INTERVIEW SCHEDULE FOR PROVOST AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Five finalists for the position of Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs are scheduled to hold open forums for the MSUM community. The forums are scheduled as follows and all members of the MSUM community are invited to attend.
Candidate / Current Position / Date / Time / LocationDr. Michelle Malott / Interim Provost and Senior VP for Academic Affairs, MSUM / Monday, April 13 / 3:00-4:00 / CB 109
Dr. Elizabeth Dunn / Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Indiana University South Bend / Wednesday, April 15 / 12:00-1:00 / CB 109
Dr. Tim Borchers / Dean, College of Arts, Media and Communication, MSUM / Thursday, April 16 / 8:30-9:30 / CB 109
Dr. Ralph Townsend / Dean, College of Liberal Arts, Winona State University / Thursday, April 23 / 2:30-3:30 / CB 109
Dr. Joseph Bessie / Former Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, University of Wisconsin Stout / Thursday, April 30 / 2:30-3:30 / CB 109
These forums are an opportunity to learn more about the finalists and to submit comments on their qualifications to the search committee. The Provost is the chief academic affairs officer, is the second-ranking executive officer at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM), reports directly to the President, and acts on her behalf in her absence. The Provost provides collaborative leadership and direction for all academic programs while advancing the strategic goals of Minnesota State University Moorhead. The Provost supports, initiates, and promotes the University’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and service and includes strong partnerships in community and economic development.
Candidate Biographies:
Dr. Michelle Malott is currently the Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Dr. Malott served on the faculty in the Biosciences Department from 2001-2009 and was department chairperson from 2006-2009. She served as Dean of the College of Social and Natural Sciences from 2009-2013 and the Dean of the College of Science, Health, and the Environment from 2013-2014. From 2000-2001, Dr. Malott was a visiting assistant professor at the University of Central Arkansas. Dr. Malott has participated in strategic planning, budget planning, and strategic enrollment management committees (among many others) at MSUM. Her undergraduate degree is in Biology from University of Windsor and she earned a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from Wright State University.
Dr. Elizabeth Dunn is currently the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Professor of History at Indiana University South Bend. She was on the history faculty at Bemidji State University from 1999-2008 and she was the Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Letters at Bemidji from 2008-2010. From 1994-1999, Dr. Dunn served on the faculty at Baylor University and from 1990-1994 was on the faculty at Auburn University. Prior to 1990, she served as a visiting lecturer at Eastern Illinois University and University of Illinois. While at Bemidji State University, Dr. Dunn served as the Faculty Association President from 2006-2008 and served in other roles with the local and state IFO. She is a member of a wide variety of boards and has been a reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission. Dr. Dunn’s undergraduate degree is in History, her master’s degree is in American Studies, and she earned a Ph.D. in American History from the University of Illinois.
Dr. Tim Borchers is currently the Dean of the College of Arts, Media and Communication at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Dr. Borchers was on the faculty in Communication Studies, which has resided in different departments at MSUM. He was department chair of the Communication Studies, Film Studies and Theatre Arts Department from 2004-2005, Associate Dean for the College of Social and Natural Sciences and the College of Arts and Humanities from 2005-2007, department chair of the Communication Studies department from 2007-2008, Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities from 2008-2010, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities from 2010-2013. Dr. Borchers’ undergraduate degree is in Speech Communications, his master’s degree is in Communication, and he earned a Ph.D. in Rhetorical Theory with a minor in Political Science from Wayne State University.
Dr. Ralph Townsend is currently the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Winona State University. Prior to his position in Winona, he was the Chief Economist for the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries from 2007-2010. Dr. Townsend was a professor of economics and department chair at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne from 2006-2007 and was on the economics faculty and a cooperating professor of marine sciences at the University of Maine from 1984-2006. He has completed several research fellowships, including CSIRO in Australia, the University of the Philippines, the University of Iceland, and the National Marine Fisheries Service in Juneau, Alaska. Dr. Townsend earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dr. Joseph Bessie was the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Stout from 2013-2014 and is currently on the faculty at UW-Stout. He was Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at St. Martin’s University from 2009-2013, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Valley City State University from 2006-2009, Dean of Instruction at Ridgewater College (MnSCU) from 2000-2006, and the Philosophy Program Coordinator at the University of Central Oklahoma from 1994-2000. He has also been an active professor during many of his administrative appointments. He was an adjunct professor at several institutions in Minnesota before 1992, when he joined the faculty at the University of Central Oklahoma in 1988. Dr. Bessie has bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Psychology, a master’s of Business Administration and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota. He also has additional graduate coursework in Management and Economics from the University of Central Oklahoma and St. Cloud State University.