E. Gordon Gee President at West Virginia University | Official website
E. Gordon Gee President at West Virginia University | Official website
West Virginia University (WVU) has announced the appointment of Dr. Michael T. Benson as its new president, following a nearly year-long national search process. Rick Pill, Chair of the WVU Board of Governors, and Dr. Patrice Harris, Vice-Chair and Presidential Search Committee Chair, expressed their confidence in Dr. Benson's leadership abilities in a letter to the university community.
"We are beyond thrilled to welcome Dr. Michael T. Benson to the Mountaineer family to serve as our next University president," stated Pill and Harris in their joint message.
The search for a new president involved significant input from faculty, staff, students, alumni, community members, and West Virginia citizens. The board appreciated this collective feedback which helped them select a leader with the right qualifications for West Virginia’s flagship university.
"We send a warm note of appreciation to the hundreds of faculty, staff, students, alumni, community members and West Virginia citizens who trusted in this search process and participated along the way," they noted.
The Board also acknowledged the contributions of their colleagues on the Board of Governors and members of the search committee for their dedication throughout this extensive process.
"We thank each of our colleagues on the Board of Governors for their time, dedication, steadfast support and engagement throughout this process," they said.
An external executive search firm WittKieffer was instrumental in guiding WVU through each phase of finding high-quality candidates across the country.
"We extend a note of thanks to our external executive search firm WittKieffer," they added.
Additionally, President E. Gordon Gee was recognized for his service as he concludes his 45-year career at WVU.
"Lastly, we would be remiss if we did not thank President E. Gordon Gee for closing out his 45-year career in academia at West Virginia University," they remarked.
As WVU welcomes Dr. Benson and his family into its fold, Pill and Harris encourage unity within the community as it embarks on this new chapter under Benson's leadership.
"The future is bright... Together we can lead WVU into its next great adventure," they concluded with optimism about what lies ahead for WVU under Dr. Benson's presidency.
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