Allan Gilmour was unanimously elected by the Wayne State
University board of governors today to be the university's 11th
president, effective immediately.
Gilmour, selected interim president in late August, will continue as
president through the 2012-13 academic year.
"I've said before that higher education is a great calling," Gilmour
said in a statement. "These five months at Wayne State have been
energizing and challenging. I am delighted to continue in the role of
president and honored by the confidence the board has expressed in me."
Upon taking the interim position in August, Gilmour, 76, was asked
whether he was interested in being president full time, to which he
responded: "No. Not at my age."
So, what changed?
"What changed my mind was the excitement and energy of being here,"
Gilmour said. "And the board wanted me to stay. As time passed, we both
came to a realization that this was a good fit."
Gilmour replaced Jay Noren, who left Wayne State in August after
serving two years as head of the university.
"Wayne State needs a president of Allan's stature; he knows how to
lead," Paul Massaron, a board member who chaired the Presidential Search
Advisory Committee, said in a statement. |
