President/Chancellors

Grand View University has appointed Dr. Rachelle Keck as its 14th President. Dr. Keck is currently the President of Briar Cliff University, a position she has held since 2018.  An Iowa native, she is a graduate of Wartburg College, earned her juris doctorate from the University of Iowa and her Ph.D. in education from Drake University. Prior to joining Briar Cliff, she served as the Director of Planned Giving for the University of Iowa Foundation, and then the Executive Director for Philanthropy and Alumni Relations at Indian Hills Community College. Read more here.

The University of The Bahamas (UB) has announced the appointment of Dr. Erik Rolland, an academic with 30 years of experience, as the next president of UB. The appointment takes effect on 1st August 2022. He currently serves as Dean of the College of Business Administration, interim Dean of the College of the Extended University, Chief International Officer and the Provost’s Associate for Strategic Transformation at California Polytechnic and State University. Read more here.

Rockhurst University has appointed Sandra Cassady, Ph.D., to become the 15th president of Rockhurst University, effective July 1, 2022. Dr. Cassady will make history as the first female and first lay president of Rockhurst, a Catholic, Jesuit university. Dr. Cassady earned her Ph.D. in exercise science from the University of Iowa. She comes to Rockhurst from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, where she serves as vice president for strategic initiatives and dean of the College of Health and Human Services. Read more here.

The Canisius College Board of Trustees has announced that Steve K. Stoute, J.D., has been named the institution's 25th President. Mr. Stoute currently serves as Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff at DePaul University. Born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, he immigrated to the United States to attend Seton Hall University, where he earned his B.S. in Business Administration. He subsequently earned an M.A. in Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his J.D. at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Mr. Stoute will begin his tenure as President of Canisius College on July 1, 2022. Read more here.

The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education has selected Dr. David Cook as the 15th President of North Dakota State University. Dr. Cook currently serves as Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs & Economic Development at the University of Kansas (KU). Previous positions include Vice Chancellor of the KU Edwards Campus and Associate Vice Chancellor of the Institute for Community Engagement at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He earned his B.A. in Political Science/Speech Communication from Iowa State University and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Organizational Communication from the University of Kansas. Read more here.

St. John’s Abbey has announced the appointment of Dr. Therese Ratliff as Director of Liturgical Press. Dr. Ratliff is currently serving as the Publisher of the Books and Devotionals Division for Bayard, Inc. Dr. Ratliff is a seasoned, enthusiastic publishing professional with over 25 years’ experience in various aspects of the book publishing industry. Her previous positions include Publisher at Twenty-Third Publications and Senior Acquisitions Editor at Pauline Books and Media Publishing. Dr. Ratliff holds a Ph.D. in Education and Theology from Boston College and a MBA in Theology from St. Michael’s College. Read more here.

The Southern University System Board of Supervisors has selected Dennis J. Shields as the next President of the Southern University System and Chancellor of Southern University and A&M College. Previously, Mr. Shields served as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville since 2010.

La Salle University has selected Daniel J. Allen, Ph.D., a senior vice president at DePaul University, as its 30th President. He will assume the presidency on April 18, 2022.  Dr. Allen earned his Ph.D. in education at Loyola University-Chicago, his MA in physical education and BA in English literature from Loras College in Iowa. Read more here.

The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees has appointed Richard Yao, Ph.D., to serve as the fourth president of California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) after serving as interim president since January 2021. Dr. Yao is a licensed clinical psychologist who came to CSUCI from Nevada State College.

Dr. David Balkin has been appointed the 12th President of SUNY-Erie Community College. Since 2019, Dr. Balkin has served as the Chancellor of the South Bend-Elkhart campus of Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana. Previously he served as associate director of regional development and as Managing Director of the Center for Nano Science and Technology (NDnano) at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Balkin has extensive senior management experience in business and industry including finance, microelectronics and engineering. Dr. Balkin earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, M.S. and B.S. from the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Balkin will assume his role effective February 1, 2022. Read more here.