Washington College is pleased to announce the completion of our Interim President search and to welcome Dr. Wayne B. Powell as the College’s 32nd President. Dr. Powell holds a PhD in mathematics from Tulane University and has had a distinguished career in higher education as a faculty member and more recently as an administrator, serving seventeen years at Lenoir-Rhyne University, first as their Vice President and Dean for Academic Affairs and then as their President between 2002-2017. Prior to his tenure at Lenoir-Rhyne University, Dr. Powell was the Dean and Associate Dean of the Graduate College at Oklahoma State University and rose to the rank of full professor in the Mathematics Department from 1980 to 2000. More recently, Dr. Powell has served two interim deanships at Arkansas Tech University for their Colleges of Arts & Humanities and Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Dr. Powell’s selection as the College’s Interim President comes as the result of a comprehensive search process that included individuals from faculty, staff, students, alumni, and representatives from Washington College’s Board of Visitors and Governors. The search was assisted by AGB Search, a subsidiary of the Association of Governing Board’s with whom the College holds a membership. Through the efforts of AGB Search and the College’s own resources, the Search Committee was able to attract a diverse pool of candidates with strong higher education leadership credentials from whom Dr. Powell was selected.
“During the search process, Dr. Powell’s strong commitment to the value of a liberal arts education stood out. As a self-proclaimed lifelong learner, he recognizes and values the perspectives of different constituencies and has the ability to create a collaborative environment of learning that extends beyond the classroom,” commented SGA President Elizabeth Lilly.
Dr. Powell’s tenure at Lenoir-Rhyne saw its transformation from a college to a university through the creation of the Center for Graduate Studies, a revision of the curriculum to serve the needs of Lenoir-Rhyne’s students, and the commitment to building strong academic programs and student services. “During the interview process Dr. Powell discussed how disruptive the coronavirus pandemic has been and will continue to be for higher education nationally,” commented Dr. Pam Pears, Professor of French, “and he emphasized the need for an inclusive planning process as we continuously work to ensure Washington College’s academic programs meet the needs of and are accessible to future generations of students.”
In addition to Dr. Powell’s academic credentials, his administrative leadership was also recognized by the search committee as a significant factor in his nomination as Washington College’s Interim President. “Over his tenure at Lenoir-Rhyne,” observed Board Chair Steve Golding, “Dr. Powell demonstrated strong financial management capabilities by turning deficit budgets into annual positive cashflows; the capacity to successfully fundraise by growing the University’s endowment by 120%; and an ability to attract and recruit future generations of students by building effective enrollment management operations that increased the size of Lenoir-Rhyne’s student body by almost 80 percent.”
Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. James Lipchock noted that the Search Committee was impressed with Dr. Powell’s record on addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and his enthusiasm for continuing this work at Washington College.” Staff Council Chair Raven Bishop further noted that “Dr. Powell’s capabilities in these areas, along with his demonstrated capacity for working with faculty and staff, offers Washington College a clear pathway to successfully navigate the current challenges the College is facing given the COVID-19 pandemic.”
In accepting the offer to become Washington College’s Interim President, Dr. Powell observed that he was very much looking forward to the opportunity.
“It is a privilege to be able to work with the academic community at Washington College with its long and distinguished record of excellence,” he said. “I look forward to serving with the many constituencies of the College as we jointly address the challenges and opportunities of this unusual and difficult time.”
He takes office Sept. 1.
E E Maxcy says
I hope he likes living on the rural Eastern Shore. All good wishes to him and his administration.
G. Davis says
I agree. It looks like he has a good track record.
Carl E Ortman, Ph.D says
Please look at WC as a family environment where ALL of the growth process has equal importance. Mental , Physical, Emotional, Social, and Spiritual growth hold equal importance in the maturation of young people as well rounded Americans.