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Search committee will seek successor
WSU Tri-Cities Chancellor leaving for new post
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
By Melissa O'Neil Perdue, WSU Tri-Cities
RICHLAND, Wash. — Washington State University Tri-Cities Chancellor Vicky L. Carwein has accepted the position of chancellor at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), effective Sept. 1. WSU President Elson S. Floyd will be assembling a search committee in the fall to seek Carwein’s successor. As of Aug. 1, Floyd has named James R. "Dick” Pratt the interim Chancellor of WSU Tri-Cities, where Pratt currently is Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
"Vicky has provided vital leadership during a key time for this urban campus, building unique partnerships that further the mission of WSU with research opportunities, academic excellence, and economic development,” Floyd said.
Carwein grew up in Indiana and earned her bachelor’s and doctorate degrees in Nursing from Indiana University. At IPFW, she will be chancellor of a campus with 14,000 students, a School of Medicine, and an NCAA Division I athletics program.
"No other university could have enticed me away from WSU Tri-Cities or this community,” Carwein said. "While I am excited for this next step in my career, I will miss being part of the partnerships and teamwork that are leading this campus to reach its full potential. I’m proud of the significant growth we’ve accomplished in the past five years.”
Carwein will be leaving in late July. She joined WSU Tri-Cities in September 2006, arriving shortly after the urban campus received Legislative authority to expand into a full, four-year university. During Carwein’s tenure, WSU Tri-Cities admitted its first freshman class; opened the Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory; launched a $25 million fund-raising campaign; built the Columbia Center Rotary Stage; established partnerships to grow its Wine Science and Nursing programs; added key faculty members; set an enrollment record of 1,500 students; and became the most diverse campus in the WSU system.
"Vicky has maneuvered WSU Tri-Cities through amazing growth and culture change during an era of significant budget cuts," said Mike Kluse, chair of the WSU Tri-Cities Advisory Council and director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. "She has built a strong leadership team, launched a campaign that already has raised more than $11 million toward a $25 million goal, implemented creative partnerships, and built passionate community support for higher education. While Vicky will be sorely missed, she is leaving WSU Tri-Cities poised for the next level of growth and future success."
WSU Tri-Cities is located along the scenic Columbia River in Richland, Wash. Established in 1989 with upper division and graduate programs, WSU Tri-Cities expanded in 2007 to a full four-year undergraduate campus offering 18 bachelor’s, 10 master’s, and six doctoral degrees. Learn about the most diverse campus in the WSU system at www.tricity.wsu.edu.
Melissa O’Neil Perdue, WSU Tri-Cities, 509-372-7319, cell/text 509-727-3094, moneil@tricity.wsu.edu
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