace former Edmonds CC president, Jean Hernandez, who retired on December 31st. Dr. Singh begins on June 25th.
Lake Superior State Announces New President
Dr. Rodney S. Hanley will be appointed president of Lake Superior State on July 1st. Hanley is currently provost and VP for academic affairs at Fisk University. Dr. Hanley succeeds Peter Mitchell, who has been interim president at Lake Superior since last July.
Board Selects New President at Lincoln University
Lincoln University’s Board of Curators has selected Dr. Jerald Woolfolk to become the Missouri school’s next president. Woolfolk is currently vice president for student affairs and enrollment at SUNY Oswego. Dr. Woolfolk will begin her tenure this May.
Floyd in as President at Mars Hill University
Dr. Tony Floyd has been appointed the 22nd president of Mars Hill University in North Carolina. Floyd Currently serves as Coker College’s Executive Vice President. He will begin on June 1st.
Minnesota State College System Picks President
The Board of Trustees of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities will stay in-house for the systems premier position. Dr. Devinder Malhotra, current interim chancellor, has been promoted to the position permanently. Malhotra has served as interim chancellor since August of 2017 and holds a doctorate from Kansas University.
New Chancellor Named at Montana State-Billings
Dr. Dan Edelman has been selected by a search committee to become the next president of Montana state at Billings. Edelman currently serves as the VP for administration and CFO at the University of North Texas Dallas. Dr. Edelman will begin on May 7th and replaces Interim President Larsen.
First Female President Named at Oklahoma City University
Martha Burger has been announced as the next president of Oklahoma City University. Burger will become the school’s first female president after President Robert Henry retires in June.
Dr. Caro Announced as President at Peirce College
Dr. Mary Ellen Caro will begin come the first female president and CEO of Peirce College in Philadelphia. Caro will take over for Dr. James Mergiotti who announced his plans to retire on April 16th. She will be the school’s eighth president.
New President Announced at Slippery Rock
Current provost of Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ, Dr. William J. Behre will become the next president of Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. Behre will replace Dr. Cheryl Norton who retired as president last June. He begins his tenure in July.
Tenth President Announced at the University of Bridgeport
Dr. Laura Trombley, current president of the Huntington Library Art Collection, has been named the next president of the University of Bridgeport. Trombley is also president emerita of Pitzer College. She will begin her role as president this summer.
Williams College Appoints New President
Dr. Maude S. Mandel has been announced as the 18th president of Williams College in Massachusetts. Mandel currently serves as dean at Brown University. She will succeed Protik Majumder, who has served as interim president since the beginning of the year. Dr. Mandel will begin her tenure on July 1st.
Retirements
Dr. John Hitt Retiring from Central Florida, Replacement Found
Dr. John Hitt will retire from the University of Central Florida after 26 years as president. Hitt will be replaced by Dr. Dale A. Whittaker in July. Whitaker currently serves as provost at UCF.
Retirement Announced at Grand Valley State
Dr. Thomas J. Haas has announced that he will retire in June of 2019. Haas has served as Grand Valley State President for the past 12 years. He said, “It’s the right time to announce my retirement, but let me assure everyone, I’m as excited to come to work at Grand Valley as I’ve ever been.” A special meeting was immediately called by The Board of Trustees to begin a search for the school’s next president.
Pepperdine President Stepping Down
Dr. Andrew K. Benton, the longest serving president in Pepperdine’s history, has announced that he will retire at the end of the 2018-19 academic year. Benton said, “This is a significant change that, while difficult, we believe comes at just the right time – for Pepperdine, for our students, and for us.”
SUNY Purchase President Announces Retirement
Purchase College President Thomas J. Schwarz has announced that he will retire next June. Schwarz has served as president of the school for the past 17 years. Schwarz will remain on Purchase’s board after retirement.
Resignations
Edinboro University President Resigns
Dr. Fred Walker has resigned as president of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Walker’s resignation will make 6 presidents in the last 11 years at the school. An interim president has been chosen in provost Dr. Michael Hannan.