Illinois State University Appoints 20th President
Written by admin on May 14, 2021
Photo Courtesy Illinois State University
NORMAL, Ill.- The search is now over. Illinois State University and its community have been awaiting this very moment after President Dietz announced his retirement in November. The Board of Trustees selected Terri Goss Kinzy, Ph.D., as the 20th University president.
Kinzy is the Vice President for Research and Innovation at Western Michigan University.
Searching for a new presidential candidate took some time for the ISU community. There were about 60 students, staff, board members, and alumni involved in the presidential search. This is the largest search group that ISU has had.
ISU hosted a press conference with Board Chair Julie Annette Jones and Kinzy. Jones introduced Kinzy by mentioning her career history and the process of picking a new president.
“Dr. Kinzy rose to the top of a deeply diverse and talented pool of candidates. She is a forward-thinking leader who is personally committed to diversity equity and inclusion—as well as University and community engagement,” said Jones.
Kinzy has worn many hats in her career. She previously served as vice president of research and professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Rutgers. At the University of New Jersey, she served as Senior Associate Dean for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Research at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Throughout the press conference, Kinzy expressed her gratitude for her process and discussions with her search committee.
“Their discussion and engagement on Zoom with more than 30 people was a wonderful experience and they are wonderful ambassadors for your fine institution,” said Kinzy. “That includes your Board of Trustees, that have been incredibly engaged throughout this entire process, and their service to this institution is very admirable.”
She shares that she is excited to develop a shared vision for Illinois State University.
“This future is based on a very strong past it’s the legacy the word I see all over the campus of your fine institution. But it’s also due in no small part to the leadership of your 19th president—president Larry Dietz. I’m grateful to follow someone who is seen an institution through the challenges that have faced your institution particularly and higher education in general,” said Kinzy. “Not every University has come out of some of the adversity that you faced as well as Illinois State University and you should all be very proud of your contributions in that. And it is clear that his leadership and your contributions have demonstrated the resiliency of this fine institution.”
Kinzy’s appointment as president is effective July 1.
