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New leader to assume duties at 15,000 student institution July 1

Harrisburg – Dr. Michael A. Driscoll, provost and executive vice chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), was selected today by the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) to serve as the next president of ��ɫӰ�� (��ɫӰ��).

Dr. Driscoll, who was appointed at the conclusion of a national search, will assume his new duties July 1. He will succeed Dr. David J. Werner, who has served as ��ɫӰ��'s interim president since August 2010.

“Dr. Driscoll is an outstanding academic leader, with an extensive record of success everywhere he has served,” said Board of Governors Chairman Guido M. Pichini. “We are confident he will continue this record and provide excellent leadership to ��ɫӰ�� in these extremely challenging times.”

Dr. Driscoll was named provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Alaska Anchorage in June 2006 and was promoted to executive vice chancellor last July. He serves as the chief academic officer for the UAA system of campuses, working regularly with the UA System Office and Board of Regents on matters of academic policy and programs, tuition policy, operating and capital budgets, institutional accountability, facilities and other issues.

UAA enrolls about 16,000 students on its main campus, with approximately 5,000 additional students enrolled at community campuses in Soldotna, Palmer/Wasilla, Homer, Valdez and Kodiak and other extension sites.

“Dr. Driscoll's vast experience at both the campus and system levels made him stand out among an impressive collection of candidates,” said PASSHE Chancellor Dr. John C. Cavanaugh. “He will be a valuable addition to the State System and to the outstanding group of university presidents already in place.”

Dr. Driscoll said he looks forward to leading ��ɫӰ�� into a bright future.

”��ɫӰ��'s strong tradition of high-quality, student-focused education, research and service has positioned it well,” he said. “I am honored that the Board of Governors is giving me the opportunity to work with ��ɫӰ��'s remarkably talented faculty, administration, staff and students. With its distinguished alumni, the wonderful people of Western Pennsylvania and PASSHE's strong leadership, we will create a shared vision for the university and will work together to build an even stronger ��ɫӰ��.”

"We are pleased to welcome Dr. Driscoll as the next president of ��ɫӰ�� and look forward to working with him in the years ahead,” said Susan Delaney, a member of ��ɫӰ��'s Council of Trustees who chaired the presidential search committee. “We had an excellent pool of well-qualified candidates, and the selection of Dr. Driscoll is the result of the dedicated efforts of every member of the search committee. I congratulate them on their fine work, as well.”

Dr. Driscoll earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering, all from Michigan State University. He began his academic career at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, rising through the faculty ranks from assistant professor to professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

During his 18 years at Portland State, Dr. Driscoll also served as associate chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering, associate dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and executive dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science. He was named vice provost for academic personnel and budget in 2002, a position he held for nearly four years. He was responsible for faculty hiring, compensation and labor relations, working with the provost and president on promotion and tenure, budget and faculty development.

He then moved on to the University of Alaska Anchorage, where his duties also include fund raising and alumni relations and working with the Faculty Senate and other governance groups. He led the completion of UAA's strategic plan and the creation of the UAA College of Health, which brought together the UAA's allied health and health related programs into a single college. He oversees UAA's ongoing strategic budgeting process and led the effort to establish the Center for Alaska Education Policy Research to provide data and advice to those making policy decisions regarding Alaska's P-12 education system.

He has written numerous articles that have been published in academic journals and is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He also is a member of the Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, Omega Rho and Beta Gamma Sigma professional honor societies.

��ɫӰ�� was founded in 1875 as Indiana Normal School. It achieved university status in 1965 and today is a comprehensive, doctoral research university. It enrolls more than 15,000 students and offers 133 undergraduate, 55 master's and 10 doctoral degree programs. The university has 750 faculty members and 853 administration and staff members. ��ɫӰ�� alumni live in every state and in 87 countries around the world.

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, with nearly 120,000 students. The 14 PASSHE universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Nearly 500,000 PASSHE alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.

The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. PASSHE also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Freeport, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.