UWRF provost named finalist for Western Oregon University president

UW-River Falls Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Fernando Delgado has been named one of four finalists in the running to assume the Western Oregon University (WOU) presidency after the retirement of current President Mark Weiss. Weiss will retire on June 30.

After months of application review and deliberation, the WOU Presidential Search Committee forwarded the four candidates to the Oregon University System chancellor, Oregon State Board of Higher Education (OSBHE), and the incoming WOU Board of Trustees for consideration.

The four candidates will visit WOU for a series of interviews, including meetings with both the WOU Board of Trustees and OSBHE, over the course of the near future. Information about the search, including schedules and the application materials and resumes from the candidates may be viewed at: www.wou.edu/president/presidentialsearch/.

“The WOU search committee, comprised of stakeholders across the campus, including several members of the incoming WOU Board of Trustees, provided such a service to WOU by forwarding these four finalists," said Jim Francesconi, OSBHE member and chair of the WOU Presidential Search Committee. "Any of these candidates would bring a sincere commitment and demonstrated experience to increasing success for all students. Any of these candidates would elevate Western's profile in Oregon and beyond as a public university that offers higher education that is as good as any private university but at an affordable cost.”

The finalists are Delgado; Christopher Ames, vice president for academic affairs at Shepherd University (West Virginia); Rex Fuller, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Eastern Washington University; and Margaret Madden, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at SUNY Postdam.

Delgado has served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at UWRF since 2009. Prior to his current post, Delgado served as a dean at Minnesota State University-Mankato and then Hamline University.

Delgado began his career as a faculty member in communication studies before commencing his administrative career as associate vice provost from academic programs and graduate studies at Arizona State University. Delgado is trained in intercultural communication, having received his master's in the field from the University of Iowa, and has regularly published on issues related to culture, identity and communication.

He currently serves as a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, a commissioner on the American Council on Education’s Commission on Internationalization and Global Engagement, and as an editorial board member of both the “Howard Journal of Communications” and “Critical Studies in Media Communication.”

Delgado has a passion for international education and has lectured, established inter-institutional partnerships, or is responsible for campus education centers on five continents. Delgado stays connected to faculty and students by remaining engaged as a teacher and scholar in his field.

“This is an exciting time for Western Oregon University. The new institution board has been hard at work to ensure an effective transition from the State Board of Higher Education and there is no more important decision a board can make than the selection of a new leader," said Jim Baumgartner, chair of the incoming WOU Board of Trustees and vice-chair of the WOU President Search Committee. "I am confident that the search committee has forwarded four superb candidates for the campus and the board to consider.”