LSSU names David Travis as next president
SAULT STE. MARIE — Lake Superior State University has named David Travis as the school's 11th president.
LSSU has been on the search for a new president for about a year, ever since the departure of Rodney Hanley last April. A search committee comprised of faculty, students and alumni looked over hundreds of candidates during their search, and personally interviewed 11 candidates.
Travis has both a bachelor's and master's of science degree in geography from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. in geography from Indiana University.
"Not only did he have really outstanding academic credentials, and experience in increasingly responsible roles within a university setting, but also he's a very engaging individual," said Cindy Williams, vice chair of the Board of Trustees and chair of the Presidential Search Committee.
Currently, Travis is the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin at River Falls. He began his career in 1994 as an assistant professor of geography and rose through the faculty and administrative ranks to professor of geography and dean of the College of Arts and Letters at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater.
"Other colleagues of his spoke very highly about his problem-solving skills, his collaborative approach to working with colleagues, his commitment to student success, really stuck out to me," said Williams.
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Lynn Gillette, who has been acting as interim president since April, will be stepping down from the position and back to his position as provost and vice president for academic affairs.
Travis plans on visiting campus in the coming months to learn more about the LSSU community before he is officially sworn into office on June 3.
“I am honored and thrilled to be selected as LSSU’s next president. Lake State is a university with dedicated and talented individuals that are transforming students’ lives every day," said Travis in a statement. "I am committed to doing what it takes to ensure this great university has the necessary resources to continue doing this work while strengthening its partnership with the City of Sault Ste. Marie and surrounding areas.”
— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: LSSU names David Travis as next president
